# 2018 Buffalo Bills season

The 2018 season was the Buffalo Bills' 59th overall, 49th in the National Football League (NFL), fourth full under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula and second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane. The team previously finished with a 9–7 record in 2017 and returned to the playoffs for the first time after having not been to the playoffs since 1999.
After a 21–17 loss to the rival Miami Dolphins in Week 13, the Bills failed to match their 9–7 record from the previous season. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention the following week with a 27–23 loss to the New York Jets, ultimately finishing with a 6–10 record as numerous players from the previous season departed via trades, roster cuts or retirement. They went 4–3 in their last 7 games. This season was also notable for being the first season for quarterback Josh Allen and the last one for longtime defensive tackle Kyle Williams. As of the 2024 season, this is the only time where McDermott has not led the Bills to the playoffs as head coach. It is also the Bills' most recent losing season.
Until the 2022 season, this was the last time the Bills lost to the Dolphins.

## Offseason

On May 1, 2018, three weeks after the 2017–18 Buffalo Sabres season ended, team president Russ Brandon announced his resignation from Pegula Sports and Entertainment. In a statement to the press, Brandon stated that the departure had been planned since he had reached 20 years with the Bills in November 2017 and that he fulfilled his duties to the Bills and Sabres for the remainder of the Sabres' season before tendering his resignation. A report in The Buffalo News claimed that Brandon had been subject to an internal investigation regarding inappropriate relationships with female employees; neither the Bills, Sabres nor Brandon mentioned such in their statements.

## Transactions
### Front office changes

| Position | Name | Reason | 2018 replacement | Date | Notes |
| President | Russ Brandon | Resigned | Kim Pegula | May 1 | |

### Free Agency
#### Arrivals

| Position | Player | 2017 Team | Date signed | Notes |
| CB | Vontae Davis | Indianapolis Colts | February 26, 2018 | 1-year/$5 million |
| RB | Chris Ivory | Jacksonville Jaguars | March 6, 2018 | 2-year/$5.5 million |
| DE | Owa Odighizuwa | New York Giants | March 8, 2018 | Reserve/future |
| CB | Rafael Bush | New Orleans Saints | March 14, 2018 | 2-year/$4.5 million |
| DT | Star Lotulelei | Carolina Panthers | March 14, 2018 | 5-year/$50 million |
| LB | Julian Stanford | New York Jets | March 14, 2018 | 2-year/$3 million |
| LB/DE | Trent Murphy | Washington Redskins | March 14, 2018 | 3-year/$22.5 million |
| QB | A. J. McCarron | Cincinnati Bengals | March 14, 2018 | 2-year/$10 million |
| C | Russell Bodine | Cincinnati Bengals | March 19, 2018 | 2-year/5 million |
| OT | Marshall Newhouse | Oakland Raiders | March 19, 2018 | 1-year |
| WR | Jeremy Kerley | New York Jets | April 16, 2018 | 1-year |
| DT | Tenny Palepoi | Los Angeles Chargers | April 16, 2018 | 1-year |
| QB | Matt Barkley | Cincinnati Bengals | October 31, 2018 | |
| P | Colton Schmidt | Buffalo Bills | October 31, 2018 | |

#### Departures

| Position | Player | 2018 Team | Date signed |
| OT | Seantrel Henderson | Houston Texans | March 14, 2018 |
| LB | Preston Brown | Cincinnati Bengals | March 16, 2018 |
| WR | Deonte Thompson | Dallas Cowboys | March 22, 2018 |
| CB | E.J. Gaines | Cleveland Browns | March 23, 2018 |
| WR | Jordan Matthews | New England Patriots | April 6, 2018 |

