# 2015 Buffalo Bills season

The 2015 season was the Buffalo Bills' 46th in the National Football League (NFL), their 56th overall, their third under the leadership of general manager Doug Whaley and their first under head coach Rex Ryan. It was also their first full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula (who also own the Buffalo Sabres), having purchased the Bills partway through 2014 after the death of longtime owner Ralph Wilson that March at the age of 95.
The Bills began their season with an open competition for the starting quarterback position after Kyle Orton, the starter for most of the 2014 campaign, retired during the offseason, so the team acquired free agent Tyrod Taylor, a former backup quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, who won the competition over incumbent second-string quarterback EJ Manuel and trade acquisition Matt Cassel, the latter of whom the team later traded along with a seventh-round pick in 2017 to the Dallas Cowboys, in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2017.
Despite Ryan's bold prediction of the Bills making the playoffs at his introductory press conference, the Bills were unable to do so in their first season with Ryan as head coach, finishing with a record of 8-8 (the team’s first since 2002), making it the 16th straight season without a playoff appearance, which became the longest active in major professional sports after Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays broke their 22-year playoff drought on September 25, 2015.

## Offseason

The Bills made headlines when they hired a new head coach in Rex Ryan, who signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract on January 12, 2015 after having previously spent the past six seasons coaching the division-rival New York Jets. Ryan had led the Jets to two straight AFC Championship games in 2009 and 2010 before his firing in 2014. He became the 18th head coach in Bills history and the fifth in the past seven years in the process. Ryan replaced Doug Marrone, who opted out of his contract on December 31, 2014 in order to take advantage of a contract loophole.

## Roster changes
### Signings

| Position | Player | 2014 Team | Date signed | Notes and references |
| OG | Richie Incognito | No Team | February 8, 2015 | 1-year/$2.25 million |
| DE | Jerry Hughes | Buffalo Bills | March 9, 2015 | 5-years/$45 million |
| FB | Jerome Felton | Minnesota Vikings | March 11, 2015 | 4-years/$9.2 million |
| WR | Marcus Easley | Buffalo Bills | March 12, 2015 | 4-years/$7 million |
| DE | Jarius Wynn | Buffalo Bills | March 12, 2015 | 2-years/$2.2 million |
| QB | Tyrod Taylor | Baltimore Ravens | March 12, 2015 | 2-years/$7 million |
| WR | Percy Harvin | New York Jets | March 13, 2015 | 3-years/$24 million |
| TE | Charles Clay | Miami Dolphins | March 19, 2015 | 5-years/$38 million |
| DE | Alex Carrington | St. Louis Rams | May 4, 2015 | 1-year |
| FB | John Conner | New York Jets | May 13, 2015 | 1-year/$745,000 |
| QB | Matt Simms | New York Jets | May 29, 2015 | 1-year/$585,000 |

### Free agents lost

| Position | Player | 2015 Team | Date signed | Notes and references |
| CB | Da’Norris Searcy | Tennessee Titans | March 10, 2015 | 4-years/$24 million |
| TE | Lee Smith | Oakland Raiders | March 10, 2015 | 3-years/$9.1 million |
| RB | C. J. Spiller | New Orleans Saints | March 13, 2015 | 4-years/$18 million |
| TE | Scott Chandler | New England Patriots | March 13, 2015 | 2-years/$5.3 million |
| OT | Erik Pears | San Francisco 49ers | March 14, 2015 | 2-years/$4.7 million |
| LB | Larry Dean | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | April 9, 2015 | 1-year/$745,000 |
| OT | Chris Hairston | San Diego Chargers | April 15, 2015 | 1-year |
| LB | Brandon Spikes | New England Patriots | May 18, 2015 | 1-year (Released June 8, 2015) |

### Trades

| Player/picks acquired | From | Date traded | Player/picks traded |
| LeSean McCoy | Philadelphia Eagles | March 10, 2015 | Kiko Alonso |
| Matt Cassel Minnesota’s 2015 6th Round Pick | Minnesota Vikings | March 10, 2015 | Grady Jarrett Buffalo’s 2016 7th Round Pick |
| Dallas’ 2017 5th Round Pick | Dallas Cowboys | September 25, 2015 | Matt Cassel Buffalo’s 2017 7th Round Pick |

