# 2017 Buffalo Bills season

The 2017 season was the Buffalo Bills' 58th overall, 48th in the National Football League (NFL) and third full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula. The season was the first under the leadership of general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott. On December 31, 2017, the final week of the regular season, the Bills finally ended their 18-year playoff drought (previously the longest active drought in the NFL and the longest active playoff drought among the four major professional North American sport leagues) with the Bills winning 22–16 over the Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals upsetting the Baltimore Ravens 31–27.
The Bills also improved on their 7–9 record from 2016 and clinched their first winning season since 2014 (when Doug Marrone was head coach). However, the #6 seed Bills lost the Wild Card game against the #3 seed Jacksonville 10–3, extending their playoff victory drought to 22 years.

## Offseason

Beane joined the Bills after 19 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, the last two as assistant to then-general manager Dave Gettleman. Beane, who signed an undisclosed deal on May 9, 2017, replaced Doug Whaley, who was fired by Pegula after the 2017 NFL draft. Whaley was fired, along with the team's entire scouting staff, on April 30, 2017, less than 12 hours after the conclusion of the 2017 NFL draft. Over the course of the 2016 offseason and into the 2017 season, many of Whaley's draft picks were purged from the roster in trades and cuts. Of the 28 players Whaley had drafted from 2014 to 2017, only nine were still on the roster by the end of August. The 2017 season was also the first under McDermott, who spent the previous eight seasons as defensive coordinator, the last six with the Panthers. McDermott, who signed an undisclosed deal on January 11, 2017, replaced Rex Ryan, who was fired along with his twin brother Rob on December 27, 2016.

## Transactions
### Coaching and front office changes
#### Coaching staff

| Position | Name | Reason | 2017 Replacement | Date |
| Head coach | Rex Ryan (Weeks 1–16), Anthony Lynn (Week 17) | Fired (Ryan) | Sean McDermott | January 11 |
| Defensive coordinator | Dennis Thurman | Fired | Leslie Frazier | January 13 |
| Linebackers coach | Bobby April III | Fired | Bob Babich | January 13 |
| Offensive line coach | Aaron Kromer | Fired | Juan Castillo | January 13 |
| Defensive line coach | John Blake | Fired | Mike Waufle | January 14 |
| Tight ends coach | Tony Sparano, Jr. | Fired | Rob Boras | January 17 |
| Running backs coach | Anthony Lynn (Weeks 1–2), Vacant (Weeks 3–17) | Resigned | Kelly Skipper | January 18 |
| Offensive coordinator | Greg Roman (Weeks 1–2), Anthony Lynn (Weeks 3–16) | Fired (Roman) | Rick Dennison | January 19 |
| Assistant offensive line coach | Pat Meyer | Fired | Andrew Dees | January 20 |
| Quarterbacks coach | David Lee | Fired | David Culley | January 24 |
| Wide receivers coach | Sanjay Lal | Fired | Phil McGeoghan | February 2 |
| Defensive quality control coach | position created | position created | John Egorugwu | February 2 |
| Offensive quality control coach | position created | position created | Marc Lubick | February 2 |
| Assistant special teams coach | Eric Smith | Fired | Matt Smiley | February 2 |
| Special teams quality control | Kathryn Smith | position abolished | position abolished | February 2 |
| Assistant defensive line coach | Jason Rebrovich | Fired | Bill Teerlinck | February 2 |
| Defensive backs coach | Tim McDonald | Fired | Gill Byrd | February 7 |
| Assistant defensive backs coach | Ed Reed | Fired | Bobby Babich | February 7 |
| Player engagement and alumni director | Paul Lancaster | Fired | Marlon Kerner | April 3 |
| Assistant strength and conditioning coach | Hal Luther | Fired | Will Greenberg | April 3 |
| Assistant athletic trainer | Jason Rebrovich | Fired | Denny Kellington | April 3 |

#### Front office

| Position | Name | Reason | 2017 replacement | Date |
| General manager | Doug Whaley | Fired | Brandon Beane | May 9 |
| Player personnel advisor | Kelvin Fisher | Fired | Vacant | |
| Assistant general manager | Vacant | | Joe Schoen | May 14 |
| Player personnel director | Jim Monos | Fired | Malik Boyd | May 17 |
| Assistant director of college scouting | Vacant | | Lake Dawson | May 18 |
| National scout | Vacant | | Marvin Allen | May 18 |
| National scout | Vacant | | Brian Adams | May 18 |
| College scouting director | Vacant | | Terrance Gray | May 25 |
| BLESTO scout | Vacant | | Marcus Cooper | May 25 |
| Northeast area scout | Vacant | | Pete Harris | May 25 |
| Pro scout | Vacant | | Chris Marrow | May 25 |