### Draft

2018 Buffalo Bills draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | Josh Allen * | Quarterback | Wyoming | From Tampa Bay |
| 1 | 16 | Tremaine Edmunds * | Linebacker | Virginia Tech | From Baltimore |
| 3 | 96 | Harrison Phillips | Defensive tackle | Stanford | From Philadelphia |
| 4 | 121 | Taron Johnson | Cornerback | Weber State | |
| 5 | 154 | Siran Neal | Safety | Jacksonville State | From Baltimore |
| 5 | 166 | Wyatt Teller * | Guard | Virginia Tech | From Jacksonville |
| 6 | 187 | Ray-Ray McCloud | Wide receiver | Clemson | From Cincinnati |
| 7 | 255 | Austin Proehl | Wide receiver | North Carolina | From Tampa Bay |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Draft trades
* The Bills traded their first- and second-round selections (12th, 53rd and 56th overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Tampa Bay's first- and seventh-round selections (7th and 255th overall).
* The Bills traded their first- and third-round selections (22nd and 65th overall) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Baltimore's first- and fifth-round selections (16th and 154th overall)
* The Bills traded their first- and fifth-round selections (21st and 158th overall) and offensive tackle Cordy Glenn to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for Cincinnati's first- and sixth-round selections (12th and 187th overall).
* The Bills traded their first-round selection in 2017 (10th overall) to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Kansas City's first-round selection (22nd overall) as well as their first- and third-round selections in 2017 (27th and 91st overall).
* The Bills traded their sixth-round selection (195th overall) and wide receiver Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for the Rams' second-round selection (56th overall) and cornerback E.J. Gaines.
* The Bills traded quarterback Tyrod Taylor to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Cleveland's third-round selection (65th).
* The Bills traded their third-round selection (85th overall), quarterback Cardale Jones and the seventh-round selection they acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers (234th overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.
* The Bills traded cornerback Ronald Darby to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Philadelphia's third-round selection (96th overall) and wide receiver Jordan Matthews.
* The Bills traded defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a conditional sixth-round selection, which became a fifth-round selection (166th overall) after Dareus remained on Jacksonville's roster for the remainder of the 2017 season and the Jaguars made the playoffs.
* The Bills traded their seventh-round selection (239th overall) to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for linebacker Lerentee McCray.

### Trades

| Player/picks acquired | From | Date traded | Players/picks traded |
| 2018 3rd-round pick (65th overall) | Cleveland Browns | March 14, 2018 | QB Tyrod Taylor |
| 2018 1st-round pick (12th overall) 2018 6th-round pick (187th overall) | Cincinnati Bengals | March 14, 2018 | T Cordy Glenn 2018 1st-round pick (21st overall) 2018 5th-round pick (158th overall) |
| WR Corey Coleman | Cleveland Browns | August 5, 2018 | 2020 7th-round pick |
| 2019 5th-round pick | Oakland Raiders | September 1, 2018 | QB A. J. McCarron |

## Preseason

The Bills' preseason opponents and schedule was announced on April 11, 2018. For the first time since 2001, the Detroit Lions, who the Bills played in Week 15, were not included on the preseason schedule.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 9 | Carolina Panthers | L 23–28 | 0–1 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | at Cleveland Browns | W 19–17 | 1–1 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 13–26 | 1–2 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at Chicago Bears | W 28–27 | 2–2 | Soldier Field | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

The Bills' 2018 schedule was announced on April 19, 2018.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 9 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 3–47 | 0–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | Los Angeles Chargers | L 20–31 | 0–2 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 27–6 | 1–2 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | at Green Bay Packers | L 0–22 | 1–3 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | Tennessee Titans | W 13–12 | 2–3 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | at Houston Texans | L 13–20 | 2–4 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 5–37 | 2–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 29 | New England Patriots | L 6–25 | 2–6 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 4 | Chicago Bears | L 9–41 | 2–7 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | at New York Jets | W 41–10 | 3–7 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 12 | November 25 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–21 | 4–7 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at Miami Dolphins | L 17–21 | 4–8 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | New York Jets | L 23–27 | 4–9 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | Detroit Lions | W 14–13 | 5–9 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | at New England Patriots | L 12–24 | 5–10 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | Miami Dolphins | W 42–17 | 6–10 | New Era Field | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Ravens | 14 | 12 | 14 | 7 | 47 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 70,591
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon, and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Alex Collins 8-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 8:42. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:18.
BAL – John Brown 7-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 1:32. Ravens 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:59.
Second quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 41-yard field goal, 13:14. Ravens 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 13 yards, 0:49.
BAL – Justin Tucker 39-yard field goal, 4:16. Ravens 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:22.
BAL – Michael Crabtree 12-yard pass from Joe Flacco (pass failed), 0:13. Ravens 26–0. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 2:35.
Third quarter
BAL – Willie Snead 13-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 12:28. Ravens 33–0. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 1:20.
BAL – Javorius Allen 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 11:22. Ravens 40–0. Drive: 1 plays, 1 yards, 0:04.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 35-yard field goal, 2:38. Ravens 40–3. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 5:31.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Kenneth Dixon 2-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 3:52. Ravens 47–3. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 8:03.
Top passers
BUF – Josh Allen – 6/15, 74 yards
BAL – Joe Flacco – 25/34, 236 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
BUF – Marcus Murphy – 6 rushes, 31 yards
BAL – Kenneth Dixon – 13 rushes, 44 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Zay Jones – 3 receptions, 26 yards
BAL – Willie Snead – 4 receptions, 49 yards, TD :
Played in heavy rain, the lopsided game saw a dominant performance from Ravens QB Joe Flacco, who completed 25 of 34 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns against the Bills defense before handing the reigns off to rookie Lamar Jackson. Buffalo was unable to keep pace on offense, finishing without a first down until the third quarter. Bills QB Nathan Peterman completed just 5/18 attempts for 24 yards and two interceptions, good for a 0.0 passer rating before being benched for rookie Josh Allen in the third quarter. With a final score of 47–3 in favor of Baltimore, Buffalo suffered its worst season-opening loss ever and opened the 2018 season 0–1.