## Draft

2015 Buffalo Bills draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 2 | 50 | Ronald Darby | CB | Florida St |
| 3 | 81 | John Miller | OG | Louisville |
| 5 | 155 | Karlos Williams | RB | Florida St |
| 6 | 188 | Tony Steward | OLB | Clemson |
| 6 | 194 | Nick O'Leary | TE | Florida St |
| 7 | 234 | Dezmin Lewis | WR | Central Arkansas |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Notes
* The Bills did not have a selection in the first-round or fourth-round as a result of a trade that sent their 2014 first-round selection (19th overall), later revealed to be Ja’Wuan James, to the Miami Dolphins, fourth-round selection (115th overall), later revealed to be Shaquelle Evans, to the New York Jets and their first-round selection (9th overall), later revealed to be Anthony Barr, to the Cleveland Browns in a three-team trade that sent the Browns’ 2014 first-round selection (4th overall), later revealed to be Sammy Watkins, to Buffalo. The Bills acquired a fourth-round selection (113th overall), later revealed to be Gabe Wright, in a trade that sent Stevie Johnson to the San Francisco 49ers. The Bills later traded this selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Bryce Brown. The Bills acquired a fifth-round selection (137th overall), later revealed to be Grady Jarrett, as part of a trade that sent their 2014 seventh-round selection (221st overall), later revealed to be Randell Johnson, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bills later traded this selection and their 2016 seventh-round selection (240th overall), later revealed to be Alex McCalister, to the Vikings in exchange for Matt Cassel and the Vikings’ 2015 sixth-round selection (188th overall), later revealed to be Tony Steward.

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 14 | Carolina Panthers | L 24–25 | 0–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | at Cleveland Browns | W 11–10 | 1–1 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 29 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 43–19 | 2–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 3 | at Detroit Lions | L 10–17 | 2–2 | Ford Field | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 13 | Indianapolis Colts | W 27–14 | 1–0 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 20 | New England Patriots | L 32–40 | 1–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 27 | at Miami Dolphins | W 41–14 | 2–1 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 4 | New York Giants | L 10–24 | 2–2 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 11 | at Tennessee Titans | W 14–13 | 3–2 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 18 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 21–34 | 3–3 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 25 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 31–34 | 3–4 | Wembley Stadium (London) | Recap |
| 8 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 9 | November 8 | Miami Dolphins | W 33–17 | 4–4 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 12 | at New York Jets | W 22–17 | 5–4 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 23 | at New England Patriots | L 13–20 | 5–5 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 29 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 22–30 | 5–6 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 6 | Houston Texans | W 30–21 | 6–6 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 13 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 20–23 | 6–7 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 20 | at Washington Redskins | L 25–35 | 6–8 | FedExField | Recap |
| 16 | December 27 | Dallas Cowboys | W 16–6 | 7–8 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 3 | New York Jets | W 22–17 | 8–8 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