### Roster changes
#### Arrivals

| Position | Player | 2016 Team | Date signed | Notes |
| LS | Reid Ferguson | None | January 2, 2017 | 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future) |
| RB | Cedric O'Neal | Philadelphia Eagles | January 2, 2017 | 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future) |
| CB | Joe Powell | New York Giants | January 2, 2017 | 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future) |
| CB | Max Valles | Buffalo Bills | January 2, 2017 | 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future) |
| QB | Josh Woodrum | Chicago Bears | January 2, 2017 | 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future) |
| SS | Colt Anderson | Buffalo Bills | January 27, 2017 | 1-year extension/$900,000 |
| LB | Ramon Humber | New England Patriots | February 16, 2017 | 1 year/$900,000 |
| FB | Mike Tolbert | Carolina Panthers | March 8, 2017 | |
| S | Micah Hyde | Green Bay Packers | March 9, 2017 | |
| S | Jordan Poyer | Cleveland Browns | March 9, 2017 | |
| FB | Patrick DiMarco | Atlanta Falcons | March 9, 2017 | |
| G | Vladimir Ducasse | Baltimore Ravens | March 9, 2017 | |
| K | Steven Hauschka | Seattle Seahawks | March 9, 2017 | 4 years |
| WR | Corey Brown | Carolina Panthers | March 12, 2017 | |
| DE | Ryan Davis | Dallas Cowboys | March 13, 2017 | |
| WR | Jeremy Butler | San Diego Chargers | March 13, 2017 | |
| RB | Joe Banyard | Jacksonville Jaguars | March 17, 2017 | |
| CB | Leonard Johnson | Carolina Panthers | March 17, 2017 | |
| WR | Corey Washington | None | March 17, 2017 | |
| WR | Andre Holmes | Oakland Raiders | March 18, 2017 | 3 years/$6.5 million |
| CB | Marcus Cromartie | San Francisco 49ers | April 7, 2017 | |
| OT | Cameron Jefferson | Denver Broncos | April 7, 2017 | |
| LB | Jacob Lindsey | None | April 7, 2017 | |
| DE | Jake Metz | Philadelphia Eagles | April 7, 2017 | |
| G | Jordan Mudge | None | April 7, 2017 | |
| CB | Bradley Sylve | None | April 7, 2017 | |
| LB | Junior Sylvestre | Indianapolis Colts | April 7, 2017 | |
| LB | Eddie Yarbrough | Denver Broncos | April 7, 2017 | |
| DE | Ian Seau | Los Angeles Rams | April 10, 2017 | |
| QB | T.J. Yates | Miami Dolphins | April 10, 2017 | |
| S | Trae Elston | Cleveland Browns | April 21, 2017 | |
| CB | Shareece Wright | Baltimore Ravens | May 1, 2017 | 1 year |
| CB | Charles James | Houston Texans/Indianapolis Colts | May 2, 2017 | |
| LB | Carl Bradford | San Francisco 49ers | May 9, 2017 | |
| TE | Wes Saxton | Washington Redskins | May 24, 2017 | |
| WR | Rod Streater | San Francisco 49ers | May 24, 2017 | |
| LB | Gerald Hodges | San Francisco 49ers | May 25, 2017 | |
| CB | Greg Mabin | None | June 1, 2017 | |
| WR | Rashad Ross | San Francisco 49ers | June 6, 2017 | |
| S | Bacarri Rambo | Miami Dolphins | July 25, 2017 | |
| LB | Sam Barrington | Kansas City Chiefs/New Orleans Saints | July 25, 2017 | |
| G | Karim Barton | Tennessee Titans | July 25, 2017 | |
| RB | Taiwan Jones | Oakland Raiders | August 2, 2017 | |
| WR | Anquan Boldin | Detroit Lions | August 7, 2017 | 1 year/$2.75 million |
| CB | Jumal Rolle | Baltimore Ravens | August 12, 2017 | |
| TE | Rory Anderson | Chicago Bears | August 20, 2017 | |
| S | Adrian McDonald | Los Angeles Chargers | August 20, 2017 | |
| QB | Keith Wenning | None | August 28, 2017 | |
| QB | Joe Webb | Carolina Panthers | September 4, 2017 | |
| DT | Cedric Thornton | Dallas Cowboys | September 5, 2017 | |
| S | Shamarko Thomas | Pittsburgh Steelers | October 3, 2017 | |

#### Departures

| Position | Player | 2017 Team | Date signed | Notes |
| CB | Nickell Robey-Coleman | Los Angeles Rams | March 7, 2017 | |
| CB | Stephon Gilmore | New England Patriots | March 9, 2017 | 5 years/$65 million |
| WR | Robert Woods | Los Angeles Rams | March 9, 2017 | 5 years/$39 million |
| LS | Garrison Sanborn | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | March 14, 2017 | 1 year/$950,000 |
| QB | E.J. Manuel | Oakland Raiders | March 20, 2017 | 1 year/$800,000 |
| RB | Mike Gillislee | New England Patriots | April 24, 2017 | 2 years/$6.4 million |
| S | Corey Graham | Philadelphia Eagles | August 3, 2017 | 1 year |

### Trades

| Player/picks acquired | From | Date traded | Player/picks traded |
| Conditional 7th-round pick | Los Angeles Chargers | July 26, 2017 | Cardale Jones |
| E. J. Gaines 2nd-round pick | Los Angeles Rams | August 11, 2017 | Sammy Watkins 6th-round pick |
| Jordan Matthews 3rd-round pick | Philadelphia Eagles | August 11, 2017 | Ronald Darby |
| 2019 4th-round pick | Kansas City Chiefs | August 28, 2017 | Reggie Ragland |
| Kaelin Clay 2019 7th-round pick | Carolina Panthers | September 2, 2017 | Kevon Seymour |
| Conditional 6th-round pick | Jacksonville Jaguars | October 27, 2017 | Marcell Dareus |
| Kelvin Benjamin | Carolina Panthers | October 31, 2017 | 3rd-round pick 7th-round pick |