#### Week 2: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 14 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 31 |
| Bills | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 69,187
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Steve Beuerlein
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Mike Williams 10-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 9:26. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 38 yards, 1:27.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 20-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 4:18. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:24.
Second quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 43-yard field goal, 13:38. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 5:40.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 9-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 10:43. Chargers 21–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:55.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:55. Chargers 28–3. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 6:46.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 40-yard field goal, 0:47. Chargers 28–6. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 1:08.
Third quarter
BUF – Chris Ivory 1-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 11:06. Chargers 28–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:54.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 24-yard field goal, 3:50. Chargers 31–13. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 3:10.
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin 3-yard pass from Josh Allen (Stephen Hauschka kick), 0:38. Chargers 31–20. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 3:12.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 23/27, 256 yards, 3 TD
BUF – Josh Allen – 18/33, 245 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 11 rushes, 77 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 9 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
LAC – Keenan Allen – 6 receptions, 67 yards
BUF – Zay Jones – 2 receptions, 63 yards :
QB Josh Allen made his first career start in place of Nathan Peterman. This was also CB Vontae Davis' last game in the NFL as he abruptly retired during halftime after 10 seasons. Veteran LB Lorenzo Alexander called Davis' decision "disrespectful" and that he had "never seen it, ever." Star RB LeSean McCoy left the game after suffering a strained rib muscle early in the second half.

#### Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 66,800
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Josh Allen 10-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 10:01. Bills 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:59.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 30-yard field goal, 7:24. Bills 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:57.
BUF – Jason Croom 26-yard pass from Josh Allen (Stephen Hauschka kick), 5:09. Bills 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 25 yards, 0:48.
Second quarter
BUF – Josh Allen 1-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 12:14. Bills 24–0. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:45.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 50-yard field goal, 6:16. Bills 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 17 yards, 3:46.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 4-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (pass failed), 2:59. Bills 27–6. Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 4:20.
Top passers
BUF – Josh Allen – 15/22, 196 yards, TD
MIN – Kirk Cousins – 40/55, 296 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – Chris Ivory – 20 rushes, 56 yards
MIN – Mike Boone – 2 rushes, 11 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Chris Ivory – 3 receptions, 70 yards
MIN – Adam Thielen – 14 receptions, 105 yards :
In Josh Allen's second NFL start, he went 15/22 for 196 yards and a TD, earning him a 111.2 passer rating. He also added 39 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. The defense also sacked Vikings QB Kirk Cousins four times and intercepted him once. The Bills won this game despite being 16.5-point betting underdogs.

#### Week 4: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Packers | 6 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 78,312
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Jimmy Graham 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, 5:19. Packers 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:39.
Second quarter
GB – Aaron Jones 3-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 11:09. Packers 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 5:22.
GB – Mason Crosby 52-yard field goal, 0:03. Packers 16–0. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 36-yard field goal, 11:17. Packers 19–0. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 3:47.
Fourth quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 52-yard field goal, 2:00. Packers 22–0. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 2:26.
Top passers
BUF – Josh Allen – 16/33, 151 yards, 2 INT
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 22/40, 298 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 5 rushes, 24 yards
GB – Aaron Jones – 11 rushes, 65 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Charles Clay – 4 receptions, 40 yards
GB – Davante Adams – 8 receptions, 81 yards :
Despite holding the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers offense to just 22 points and forcing two turnovers, which included a Jordan Poyer interception, the Bills were unable to garner any points. With the team's first shutout loss since 2008, Buffalo fell to 1–3.

#### Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 68,202
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Josh Allen 14-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 9:03. Bills 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 5:26.
TEN – Ryan Succop 25-yard field goal, 1:35. Bills 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 3:27.
Second quarter
TEN – Ryan Succop 54-yard field goal, 0:00. Bills 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:03.
Third quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 40-yard field goal, 1:59. Bills 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:47.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Ryan Succop 39-yard field goal, 10:30. Bills 10–9. Drive: 14 plays, 54 yards, 6:29.
TEN – Ryan Succop 50-yard field goal, 4:43. Titans 12–10. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:08.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Bills 13–12. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:43.
Top passers
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 14/26, 129 yards, INT
BUF – Josh Allen – 10/19, 82 yards, INT
Top rushers
TEN – Derrick Henry – 11 rushes, 56 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 24 rushes, 85 yards
Top receivers
TEN – Corey Davis – 4 receptions, 49 yards
BUF – Zay Jones – 3 receptions, 20 yards :
With RB LeSean McCoy back to full health, the Bills maintained a run-heavy offensive game plan. QB Josh Allen scored his third rushing touchdown of the season and the Bills held the Titans offense, led by QB Marcus Mariota, in check in a defensive battle, aided by a Taron Johnson interception in the second quarter. The Bills maintained the lead throughout the game until the fourth quarter, but sealed the win with a 46-yard Steven Hauschka FG as time expired, improving the Bills to 2–3 on the season.

#### Week 6: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,638
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 13-yard pass from Deshaun Watson, 4:43. Texans 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 2:52.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 33-yard field goal, 8:33. Texans 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 23-yard field goal, 10:12. Texans 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:11.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 52-yard field goal, 2:12. Texans 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:46.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Zay Jones 16-yard pass from Nathan Peterman (Stephen Hauschka kick), 13:00. Bills 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:46.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 27-yard field goal, 1:34. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 2:21.
HOU – Johnathan Joseph 28-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:23. Texans 20–13.
Top passers
BUF – Josh Allen – 10/17, 84 yards
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 15/25, 177 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 16 rushes, 73 yards
HOU – Lamar Miller – 15 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin – 2 receptions, 43 yards
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 5 receptions, 63 yards, TD :
The Bills defense only allowed 216 yards from the Texans offense, sacking QB Deshaun Watson seven times and forcing three turnovers, but an inept performance by special teams gave the Texans good field position in the first half as Houston jumped to a 10–0 halftime lead. After leading the Bills to a field goal and moving the offense back into Texans territory a few drives later, Josh Allen was injured by a late hit from Texans LB Whitney Mercilus and was replaced by Nathan Peterman, who put the Bills in the lead with a touchdown pass to WR Zay Jones. However, after Houston tied the game at 13–13 late in the fourth quarter, Peterman threw two interceptions, including a pick-six to Texans CB Johnathan Joseph, which sealed the loss for Buffalo, dropping the team to 2–4.

#### Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Colts | 0 | 24 | 0 | 13 | 37 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 56,848
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
IND – Erik Swoope 17-yard pass from Andrew Luck (kick failed), 13:38. Colts 6–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:53.
IND – Marlon Mack 29-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Marlon Mack run), 9:35. Colts 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:29.
IND – T. Y. Hilton 5-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:48. Colts 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:35.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 0:03. Colts 24–0. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 0:13.
Third quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 34-yard field goal, 7:46. Colts 24–3. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 7:18.
BUF – Andrew Luck fumble, ball goes out of bounds in IND end zone for a safety, 0:25. Colts 24–5.
Fourth quarter
IND – T. Y. Hilton 1-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:18. Colts 31–5. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 1:31.
IND – Marlon Mack 20-yard run (kick failed), 5:32. Colts 37–5. Drive: 1 play, 20 yards, 0:06.
Top passers
BUF – Derek Anderson – 20/31, 175 yards, 3 INT
IND – Andrew Luck – 17/23, 156 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
BUF – Chris Ivory – 16 rushes, 81 yards
IND – Marlon Mack – 19 rushes, 126 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin – 4 receptions, 71 yards
IND – Chester Rogers – 4 receptions, 40 yards :
After Allen's injury in the previous game against the Texans and Peterman's poor performance in his relief, recently signed third-stringer Derek Anderson was named the starter on October 17, 2018. Sadly, not even Anderson could help the Bills, who suffered their worst loss since Week 1, as they were on the wrong end of a final score of 37–5, dropping to 2–5. This was the first NFL game to ever end in the score of 37–5.