## Game summaries
### Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Bills | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 13
* Game time: 1:00pm EDT
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,319
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF: Percey Harvin 51-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 7–0). Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:39
Second quarter
BUF Dan Carpenter 41-yard field goal, (BUF 10-0). Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:22
BUF: Karlos Williams 26-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 17-0). Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 2:22
Third quarter
BUF: Anthony Dixon 1-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 24-0). Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:26
IND: Donte Moncrief 2-yard pass from Andrew Luck, Andrew Luck-Coby Fleener 2-point conversion good, (BUF 24-8). Drive: 18 plays, 65 yards, 8:40
Fourth quarter
BUF Dan Carpenter 45-yard field goal, (BUF 27-8). Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:30
IND: Dwayne Allen 6-yard pass from Andrew Luck, 2-point conversion failed, (BUF 27-14). Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:18
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck, 26/49, 243 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 14/19, 195 yards, TD
Top rushers
IND – Frank Gore, 8 carries, 31 yards
BUF – Karlos Williams, 6 carries, 55 yards, TD
Top receivers
IND – T.Y. Hilton, 7 receptions, 88 yards
BUF – Percy Harvin, 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD
Top tacklers
IND – Henry Anderson, 8 tackles
BUF – Nigel Bradham, 7 tackles, 1 sack :
The Bills franchise reached the 400th career win in its history with a 27-14 win over the Colts. Running backs Karlos Williams, LeSean McCoy and quarterback Tyrod Taylor combined for 137 rushing yards and a touchdown (Anthony Dixon added another on the ground) and Taylor completed 14/19 for 195 yards and a touchdown. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had two touchdowns, but he was intercepted and sacked twice. In a statistical anomaly, back-up quarterback Matt Cassel was credited with the win, as the Bills lined up for their first offensive play in a novelty formation with Cassel under center and Tyrod Taylor split out as a receiver. This made Cassel the starting quarterback of record, although it his only play of the game and he did not attempt either a pass or run.

### Week 2: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 14 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 40 |
| Bills | 7 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 32 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 1:00pm EDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), mostly sunny
* Game attendance: 70,858
* Referee: Ron Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF: Karlos Williams 2-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 7-0). Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:00
NE: Julian Edelman 8-yard pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski XP good, (TIE 7-7). Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 2:30
NE: Dion Lewis 6-yard run, Stephen Gostkowski XP good, (NE 14-7). Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 00:31
Second quarter
NE: Rob Gronkowski 2-yard pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski XP good, (NE 21-7). Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 1:36
BUF: Charles Clay 9-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP failed, (NE 21-13). Drive: 2 plays, 48 yards, 1:25
NE: Stephen Gostkowski 46-yard FG, (NE 24-13). Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 2:55
Third quarter
NE Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard FG, (NE 27-13). Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:58
NE: Julian Edelman 22-yard pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski XP good, (NE 34-13). Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 3:12
NE: Stephen Gostkowski 50-yard FG, (NE 37-13). Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 00:59
Fourth quarter
BUF: Robert Woods 32-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, 2-point conversion failed, (NE 37-19). Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:46
BUF: Tyrod Taylor 7-yard run, 2-point conversion failed, (NE 37-25). Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:43
BUF: Sammy Watkins 24-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (NE 37-32). Drive: 2 plays, 50 yards, 00:15
NE: Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard FG, (NE 40-32). Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:01
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady, 38/59, 466 yards, 3 TD
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 23/30, 242 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
NE – Dion Lewis, 7 carries, 40 yards, TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 15 carries, 89 yards
Top receivers
NE – Rob Gronkowski, 7 receptions, 113 yards, TD
BUF – Sammy Watkins, 6 receptions, 60 yards, TD
Top tacklers
NE – Jamie Collins, 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
BUF – Preston Brown, 6 tackles, 1 forced fumble :
With the close loss, the Bills dropped to 1-1. As if the loss wasn't bad enough, the team also lost safety Aaron Williams for the season with a neck injury sustained trying to keep Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski from reaching the end zone.

### Week 3: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 14 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 41 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: September 27
* Game time: 4:25pm EDT
* Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 64,869
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF: Charles Clay 25-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 7-0). Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:17
BUF: LeSean McCoy 10-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 14-0). Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:40
Second quarter
BUF: Dan Carpenter 26-yard field goal, (BUF 17-0). Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 5:00
BUF: Preston Brown 43-yard INT return, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 24-0).
BUF: Dan Carpenter 51-yard field goal, (BUF 27-0). Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 00:42
Third quarter
MIA: Rishard Matthews 21-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill, 2pt conversion good, (BUF 27-8). Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:14
Fourth quarter
BUF: Chris Hogan 38-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 34-8). Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:46
MIA: Rishard Matthews 46-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill, Andrew Franks XP failed, (BUF 34-14). Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 00:51
BUF: Karlos Williams 41 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 41-14). Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 1:10
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 21/29, 277 yards, 3 TD
MIA – Ryan Tannehill, 26/49, 297 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
BUF – Karlos Williams, 12 carries, 110 yards, TD
MIA – Jonas Gray, 9 carries, 49 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Charles Clay, 5 receptions, 82 yards, TD
MIA – Rishard Matthews, 6 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD
Top tacklers
BUF – Corey Graham, 10 tackles
MIA – Reshad Jones, 8 tackles :
After leading 27-0, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill finally threw two touchdowns, but his three interceptions, one of which a pick-six returned by linebacker Preston Brown 43 yards for a touchdown, proved to be too much as the Bills improved to 2-1.