#### Cuts

| Position | Player | Date |
| TE | Gerald Christian | March 6, 2017 |
| K | Dan Carpenter | March 6, 2017 |
| S | Phillip Thomas | March 6, 2017 |
| WR | Marcus Easley | March 8, 2017 |
| S | Aaron Williams | March 9, 2017 |
| CB | Marcus Cromartie | May 11, 2017 |
| CB | Marcus Roberson | May 11, 2017 |
| WR | Corey Washington | May 11, 2017 |
| LB | Junior Sylvestre | May 15, 2017 |
| WR | Jeremy Butler | May 15, 2017 |
| OT | Cyrus Kouandjio | May 24, 2017 |
| QB | Josh Woodrum | May 24, 2017 |
| CB | Charles Gaines | May 25, 2017 |
| S | Jonathan Dowling | June 1, 2017 |
| LB | Anthony Harrell | July 25, 2017 |
| C | Patrick Lewis | July 25, 2017 |
| CB | Charles James | August 12, 2017 |
| K | Austin Rehkow | August 20, 2017 |
| S | Bacarri Rambo | August 29, 2017 |
| G | Karim Barton | August 29, 2017 |
| DE | Jake Metz | August 29, 2017 |
| RB | Cedric O'Neal | August 29, 2017 |
| CB | Jumal Rolle | August 29, 2017 |
| WR | Rashad Ross | August 29, 2017 |
| QB | Keith Wenning | September 2, 2017 |
| RB | Jordan Johnson | September 2, 2017 |
| WR | Jeremy Butler | September 2, 2017 |
| WR | Dezmin Lewis | September 2, 2017 |
| WR | Brandon Reilly | September 2, 2017 |
| WR | Daikiel Shorts | September 2, 2017 |
| TE | Rory Anderson | September 2, 2017 |
| TE | Wes Saxton | September 2, 2017 |
| OT | Cameron Jefferson | September 2, 2017 |
| G | Jordan Mudge | September 2, 2017 |
| OT | Michael Ola | September 2, 2017 |
| OG | Greg Pyke | September 2, 2017 |
| OG | Zach Voytek | September 2, 2017 |
| DE | Marquavius Lewis | September 2, 2017 |
| DT | Nigel Williams | September 2, 2017 |
| DE | Ian Seau | September 2, 2017 |
| DE | Max Valles | September 2, 2017 |
| LB | Sam Harrington | September 2, 2017 |
| LB | Carl Bradford | September 2, 2017 |
| LB | Jacob Lindsey | September 2, 2017 |
| CB | Marcus Sayles | September 2, 2017 |
| CB | Bradley Sylve | September 2, 2017 |
| S | Shamiel Gary | September 2, 2017 |
| S | Adrian McDonald | September 2, 2017 |
| S | Joe Powell | September 2, 2017 |
| S | B.T. Sanders | September 2, 2017 |
| RB | Jonathan Williams | September 3, 2017 |
| LB | Gerald Hodges | September 3, 2017 |
| CB | Marcus Sayles | September 5, 2017 |
| S | B.T. Sanders | September 5, 2017 |
| CB | Greg Mabin | September 12, 2017 |
| WR | Daikiel Shorts | September 12, 2017 |
| LB | Jelani Jenkins | September 19, 2017 |
| S | Robert Blanton | October 3, 2017 |
| DE | Eric Lee | October 3, 2017 |

#### Retirements

| Position | Player | Date | Source |
| WR | Percy Harvin | March 17, 2017 | |
| WR | Anquan Boldin | August 20, 2017 | |

### Draft

2017 Buffalo Bills draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 27 | Tre'Davious White * | Cornerback | LSU | Trade from KC |
| 2 | 37 | Zay Jones | Wide receiver | East Carolina | Trade from LAR |
| 2 | 63 | Dion Dawkins * | Guard | Temple | Trade from ATL |
| 5 | 163 | Matt Milano * | Linebacker | Boston College | Compensatory pick from NE |
| 5 | 171 | Nathan Peterman | Quarterback | Pittsburgh | Trade from DAL |
| 6 | 195 | Tanner Vallejo | Linebacker | Boise State | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Notes
* The Bills sent their 2017 first-round pick (10th overall), later revealed to be Patrick Mahomes, to the Kansas City Chiefs in order to trade down during the 2017 draft and select Tre'Davious White 27th overall. The Bills acquired an additional third-round selection (91st overall), later revealed to be John Johnson—who was traded, along with their original second-round selection (44th overall), later revealed to be Gerald Everett, to the Los Angeles Rams in order to trade up and select Zay Jones 37th overall—an additional fifth-round selection (149th overall), later revealed to be Damontae Kazee—who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons along with the Bills third round pick and another fifth rounder for the Falcons second-round selection (63rd overall), later revealed to be Dion Dawkins. The Bills sent their 2016 second-round pick (49th overall), fourth-round pick and 2017 fourth-round pick (both 117th overall), later revealed to be Jarran Reed, Pharoh Cooper and Josh Reynolds, respectively, to the Chicago Bears in order to trade up during the 2016 draft and select Reggie Ragland 41st overall (Reynolds was later traded to the Rams). The Bills acquired a fifth-round selection (163rd overall), later revealed to be Matt Milano, as part of a trade that sent Mike Gillislee to the New England Patriots. The Bills acquired a fifth-round selection (171st overall), later revealed to be Nathan Peterman, as part of a trade that sent their seventh-round pick (228th overall), later revealed to be Joey Ivie, along with Matt Cassel, to the Dallas Cowboys.

### Undrafted free agents

| Position | Player | College |
| TE | Jason Croom | Tennessee |
| RB | Jordan Johnson | Buffalo |
| DE | Marquavius Lewis | South Carolina |
| P | Austin Rehkow | Idaho |
| WR | Brandon Reilly | Nebraska |
| G | Greg Pyke | Georgia |
| S | B.T. Sanders | Nicholls State |
| CB | Marcus Sayles | West Georgia |
| WR | Daikiel Shorts | West Virginia |
| TE | Keith Towbridge | Louisville |
| S | Jeremy Tyler | West Virginia |
| DT | Nigel Williams | Virginia Tech |
| G | Zach Voytek | New Haven |