#### Week 8: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 3 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 25 |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 29
* Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,109
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (ESPN/WKBW): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard field goal, 4:46. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 5:15.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 11:47. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:53.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 38-yard field goal, 5:42. Patriots 9–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:27.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 47-yard field goal, 1:39. Patriots 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:03.
Third quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 51-yard field goal, 7:39. Patriots 9–6. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:37.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard field goal, 2:03. Patriots 12–6. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 0:52.
Fourth quarter
NE – James White 1-yard run (pass failed), 9:58. Patriots 18–6. Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 4:50.
NE – Devin McCourty 84-yard interception return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:54. Patriots 25–6.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 29/45, 324 yards
BUF – Derek Anderson – 22/39, 290 yards, INT
Top rushers
NE – Cordarrelle Patterson – 10 rushes, 38 yards
BUF – Chris Ivory – 6 rushes, 34 yards
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 9 receptions, 104 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 5 receptions, 73 yards :
In the first Monday Night Football game hosted by Buffalo since losing to the Cleveland Browns, the Bills defense held up again, holding QB Tom Brady out of the end zone and limiting the Patriots to three Stephen Gostkowski field goals in the first half, but a late rushing touchdown by Patriots RB James White and a subsequent pick-six by CB Devin McCourty sealed yet another Patriots win over the Bills, with McCourty's interception occurring immediately after an overturned touchdown pass from Derek Anderson to Bills TE Jason Croom. The Bills retired RB Thurman Thomas' No. 34 jersey during halftime, with longtime ESPN host Chris Berman delivering the introductory speech.

#### Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 28 | 3 | 10 | 41 |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), mostly sunny
* Game attendance: 68,749
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston, and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CHI – Jordan Howard 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 13:04. Bears 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 2:52.
CHI – Eddie Jackson 65-yard fumble return (Cody Parkey kick), 7:07. Bears 14–0.
CHI – Leonard Floyd 19-yard interception return (Cody Parkey kick), 3:32. Bears 21–0.
CHI – Jordan Howard 18-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 0:44. Bears 28–0. Drive: 2 plays, 23 yards, 0:39.
Third quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 41-yard field goal, 11:01. Bears 28–3. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 3:59.
CHI – Cody Parkey 23-yard field goal, 8:13. Bears 31–3. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:48.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Cody Parkey 45-yard field goal, 13:33. Bears 34–3. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:48.
BUF – Nathan Peterman 1-yard run (pass failed), 5:41. Bears 34–9. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 7:52.
CHI – Trey Burton 2-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Cody Parkey kick), 4:36. Bears 41–9. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 1:05.
Top passers
CHI – Mitchell Trubisky – 12/20, 135 yards, TD, INT
BUF – Nathan Peterman – 31/49, 189 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
CHI – Jordan Howard – 14 rushes, 47 yards, 2 TD
BUF – Nathan Peterman – 8 rushes, 46 yards, TD
Top receivers
CHI – Anthony Miller – 5 receptions, 49 yards
BUF – Logan Thomas – 7 receptions, 40 yards :
After Derek Anderson suffered a concussion in the previous game, Nathan Peterman made the start with the team with Josh Allen still out. The Bills continued their losing skid to four games with the 41–9 loss and fell to 2–7, matching their loss total from all of 2017.