### Week 4: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 9 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
| Bills | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 4
* Game time: 1:00pm EDT
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,677
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NYG: Josh Brown 47-yard FG, (NYG 3-0). Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:11
BUF: Dan Carpenter 51-yard FG, (TIE 3-3). Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 1:21
NYG: Dwayne Harris 21-yard pass from Eli Manning, Josh Brown XP failed, (NYG 9-3). Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 00:37
Second quarter
NYG: Rueben Randle 11-yard pass from Eli Manning, Josh Brown XP good, (NYG 16-3). Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:02
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
BUF: Karlos Williams 23-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (NYG 16-10). Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 00:54
NYG: Rashard Jennings 51-yard pass from Eli Manning, Andre Williams run-2pt conversion good, (NYG 24-10). Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 1:59
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning, 20/35, 212 yards, 3 TD, INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 28/42, 274 yards, 1 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Rashad Jennings, 9 carries, 38 yards
BUF – Karlos Williams, 18 carrries, 40 yards
Top receivers
NYG – Rashard Jennings, 2 receptions, 54 yards, TD
BUF – Charles Clay, 9 receptions, 111 yards
Top tacklers
NYG – Kerry Wynn, 7 tackles
BUF – Corey Graham, 8 tackles :
With their third straight loss to the Giants dating back to 2007, the Bills dropped to 2-2.

### Week 5: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Titans | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: October 11
* Game time: 1:00pm EDT/12:00pm CDT
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 65,670
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
TEN: Ryan Succop 21-yard FG, (TEN 3-0). Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 7:39
Third quarter
TEN: Antonio Andrews 1-yard run, Ryan Succop XP good, (TEN 10-0). Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 4:15
BUF: Tyrod Taylor 22-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (TEN 10-7). Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:31
Fourth quarter
TEN: Ryan Succop 41-yard FG, (TEN 13-7). Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:44
BUF: Chris Hogan 2-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 14-13). Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:11
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 10/17, 109 yards, TD
TEN – Marcus Mariota, 21/32, INT
Top rushers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 8 carries, 76 yards, TD
TEN – Marcus Mariota, 5 carries, 47 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Chris Hogan, 3 receptions, TD
TEN – Antonio Andrews, 3 receptions, 45 yards
Top tacklers
BUF – Corey Graham, 8 tackles
TEN – Avery Williamson, 7 tackles, 1 sack :
With the win, the Bills improved to 3-2.

### Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 7 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
| Bills | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 18
* Game time: 1:00pm EDT
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 69,593
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF: EJ Manuel 2-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 7-0). Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:39
CIN: Jeremy Hills 13-yard pass from Andy Dalton, Mike Nugent XP good, (TIE 7-7). Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 2:43
Second quarter
CIN: Giovani Bernard 17-yard run, Mike Nugent XP good, (CIN 14-7). Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 2:11
CIN: Mike Nugent 47-yard FG, (CIN 17-7). Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:34
BUF: Sammy Watkins 22-yard pass from EJ Manuel, Dan Carpenter XP good, (CIN 17-14). Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 6:55
Third quarter
CIN: Marvin Jones 10 yard pass from Andy Dalton, Mike Nugent XP good, (CIN 24-14). Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:05
CIN: Tyler Eifert 4-yard pass from Andy Dalton, Mike Nugent XP good, (CIN 31-14). Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 4:41
Fourth quarter
CIN: Mike Nugent 39-yard FG, (CIN 34-14). Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:07
BUF: LeSean McCoy 4-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (CIN 34-21). Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:50
Top passers
CIN – Andy Dalton, 22/33, 243 yards, 3 TD
BUF – EJ Manuel, 28/42, 263 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
CIN – Jeremy Hill, 16 carries, 56 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 17 carries, 90 yards, TD
Top receivers
CIN – Marvin Jones, 9 receptions, 95 yards, TD
BUF – Charles Clay, 9 receptions, 62 yards
Top tacklers
CIN – Reggie Nelson, 8 tackles
BUF – Preston Brown, 7 tackles :
With their third straight loss to the Bengals dating back to 2011, the Bills dropped to 3-3.