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 10 | Minnesota Vikings | L 10–17 | 0–1 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 16–20 | 0–2 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 9–13 | 0–3 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 31 | Detroit Lions | W 27–17 | 1–3 | New Era Field | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 10 | New York Jets | W 21–12 | 1–0 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | at Carolina Panthers | L 3–9 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | Denver Broncos | W 26–16 | 2–1 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 23–17 | 3–1 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 8 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 16–20 | 3–2 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 | October 22 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 30–27 | 4–2 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 29 | Oakland Raiders | W 34–14 | 5–2 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | at New York Jets | L 21–34 | 5–3 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 12 | New Orleans Saints | L 10–47 | 5–4 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 19 | at Los Angeles Chargers | L 24–54 | 5–5 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 16–10 | 6–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 3 | New England Patriots | L 3–23 | 6–6 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 10 | Indianapolis Colts | W 13–7 (OT) | 7–6 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | Miami Dolphins | W 24–16 | 8–6 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at New England Patriots | L 16–37 | 8–7 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 31 | at Miami Dolphins | W 22–16 | 9–7 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 10
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), sun and clouds
* Game attendance: 68,751
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
BUF – Charles Clay 1-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:26. Bills 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 5:31.
NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 48-yard field goal, 6:34. Bills 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:52.
NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 52-yard field goal, 1:44. Bills 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 2:15.
Third quarter
BUF – Andre Holmes 1-yard pass from Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:52. Bills 14–6. Drive: 6 yards, 64 yards, 2:13.
NYJ – Josh McCown 1-yard run (pass failed), 2:00. Bills 14–12. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:52.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 12:47. Bills 21–12. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:03.
Top passers
NYJ – Josh McCown – 26/39, 187 yards, 2 INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 16/28, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Bilal Powell – 7 rushes, 22 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 22 rushes, 110 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Jermaine Kearse – 7 receptions, 59 yards
BUF – Jordan Matthews – 2 receptions, 61 yards :
With the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots losing 42–27 to the Kansas City Chiefs to kick off the 2017 NFL season and Hurricane Irma delaying the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Week 11, the Bills hoped to take advantage and grab first place in the AFC East by beating the Jets, who swept them in 2016. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw 1-yard touchdown passes to both tight end Charles Clay and wide receiver Andre Holmes, while fullback Mike Tolbert rushed for a third touchdown. With Tolbert's score, the Bills recorded a rushing touchdown in 13 straight games, tying a team record set in 1980 and extending the longest active streak in the NFL. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde both got their first takeaways as Bills in the fourth quarter, with Hyde's interception ending any hope of a Jets rally. With the win, the Bills opened the season at 1–0 and in first place in the AFC East heading into their Week 2 matchup with head coach Sean McDermott's former team, the Carolina Panthers.

#### Week 2: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Panthers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: September 17
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 74,122
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 34-yard field goal, 8:54. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 6:11.
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 28-yard field goal, 2:06. Panthers 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 6:51.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 45-yard field goal, 11:15. Panthers 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:18.
CAR – Graham Gano 20-yard field goal, 2:38. Panthers 9–3. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 8:34.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 17/25, 125 yards
CAR – Cam Newton – 20/32, 228 yards
Top rushers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 8 rushes, 55 yards
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 15 rushes, 40 yards
Top receivers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 6 receptions, 34 yards
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 6 receptions, 77 yards :
Looking for their first 2–0 start since 2014, the Bills traveled to Bank of America Stadium for an inter-conference matchup with the Panthers. Many former Panthers players and personnel made their return to Carolina as members of the Bills, including fullback Mike Tolbert, cornerback Leonard Johnson, wide receiver Kaelin Clay, general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott. Unfortunately, despite the defense sacking Panthers quarterback Cam Newton six times and only allowing three field goals from Graham Gano, the Bills offense could not take advantage, only managing a 45-yard field goal from Steven Hauschka in the fourth quarter, the team's lowest points since losing 45–3 to the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. A potential game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Tyrod Taylor to rookie WR Zay Jones on 4th-and-11 with 9 seconds remaining sailed off Jones’ fingertips, putting the game away for the Panthers. The Bills fell to 1–1 with the loss.

#### Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Bills | 0 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 68,865
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 38-yard field goal, 0:53. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 5:03.
Second quarter
BUF – Andre Holmes 2-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:41. Bills 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 4:08.
DEN – Jamaal Charles 12-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 10:26. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:15.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 2:51. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 1 yard, 1:55.
DEN – Brandon McManus 35-yard field goal, 0:42. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:09.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 55-yard field goal, 0:01. Tied 13–13. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 28-yard field goal, 7:47. Broncos 16–13. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:58.
BUF – Charles Clay 6-yard pass from Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:20. Bills 20–16. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:27.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 53-yard field goal, 13:52. Bills 23–16. Drive: 4 plays, −3 yards, 1:37.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 27-yard field goal, 3:14. Bills 26–16. Drive: 16 plays, 53 yards, 7:30.
Top passers
DEN – Trevor Siemian – 24/40, 259 yards, 2 INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 20/26, 213 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Jamaal Charles – 9 rushes, 56 yards, TD
BUF – Mike Tolbert – 11 rushes, 41 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 6 receptions, 98 yards
BUF – Jordan Matthews – 3 receptions, 61 yards :
Following a close loss to the Panthers, the Bills returned home to host the Denver Broncos. Despite running back LeSean McCoy only amassing 21 rushing yards, the Bills still managed to score with quarterback Tyrod Taylor passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns and kicker Steven Hauschka kicking four field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards. The Bills defense intercepted quarterback Trevor Siemian twice as the team won a close-fought game 26–16. An unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against linebacker Von Miller allowed the Bills to continue a stalled drive in the fourth quarter and ice the game with Hauschka's fourth field goal. With the win, the Bills improved to 2–1 heading into their Week 4 matchup against the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons.
Prior to the game, several members of both teams knelt during the national anthem in the wake of President Donald Trump's comments regarding NFL players who protested.

#### Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 23 |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,273
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 10:31. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 3:55.
BUF – Jordan Matthews 9-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:51. Bills 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:40.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 0:18. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:02.
Third quarter
BUF – Tre'Davious White 52-yard fumble return (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:55. Bills 14–10.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 24-yard field goal, 12:00. Bills 17–10. Drive: 19 plays, 82 yards, 11:20.
ATL – Justin Hardy 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:00. Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:00.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 56-yard field goal, 4:44. Bills 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:16.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 55-yard field goal, 3:06. Bills 23–17. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 0:21.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 12/20, 182 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/42, 242 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 20 rushes, 76 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 9 rushes, 79 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Charles Clay – 5 receptions, 112 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 4 receptions, 65 yards :
Looking to continue their winning ways after upsetting the Broncos the previous week, the Bills traveled to Atlanta to take on the Atlanta Falcons, who made it to the Super Bowl the previous season, as fullback Patrick DiMarco made his first return to Atlanta since signing with the Bills in free agency. The Bills defense held the Falcons in check for most of the game and tight end Charles Clay recorded his first 100-yard receiving game since 2015. A key highlight was a fumble from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan that arguably looked like a forward pass, but was ruled a fumble and returned for a 52-yard touchdown by rookie cornerback Tre'Davious White. With the win, the Bills improve to 3–1 for the first time since 2011 and regained sole possession of first place in the AFC East with the Patriots losing 33–30 to the Panthers, but lost starting receiver Jordan Matthews and starting linebacker Ramon Humber to multi-week thumb injuries.

#### Week 5: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Bengals | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: October 8
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), light rain
* Game attendance: 52,367
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – A. J. Green 77-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Randy Bullock kick), 11:39. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:10.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 31-yard field goal, 0:15. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:10.
Second quarter
CIN – Randy Bullock 30-yard field goal, 9:05. Bengals 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:09.
BUF – Brandon Tate 12-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 3:15. Tied 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 1:34.
Third quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 38-yard field goal, 1:59. Bills 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:40.
Fourth quarter
CIN – Joe Mixon 5-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 15:00. Bengals 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:59.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 28-yard field goal, 9:03. Bengals 17–16. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:38.
CIN – Randy Bullock 29-yard field goal, 3:37. Bengals 20–16. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:26.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 20/37, 166 yards, TD, INT
CIN – Andy Dalton – 22/36, 328 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 6 rushes, 26 yards
CIN – Joe Mixon – 15 rushes, 51 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Nick O'Leary – 5 receptions, 54 yards
CIN – A. J. Green – 7 receptions, 189 yards, TD :
Looking to continue their winning ways after upsetting the Falcons the week prior, the Bills traveled down to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, who got their first win of the season when they defeated their rival Cleveland Browns 31–7 the previous week. Already missing wideout Jordan Matthews, the Bills offense sputtered for the most part after tight end Charles Clay suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and was ruled out the rest of the game. The Bengals rallied behind strong performances from quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver A. J. Green despite the duo committing three turnovers, and won a close-fought game in the rain 20–16. With the loss, Buffalo fell to 3–2 going into their bye week.

#### Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 6 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 27 |
| Bills | 3 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 30 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 68,561
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Patrick Murray 50-yard field goal, 9:44. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:16.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 25-yard field goal, 5:45. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 3:59.
TB – Patrick Murray 25-yard field goal, 0:22. Buccaneers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:23.
Second quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 9:26. Bills 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:56.
Third quarter
BUF – Logan Thomas 22-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:36. Bills 17–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:24.
TB – O. J. Howard 7-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 7:11. Bills 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:25.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 52-yard field goal, 13:31. Bills 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:26.
TB – O. J. Howard 33-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 10:08. Tied 20–20. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:23.
TB – Mike Evans 12-yard pass from Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 3:14. Buccaneers 27–20. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 6:16.
BUF – LeSean McCoy 7-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:28. Tied 27–27. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:46.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 30-yard field goal, 0:14. Bills 30–27. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 2:06.
Top passers
TB – Jameis Winston – 32/44, 384 yards, 3 TD, INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 20/33, 268 yards, TD
Top rushers
TB – Doug Martin – 20 rushes, 49 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 23 rushes, 91 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
TB – Mike Evans – 7 receptions, 88 yards, TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 5 receptions, 31 yards :
Fresh off their bye week, the Bills returned home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. LeSean McCoy scored his first two touchdowns of the season as the Bills won a shootout match 30–27, with their final 10 points coming in the last three minutes of the game. With Tampa Bay taking the lead after forcing McCoy to fumble and capitalizing with a Mike Evans touchdown pass from Jameis Winston, Tyrod Taylor led the Bills 75 yards downfield, connecting with newly signed receiver Deonte Thompson for 44 yards to help set up McCoy's second touchdown. Tre'Davious White then forced the Buccaneers to fumble on their ensuing drive, setting up Steven Hauschka's game winning field goal. The Bills improve to 4–2 with the win.
Note: Former Bills Garrison Sanborn and Ryan Fitzpatrick made their first return to New Era Field since signing with the Buccaneers in free agency.

#### Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Bills | 0 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 34 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 29
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 69,599
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Jamize Olawale 1-yard run (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 9:28. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 5:32.
Second quarter
BUF – Andre Holmes 6-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 8:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:40.
BUF – Matt Milano 40-yard fumble return (Steven Hauschka kick), 0:32. Bills 14–7.
Third quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 35-yard field goal, 11:44. Bills 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, −3 yards, 1:22.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 44-yard field goal, 8:18. Bills 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:23.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:57. Bills 27–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:19.
OAK – DeAndré Washington 4-yard pass from Derek Carr (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 10:50. Bills 27–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:07.
BUF – LeSean McCoy 48-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 3:12. Bills 34–14. Drive: 1 play, 48 yards, 0:09.
Top passers
OAK – Derek Carr – 31/49, 313 yards, TD, 2 INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 20/27, 165 yards, TD
Top rushers
OAK – DeAndré Washington – 6 rushes, 26 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 27 rushes, 161 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – DeAndré Washington – 8 receptions, 62 yards, TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 6 receptions, 22 yards :
The Bills hosted the Oakland Raiders in week 8. This was the first week they were without All-Pro defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, who was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round draft pick just two days prior to the game. Nonetheless, the defense was still able to limit a potent Raiders offense to just 14 points, causing four turnovers in the process. LeSean McCoy led the team with over 180 yards from scrimmage and rookie linebacker Matt Milano also scored off a fumble recovery. With the win, the Bills improved to 5–2 for the third time since 2008.