#### Week 10: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 14 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 41 |
| Jets | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 77,982
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton, and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 28-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:20. Bills 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:40.
BUF - Jason Croom fumble recovery in NYJ end zone (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:25, Bills 14–0. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 7:17.
Second quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 54-yard field goal, 13:57. Bills 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:25.
BUF – Dion Dawkins 7-yard pass from Matt Barkley (Steven Hauschka kick), 8:02. Bills 24–0. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:54.
BUF – LeSean McCoy 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 0:45. Bills 31–0. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:13.
NYJ – Jason Myers 55-yard field goal, 0:02. Bills 31–3. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 0:42.
Third quarter
NYJ – Isaiah Crowell 5-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 6:37. Bills 31–10. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:38.
BUF – Zay Jones 8-yard pass from Matt Barkley (Steven Hauschka kick), 0:39. Bills 38–10. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:59.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 31-yard field goal, 2:47. Bills 41–10. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 5:21.
Top passers
BUF – Matt Barkley – 15/25, 232 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Josh McCown – 17/34, 135 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 26 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Trenton Cannon – 4 rushes, 30 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Robert Foster – 3 receptions, 105 yards
NYJ – Chris Herndon – 3 receptions, 34 yards :
Recently signed quarterback Matt Barkley was named the starter against the New York Jets. The Bills snapped their four-game losing streak, dominating the Jets 41–10. Barkley's efficient performance in the win, coupled with the improving health of Josh Allen, led to the release of Nathan Peterman the following evening.

#### Week 12: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Bills | 14 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 57,799
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Isaiah McKenzie 6-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 5:02. Bills 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:23.
BUF – Robert Foster 75-yard pass from Josh Allen (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:39. Bills 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 86 yards, 1:19.
Second quarter
JAX – Leonard Fournette 5-yard run (Josh Lambo kick), 10:58. Bills 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 6:41.
JAX – Leonard Fournette 1-yard run (Josh Lambo kick), 5:30. Tied 14–14. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:18.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
BUF – Josh Allen 14-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:52. Bills 21–14. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 0:43.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 22-yard field goal, 3:06. Bills 24–14. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 1:55.
JAX – Dede Westbrook 13-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 1:20. Bills 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 1:46.
Top passers
JAX – Blake Bortles – 12/23, 127 yards, TD, 2 INT
BUF – Josh Allen – 8/19, 160 yards, TD
Top rushers
JAX – Leonard Fournette – 18 rushes, 95 yards, 2 TD
BUF – Josh Allen – 13 rushes, 99 yards, TD
Top receivers
JAX – Dede Westbrook – 3 receptions, 44 yards, TD
BUF – Robert Foster – 2 receptions, 94 yards, TD :
In a rematch of the 2017 wild-card game with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bills attained an early 14–0 lead, thanks to a rushing touchdown by newly signed WR/KR Isaiah McKenzie and a 75-yard touchdown strike from Josh Allen to WR Robert Foster. However, Jacksonville fought back with two rushing touchdowns from RB Leonard Fournette in the second quarter. Jacksonville was in position to claim the lead in the third quarter following a 30-yard reception by WR Donte Moncrief that put the Jaguars at the Bills 1-yard line, but a brawl that led to Fournette and Bills DE Shaq Lawson getting ejected plus two penalties on the Jaguars and defensive stops by the Bills forced the Jaguars to settle for a field goal attempt by Josh Lambo, who promptly missed. The Bills then reclaimed the lead the following drive with a 14-yard touchdown run by Allen, then iced the game with a Jordan Poyer interception of QB Blake Bortles and subsequent Stephen Hauschka field goal, which was too much for Jacksonville to overcome despite scoring a touchdown afterwards. With the win, the Bills improved to 4–7.

#### Week 13: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 17 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,155
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – DeVante Parker 18-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Jason Sanders kick), 9:42. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:18.
Second quarter
BUF – Zay Jones 15-yard pass from Josh Allen (kick failed), 11:44. Dolphins 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 5:05.
MIA – Kenyan Drake 3-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Jason Sanders kick), 0:40. Dolphins 14–6. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 3:01.
Third quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 32-yard field goal, 9:02. Dolphins 14–9. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:58.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Zay Jones 25-yard pass from Josh Allen (Josh Allen-Zay Jones pass), 12:00. Bills 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 3:24.
MIA – Kenny Stills 13-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Jason Sanders kick), 8:42. Dolphins 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:18.
Top passers
BUF – Josh Allen – 18/33, 231 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 16/24, 137 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – Josh Allen – 9 rushes, 135 yards
MIA – Kenyan Drake – 7 rushes, 31 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Zay Jones – 4 receptions, 67 yards, 2 TD
MIA – DeVante Parker – 4 receptions, 43 yards, TD :
Buffalo outgained Miami in terms of total offense, with 415 yards compared to just 175, but their struggles on special teams and penalties gave the Dolphins short fields and allowed QB Ryan Tannehill to pass for three touchdowns, including the eventual 13-yard game winner to WR Kenny Stills. The game came down to the final moments, when Josh Allen, who compiled 366 total yards on the day, attempted a fourth down pass to TE Charles Clay, who dropped it just outside the end zone. The failed conversion sealed the loss for the Bills as the team fell to 4–8. This would be Buffalo's last loss to Miami until Week 3 of the 2022 season