### Week 7: at Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL International Series
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 3 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 31 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 27 | 0 | 7 | 34 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
* Date: October 25
* Game time: 1:30pm GMT/9:30am EDT
* Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), sunny intervals
* Game attendance: 84,021
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Yahoo! Screen, WIVB): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Jamie Erdahl
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF: Dan Carpenter 31-yard FG, (BUF 3-0). Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:38
Second quarter
JAX: Allen Robinson 13-yard pass from Blake Bortles, Jason Myers XP good, (JAX 7-3). Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:08
JAX: Chris Clemons 6 yard fumble return, Jason Myers XP good, (JAX 14-3).
JAX: Telvin Smith 26-yard INT return, Jason Myers XP good, (JAX 21-3).
JAX: T. J. Yeldon 28-yard run, Jason Myers XP failed, (JAX 27-3). Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:30
BUF: Robert Woods 16-yard pass from EJ Manuel, Dan Carpenter XP good, (JAX 27-10). Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 5:39
BUF: Dan Carpenter 38-yard FG, (JAX 27-13). Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 1:30
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
BUF: Dan Carpenter 26-yard FG, (JAX 27-16). Drive: 14 plays, 91 yards, 5:40
BUF: Marcus Easley 58-yard pass from EJ Manuel, LeSean McCoy-run 2pt conversion good, (JAX 27-24). Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 00:42
BUF: Corey Graham 44-yard INT return, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 31-27).
JAX: Allen Hurns 31-yard pass from Blake Bortles, Jason Myers XP good, (JAX 34-31). Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:05
Top passers
BUF – EJ Manuel, 24/42, 298 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
JAX – Blake Bortles, 13/29, 182 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 18 carries, 68 yards
JAX – T. J. Yeldon, 20 carries, 115 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Robert Woods, 9 receptions, 84 yards, TD
JAX – Allen Robinson, 6 receptions, 98 yards, TD
Top tacklers
BUF – Corey Graham, 8 tackles, INT
JAX – Telvin Smith, 8 tackles, INT :
This was the Bills’ first game in London since 1991. Sadly, with the stunning loss, the Bills dropped to 3-4 heading into the bye week, marking the first time they had been under .500 all season.

### Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| Bills | 9 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 33 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: November 8
* Game time: 1:00pm ET
* Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), sunny with some clouds
* Game attendance: 70,214
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF: Ryan Tannehill fumble out of bounds in end zone for safety, (BUF 2-0).
BUF: LeSean McCoy 48-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 9-0). Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:58
Second quarter
MIA: Lamar Miller 1-yard run, Andrew Franks XP good, (BUF 9-7). Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 4:25
BUF: Dan Carpenter 43-yard FG, (BUF 12–7). Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:20
BUF: Karlos Williams 11-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 19-7). Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards, 2:07
Third quarter
MIA: Lamar Miller 1-yard run, Andrew Franks XP good, (BUF 19-14). Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:55
BUF: Sammy Watkins 44-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 26-14). Drive: 3 plays, 40 yards, 2:12
Fourth quarter
BUF: Karlos Williams 38-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 33-14). Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:16
MIA: Andrew Franks 48-yard FG, (BUF 33-17). Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:42
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill, 27/36, 309 yards
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 11/12, 181 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIA – Lamar Miller, 12 carries, 44 yards, 2 TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 16 carries, 112 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – Lamar Miller, 7 receptions, 97 yards
BUF – Sammy Watkins, 8 receptions, 168 yards, TD
Top tacklers
MIA – Brent Grimes, 7 tackles
BUF – Ronald Darby, 10 tackles :
With the win, not only did the Bills improve to 4-4, but they swept Miami for the first time since 2013.