#### Week 9: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Jets | 7 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 34 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: November 2
* Game time: 8:25 p.m.
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 77,562
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (NFLN): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Josh McCown 10-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 7:43. Jets 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:46.
Second quarter
BUF – Zay Jones 10-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:52. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:16.
NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 45-yard field goal, 10:26. Jets 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:26.
Third quarter
NYJ – Robby Anderson 25-yard pass from Josh McCown (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:50. Jets 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:49.
NYJ – Matt Forte 10-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 4:16. Jets 24–7. Drive: 2 plays, 61 yards, 0:57.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Matt Forte 5-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 11:21. Jets 31–7. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:05.
NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 32-yard field goal, 6:42. Jets 34–7. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 3:47.
BUF – Deonte Thompson 26-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 4:10. Jets 34–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:32.
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:29. Jets 34–21. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:41.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 29/40, 285 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Josh McCown – 14/20, 140 yards, TD
Top rushers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 6 rushes, 35 yards, TD
NYJ – Matt Forte – 14 rushes, 77 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
BUF – Deonte Thompson – 7 receptions, 81 yards, TD
NYJ – Robby Anderson – 4 receptions, 48 yards, TD :
Coming off the convincing win against Oakland, the Bills traveled to New York for a Thursday Night rematch against their division rivals, the New York Jets. Though heavily favored to win, the Bills played poorly on defense and allowed the Jets to run for 194 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The offense surrendered three fumbles which ultimately influenced the course of the game, despite receivers Zay Jones and Deonte Thompson catching their first touchdowns as members of the Bills. With the loss, the Bills fell to 5–3.

#### Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 47 |
| Bills | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 67,501
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 37-yard field goal, 10:58. Bills 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:02.
NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 6:18. Saints 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:40.
Second quarter
NO – Mark Ingram II 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:03. Saints 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:47.
NO – Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, 1:39. Saints 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:04.
Third quarter
NO – Alvin Kamara 5-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:40. Saints 24–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:20.
NO – Mark Ingram II 3-yard run (kick failed), 8:24. Saints 30–3. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:05.
NO – Drew Brees 7-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:22. Saints 37–3. Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 6:33.
Fourth quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 53-yard field goal, 4:53. Saints 40–3. Drive: 14 plays, 38 yards, 9:25.
NO – Trey Edmunds 41-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:04. Saints 47–3. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:51.
BUF – Nick O'Leary 7-yard pass from Nathan Peterman (Steven Hauschka kick), 1:54. Saints 47–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:10.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 18/25, 184 yards
BUF – Nathan Peterman – 7/10, 79 yards, TD
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram II – 21 rushes, 131 yards, 3 TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 8 rushes, 49 yards
Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 9 receptions, 117 yards
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin – 3 receptions, 42 yards :
For the second consecutive week, the Bills run defense under-performed, allowing 296 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints. To make matters worse, the offense was unable to stay on the field, attaining only five first downs and a field goal prior to rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman replacing Tyrod Taylor late in the fourth quarter. With the blowout loss, the Bills fall to 5–4.

#### Week 11: at Los Angeles Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
| Chargers | 10 | 27 | 10 | 7 | 54 |
at StubHub Center, Carson, California
* Date: November 19
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PT
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 25,015
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Korey Toomer 59-yard interception return (Nick Novak kick), 11:44. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 3:16.
BUF – LeSean McCoy 27-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 9:02. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 64 yards, 0:48.
LAC – Nick Novak 33-yard field goal, 3:57. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 5:05.
Second quarter
LAC – Keenan Allen 21-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 12:53. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 3:16.
LAC – Keenan Allen 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 10:32. Chargers 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 2:11.
LAC – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 4:55. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:14.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 10-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 1:09. Chargers 34–7. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:37.
LAC – Nick Novak 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 37–7. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 0:35.
Third quarter
LAC – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 10:21. Chargers 40–7. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:39.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 50-yard field goal, 7:34. Chargers 40–10. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 2:47.
LAC – Melvin Ingram 39-yard fumble return (Nick Novak kick), 1:51. Chargers 47–10. Drive: 8 plays, 22 yards, 2:49.
Fourth quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 12-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 13:51. Chargers 47–17. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:00.
LAC – Austin Ekeler 21-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 7:57. Chargers 54–17. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:54.
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 2-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 4:49. Chargers 54–24. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:08.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 15/25, 158 yards, TD
LAC – Philip Rivers – 20/32, 251 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 13 rushes, 114 yards, TD
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 20 rushes, 80 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Zay Jones – 4 receptions, 68 yards
LAC – Keenan Allen – 12 receptions, 159 yards, 2 TD :
Nathan Peterman started in Tyrod Taylor's place. Peterman was benched at halftime after going 6 of 14 for 66 yards with 5 interceptions.

#### Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 74,929
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Zay Jones 11-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 1:29. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:24. Bills 7–0.
Second quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 34-yard field goal, 12:01. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:50. Bills 10–0.
KC – Harrison Butker 45-yard field goal, 1:44. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:46. Bills 10–3.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 56-yard field goal, 0:04. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 1:40. Bills 13–3.
Third quarter
KC – Albert Wilson 19-yard pass from Alex Smith (Harrison Butker kick), 9:19. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 5:41. Bills 13–10.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 6:52. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:27. Bills 16–10.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 19/29, 183 yards, TD
KC – Alex Smith – 23/36, 199 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 22 rushes, 49 yards
KC – Alex Smith – 5 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Charles Clay – 4 receptions, 60 yards
KC – Tyreek Hill – 7 receptions, 41 yards :
After consecutive weeks of playing bad defense, the Bills were finally able to rebound, holding Kansas City to just 10 points as Tyrod Taylor returned to the starting lineup on offense. Tre'Davious White sealed the win for Buffalo in the fourth quarter with an interception off Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith. With the win, the Bills snap their three-game losing streak and improve to 6–5.