#### Week 14: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 3 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Bills | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C), fair
* Game attendance: 59,119
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta, and Otis Livingston
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Josh Allen 6-yard rush (Steven Hauschka kick), 9:12. Bills 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:48.
NYJ – Jason Myers 47-yard field goal, 4:34. Bills 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:20.
BUF – Isaiah McKenzie 15-yard rush (Steven Hauschka kick), 1:07. Bills 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:27.
Second quarter
NYJ – Jason Myers 21-yard field goal, 11:10. Bills 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 4:57.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 31-yard field goal, 7:14. Bills 17–6. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:56.
NYJ – Trenton Cannon 4-yard rush (Jason Myers kick), 6:31. Bills 17–13. Drive: 1 plays, 8 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 29-yard field goal, 13:22. Bills 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:29.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Robby Anderson 7-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Jason Myers kick), 12:06. Tied 20–20. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 6:02.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 36-yard field goal, 2:31. Bills 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:45.
NYJ – Elijah McGuire 1-yard rush (Jason Myers kick), 1:17. Jets 27–23. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 1:14.
Top passers
NYJ – Sam Darnold – 16/24, 170 yards, TD, INT
BUF – Josh Allen – 18/36, 206 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Elijah McGuire – 17 rushes, 60 yards, TD
BUF – Josh Allen – 9 rushes, 101 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYJ – Robby Anderson – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD
BUF – Robert Foster – 7 receptions, 104 yards :
A late touchdown by Jets running back Elijah McGuire proved to be the game-winning score with just over a minute left. With the loss, the Bills fell to 4–9 and were eliminated from playoff contention. Linebacker Matt Milano suffered a broken fibula late in the game, ending his season.

#### Week 15: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 59,110
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Brady Quinn and Bruce Feldman
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
DET – Andy Jones 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (pass failed), 10:45. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:26. Lions 6–0.
BUF – Josh Allen 3-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 7:55. Drive: 5 plays, 87 yards, 2:50. Bills 7–6.
DET – Zach Zenner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:46. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:09. Lions 13–7.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Robert Foster 42-yard pass from Josh Allen (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:26. Drive: 2 plays, 61 yards, 1:17. Bills 14–13.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/29, 208 yards, TD
BUF – Josh Allen – 13/26, 204 yards, TD
Top rushers
DET – Theo Riddick – 8 rushes, 47 yards
BUF – Keith Ford – 14 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
DET – Kenny Golladay – 7 receptions, 146 yards
BUF – Robert Foster – 4 receptions, 108 yards, TD :
With running backs LeSean McCoy and Chris Ivory both injured, the Bills relied offensively on Josh Allen and backup halfbacks Marcus Murphy and Keith Ford, who both left the game at some point with their own injuries. Allen passed for 204 yards and a touchdown, adding a rushing score on 16 yards on the ground, as the Bills defense stifled the Lions offense throughout the game except the second quarter. Lions kicker Matt Prater missed a field goal and was unable to kick an extra point earlier due to a botched snap, allowing the Bills to win 14–13.