#### Week 13: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 3 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 23 |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 3
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 68,499
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 50-yard field goal, 1:30. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 6:21.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 6:26. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:21.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 3:205. Patriots 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:21.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 39-yard field goal, 0:15. Patriots 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 2:50.
Third quarter
NE – Rex Burkhead 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:02. Patriots 16–3. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:58.
NE – Rex Burkhead 14-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:08. Patriots 23–3. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:38.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 21/30, 258 yards, INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 9/18, 65 yards, INT
Top rushers
NE – Dion Lewis – 15 rushes, 92 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 15 rushes, 93 yards
Top receivers
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 9 receptions, 147 yards
BUF – Zay Jones – 2 receptions, 22 yards :
Though Buffalo was able to hold the potent New England Patriots offense to just nine first-half points, it was not enough to beat them, as the Patriots won 23–3. Multiple Bills starters were injured, including Tyrod Taylor and Shaq Lawson. Perhaps the defining moment of the game occurred in the fourth quarter, when Tre'Davious White intercepted a pass intended for Rob Gronkowski. Upset that no pass interference penalty was called on White, Gronkowski reacted by jumping elbow-first onto White, who was still on the ground. The play resulted in White landing on the concussion protocol and Gronkowski receiving a one-game suspension as a result of his actions.

#### Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 10
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C), heavy lake effect snow
* Game attendance: 60,222
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin 8-yard pass from Nathan Peterman (Steven Hauschka kick), 0:27. Bills 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:15.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
IND – Jack Doyle 3-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 19 plays, 77 yards, 9:53.
Overtime
BUF – LeSean McCoy 21-yard run, 1:33. Bills 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 0:52.
Top passers
IND – Jacoby Brissett – 11/22, 69 yards, TD
BUF – Nathan Peterman – 5/10, 57 yards, TD
Top rushers
IND – Frank Gore – 36 rushes, 130 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 32 rushes, 156 yards, TD
Top receivers
IND – Marlon Mack – 2 receptions, 21 yards
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin – 3 receptions, 38 yards, TD :
The game against Indianapolis, called the "Snow Bowl" by the media, was notable for being held in the midst of a lake-effect snow storm that left over a foot of snow on the stadium's turf. The heavy snow and strong winds caused severe complications, making it difficult for CBS to televise the game due to low visibility and prompting both teams to run the ball far more often and make more fourth-down conversion attempts than would otherwise have been attempted, since kicking the ball was less reliable. The amount of snow on the ground did prove to be an advantage for the punters, since the ball did not bounce upon landing, making precision coffin corner punts easier. Nathan Peterman made his second start with Tyrod Taylor injured, and was able to post a respectable performance before leaving in the third quarter with a concussion. The low-scoring game went into overtime, and did not end until LeSean McCoy rushed for a touchdown with under two minutes to go in the extra period. The Bills improved to 7–6 with the win.

#### Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 16 |
| Bills | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 17
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 22 °F (−6 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 62,202
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (CBS): Beth Mowins and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 4-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:12. Bills 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:48.
MIA – Cody Parkey 28-yard field goal, 3:16. Bills 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:51.
Second quarter
MIA – Cody Parkey 41-yard field goal, 9:15. Bills 7–6. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:04.
BUF – LeSean McCoy 16-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:05. Bills 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:10.
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 9-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 0:33. Bills 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:50.
Third quarter
BUF – Stephen Hasuschka 34-yard field goal, 5:40. Bills 24–6. Drive: 5 plays, 7 yards, 2:06.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Kenyan Drake 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 7:57. Bills 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 1:35.
MIA – Cody Parkey 26-yard field goal, 0:39. Bills 24–16. Drive: 17 plays, 78 yards, 3:54.
Top passers
MIA – Jay Cutler – 28/49, 274 yards, 3 INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 17/29, 224 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIA – Kenyan Drake – 16 rushes, 78 yards, TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 20 rushes, 50 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 10 receptions, 99 yards
BUF – Charles Clay – 5 receptions, 68 yards :
LeSean McCoy surpassed 10,000 rushing yards during the game, becoming just the 30th NFL running back to do so.

#### Week 16: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Patriots | 0 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 37 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 41-yard field goal, 5:30. Bills 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 47 yards, 8:04.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard field goal, 14:14. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:16.
BUF – Jordan Poyer 19-yard interception return (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:28. Bills 10–3.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 17-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:06. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:22.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 1:55. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:00.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 1:55.
Third quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 30-yard field goal, 10:21. Bills 16–13. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:39.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard field goal, 5:08. Tied 16–16. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:13.
NE – Mike Gillislee 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:55. Patriots 23–16. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:59.
NE – Dion Lewis 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:27. Patriots 30–16. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:41.
Fourth quarter
NE – Dion Lewis 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:27. Patriots 30–16. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:41.
NE – Dion Lewis 4-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:58. Patriots 37–16. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:25.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 21/38, 281 yards
NE – Tom Brady – 21/28, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 17 rushes, 71 yards
NE – Dion Lewis – 24 rushes, 129 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Deonte Thompson – 4 receptions, 91 yards
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 5 receptions, 67 yards, TD :
A play near the end of the second quarter proved to be particularly controversial. Receiver Kelvin Benjamin caught a pass in the closing seconds of the second quarter that was initially ruled a touchdown by the on-field officials; however, the league's replay official, Alberto Riveron, determined that Benjamin did not have control of the ball until after his foot left the turf and Riveron overturned the touchdown, forcing the Bills to settle for a field goal. Bills owner Terrence Pegula indicated he would protest the decision. Though the first half was close, the Patriots outscored the Bills 24–3 in the second half, culminating in a 37–16 loss for Buffalo.

#### Week 17: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 7 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 22 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 16 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: December 31
* Game time: 4:25 p.m.
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 65,571
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Nick O'Leary 26-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:14. Bills 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:12.
Second quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 23-yard field goal, 14:46. Bills 10–0. 'Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:52.
Third quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 10:17. Bills 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:43.
BUF – Kyle Williams 1-yard run (run failed), 7:08. Bills 19–0. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 1:35.
MIA – Cody Parkey 36-yard field goal, 2:30. Bills 19–3. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:38.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 33-yard field goal, 11:41. Bills 22–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:49.
MIA – Jarvis Landry 1-yard pass from David Fales (pass failed), 6:16. Bills 22–9. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:25.
MIA – David Fales 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 1:56. Bills 22–16. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 2:54.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 19/27, 204 yards, TD
MIA – David Fales – 29/42, 265 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – Marcus Murphy – 7 rushes, 41 yards
MIA – Kenyan Drake – 14 rushes, 75 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Charles Clay – 6 receptions, 64 yards
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 9 receptions, 92 yards, TD :
The Bills started off the game up 10–0 by halftime and 19–0 by the time the Dolphins added a field goal. The Bills then fought off a comeback, including a fight that saw Jarvis Landry and Kenyan Drake get ejected. After a Miami touchdown that left them down six, history from the Bills–Dolphins game two weeks prior repeated itself: the Dolphins recovered an onside kick, then threw an interception with a minute to go to seal the game. With the win, Buffalo improved to 9–7, earning its first winning season since 2014.
At the end of the game, the Bills were still waiting for the final outcome between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens to determine their fates for the season. With 49 seconds left in that game, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton threw a 49-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd on a 4th-and-12 play to go up 31–27. The Ravens were unable to respond on the following drive, sealing the win for the Bengals. The Bengals' victory ended the Ravens season with a 9–7 record. This allowed the Bills, also 9–7, to enter the playoffs with the tiebreaker over the Ravens, thus reaching the postseason for the first time in 17 years.
After the game, thousands of grateful Bills fans donated money to Dalton's personal charity. Most of the donations were in $17 increments in honor of the Bills breaking their 17-year playoff drought. In the first 72 hours after the game, over 11,000 people donated a combined over $250,000 to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, while Tyler Boyd's charity of choice, the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association, received $50,000 in donations from Bills fans. Relatedly, the Bills organization announced that they were sending Buffalo wings from Duff's Famous Wings to the Bengals organization, where they were consumed by residents of The Children's Home of Cincinnati. Retired punter Brian Moorman, who punted for the Bills through most of the 17-year playoff drought, also saw an uptick in $17 donations to his charity, the P.U.N.T. Foundation, which has extensive operations in Western New York.
As a result of Buffalo making it into the NFL playoffs for the first time since 1999, ending the longest active playoff drought in all of North American professional sports, the Cleveland Browns then held the longest NFL postseason drought, 15 seasons at the time and eventually 17 seasons until they reached the playoffs in 2020. MLB's Seattle Mariners then held the longest such drought in all North American sports at 17 seasons.

### Standings
#### Division

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ New England Patriots | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 458 | 296 | W3 |
| $^{(6)}$ Buffalo Bills | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 302 | 359 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 281 | 393 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 298 | 382 | L4 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | New England Patriots | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .484 | .466 | W3 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–0 | 10–2 | .453 | .423 | W2 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .434 | .394 | L2 |
| 4 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .477 | .481 | W4 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Tennessee Titans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .434 | .396 | W1 |
| 6 | Buffalo Bills | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .492 | .396 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .441 | .299 | L1 |
| 8 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .457 | .347 | W2 |
| 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .465 | .321 | W2 |
| 10 | Oakland Raiders | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .512 | .396 | L4 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .543 | .531 | L3 |
| 12 | Denver Broncos | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .492 | .413 | L2 |
| 13 | New York Jets | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .520 | .438 | L4 |
| 14 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .480 | .219 | W1 |
| 15 | Houston Texans | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .516 | .375 | L6 |
| 16 | Cleveland Browns | North | 0 | 16 | 0 | .000 | 0–6 | 0–12 | .520 | – | L16 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 New England claimed the No. 1 seed over Pittsburgh based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Jacksonville claimed the No. 3 seed over Kansas City based on conference record. 1 2 3 4 Tennessee finished ahead of Buffalo, Baltimore and Los Angeles Chargers based on conference record, claiming the No. 5 seed. Buffalo and Baltimore finished ahead of Los Angeles Chargers based on conference record. Buffalo claimed the No. 6 seed over Baltimore based on strength of victory. 1 2 Oakland finished ahead of Miami based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Denver finished ahead of the New York Jets based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Indianapolis finished ahead of Houston based on head-to-head sweep. ↑ 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. ||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 7, 2018 | at Jacksonville Jaguars (3) | L 3–10 | 0–1 | EverBank Field | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: January 7, 2018
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 69,442
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 31-yard field goal, 1:53. Bills 3–0. Drive: 18 plays, 71 yards, 8:06.
JAX – Josh Lambo 44-yard field goal, 0:07. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 0:38.
Third quarter
JAX – Ben Koyack 1-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 0:48. Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 8:52.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 17/37, 134 yards, INT
JAX – Blake Bortles – 12/23, 87 yards, TD
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 19 rushes, 75 yards
JAX – Blake Bortles – 10 rushes, 88 yards
Top receivers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 6 receptions, 44 yards
JAX – Dede Westbrook – 5 receptions, 48 yards :
The Bills were looking to win their first playoff game since 1995, as they faced the #3-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars, another team that had recently ended a lengthy playoff drought. Despite taking a 3–0 lead shortly before halftime on a kick by Steven Hauschka, the Jaguars would rally for the victory in a hard-fought defensive game, only sealing the victory with an interception by Jalen Ramsey on the Bills' final drive.