#### Week 16: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), clear and cold
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Bruce Arians and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Sony Michel 4-yard rush (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:32. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:22.
Second quarter
NE – James White 27-yard rush (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:59. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:20.
Third quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 35-yard field goal, 13:29. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:19.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 41-yard field goal, 10:06. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 1:10.
NE – Julian Edelman 32-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:05. Patriots 21–6. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 5:01.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 24-yard field goal, 7:44. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:11.
BUF – Zay Jones 31-yard pass from Josh Allen (pass failed), 1:08. Patriots 24–12. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:51.
Top passers
BUF – Josh Allen – 20/41, 217 yards, TD, 2 INT
NE – Tom Brady – 13/24, 126 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BUF – Keith Ford – 7 rushes, 33 yards
NE – Sony Michel – 18 rushes, 116 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Zay Jones – 5 receptions, 67 yards, TD
NE – Julian Edelman – 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD :
Allen's first game against the New England Patriots did not fare well for the Bills, as the Patriots won the game 24–12 to clinch the AFC East. In addition, the Bills' special teams unit struggled again. However, the defense was able to limit Tom Brady to just 126 passing yards, one touchdown with two interceptions, but also gave up a massive 273 rushing yards on 47 carries as they were torched by the Patriots rushing offense in the ugly loss.

#### Week 17: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Bills | 14 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 67,420
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (CBS): Beth Mowins and Steve Beuerlein
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Josh Allen 1-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 10:14. Bills 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:46.
BUF – Zay Jones 18-yard pass from Josh Allen (Stephen Hauschka kick), 8:31. Bills 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 18 yards, 0:07.
Second quarter
MIA – Ryan Tannehill 3-yard pass from Kenny Stills (Jason Sanders kick), 0:54. Bills 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 3:31.
MIA – Reshad Jones 29-yard interception return (Jason Sanders kick), 0:39. Tied 14–14.
Third quarter
BUF – Robert Foster 5-yard pass from Josh Allen (Stephen Hauschka kick), 9:09. Bills 21–14. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:37.
BUF – LeSean McCoy 9-yard run (Stephen Hauschka), 6:57. Bills 28–14. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:48.
MIA – Jason Sanders 29-yard field goal, 1:28. Bills 28–17. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:29.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Josh Allen 30-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 11:13. Bills 35–17. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:17.
BUF – Zay Jones 26-yard pass from Josh Allen (Stephen Hauschka kick), 7:44. Bills 42–17. Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 0:25.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 18/31, 147 yards, 2 INT
BUF – Josh Allen – 17/26, 224 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIA – Kalen Ballage – 12 rushes, 27 yards
BUF – Josh Allen – 9 rushes, 95 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIA – Kenyan Drake – 5 receptions, 52 yards
BUF – Zay Jones – 6 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TD :
Similar to the previous year's season finale, a fight broke out between the Bills and Dolphins in the second half. After Dolphins linebacker and former Bill Kiko Alonso collided with Josh Allen, Alonso, along with Dolphins DE Robert Quinn and Bills lineman Jordan Mills, were ejected following the scuffle. Despite a close first half, the Bills won 42–17 to finish the 2018 season at 6–10. This was also the final NFL game for longtime defensive tackle Kyle Williams, as he announced his intention to retire after the season's conclusion.

### Standings
#### Division

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ New England Patriots | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 436 | 325 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 319 | 433 | L3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 269 | 374 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 333 | 441 | L3 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .480 | .401 | W1 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | East | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .494 | W2 |
| 3 | Houston Texans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .471 | .435 | W1 |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .496 | .450 | W3 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .477 | .422 | W1 |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .465 | .456 | W4 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–1–1 | 6–5–1 | .504 | .448 | W1 |
| 8 | Tennessee Titans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .520 | .465 | L1 |
| 9 | Cleveland Browns | North | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 3–2–1 | 5–6–1 | .516 | .411 | L1 |
| 10 | Miami Dolphins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .469 | .446 | L3 |
| 11 | Denver Broncos | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .464 | L4 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .535 | .448 | L2 |
| 13 | Buffalo Bills | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .411 | W1 |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .549 | .463 | L1 |
| 15 | New York Jets | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .506 | .438 | L3 |
| 16 | Oakland Raiders | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .406 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Kansas City finished ahead of LA Chargers in the AFC West based on division record, claiming the No. 1 seed. 1 2 New England claimed the No. 2 seed over Houston based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 Denver finished ahead of Cincinnati and Buffalo based on strength of victory. Cincinnati finished ahead of Buffalo based on record vs. common opponents. Cincinnati's cumulative record against Baltimore, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami was 3–2, compared to Buffalo's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams. 1 2 NY Jets finished ahead of Oakland based on strength of victory. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||