### Week 10: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 22 |
| Jets | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 8:25pm ET
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 78,160
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ: Randy Bullock 29-yard field goal, (NYJ 3-0). Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:57
Second quarter
BUF: Dan Carpenter 47-yard field goal, (TIE 3-3). Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:28
BUF: Duke Williams 19-yard fumble return, Dan Carpenter XP failed, (BUF 9-3).
BUF: Dan Carpenter 41-yard field goal, (BUF 12-3). Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 4:47
Third quarter
BUF: Karlos Williams 26-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 19-3). Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:45
BUF: Dan Carpenter 29-yard field goal, (BUF 22-3). Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:24
NYJ: Brandon Marshall 14-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Randy Bullock XP good, (BUF 22-10). Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:03
Fourth quarter
NYJ: Eric Decker 31-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Randy Bullock XP good, (BUF 22-17). Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 2:51
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 17/27, 158 yards, TD
NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick, 15/34, 193 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 19 carries, 112 yards
NYJ – Chris Ivory, 18 carries, 99 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Charles Clay, 5 receptions, 52 yards
NYJ – Eric Decker, 6 receptions, 85 yards, TD
Top tacklers
BUF – Nigel Bradham, 4 tackles – Bacarri Rambo, 2 tackles, INT, FF
NYJ – Demario Davis, 6 tackels, 1 sack :
Rex Ryan made his return to MetLife Stadium for the first time since the Jets fired him after the 2014 season. The Bills wore their red Nike “color rush” uniforms. With 0:18 remaining, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick attempted a comeback, but a game-saving interception by Bills safety Bacarri Rambo sealed the 22-17 victory over the Jets. With the win, the Bills improved to 5-4.
This was the debut for NFL Color Rush uniforms, with the Bills in all red and the Jets in all kelly green. The uniforms were indistinguishable to those with red-green color blindness, creating controversy.

### Week 11: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Patriots | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 8:30pm ET
* Game weather: 29 °F (−2 °C), clear and cold
* Game attendance: 66,829
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE: Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard FG, (NE 3-0). Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:56
Second quarter
BUF: Dan Carpenter 52-yard FG, (3-3). Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:36
NE: James White 20-yard pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski XP good (NE 10-3). Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 0:33
Third quarter
BUF: LeSean McCoy 27-yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good (10-10). Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:06
NE: James White 6-yard run, Stephen Gostkowski XP good (NE 17-10). Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:04
NE: Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard FG, (NE 20-10) Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 1:50
Fourth quarter
BUF: Dan Carpenter 33-yard FG, (NE 20-13). Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:05
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 20-36, 233 yards
NE – Tom Brady, 20-39, 277 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 20 attempts, 82 yards, TD
NE – LeGarrette Blount, 16 attempts, 56 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Chris Hogan, 6 receptions, 95 yards
NE – Danny Amendola, 9 receptions, 117 yards
Top tacklers
BUF – Preston Brown, 5 solo, 4 assist
NE – Logan Ryan, 7 solo, 2 assist :
With yet another close loss, the Bills dropped to 5-5.

### Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 10 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 22 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 30 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 29
* Game time: 1:00pm ET/12:00pm CT
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy and rainy
* Game attendance: 72,493
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 21-38, 291 yards, 3 TD
KC – Alex Smith, 19-30, 255 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 19 attempts, 70 yards
KC – Spencer Ware, 19 attempts, 114 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Sammy Watkins, 6 receptions, 158 yards, 2 TD
KC – Jeremy Maclin, 9 receptions, 160 yards, TD
Top tacklers
BUF – Marcell Dareus, 6 solo
KC – Josh Mauga, 9 solo, 1 TFL :
With the loss, the Bills dropped to 5-6.

### Week 13: vs. Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 6 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 21 |
| Bills | 7 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 30 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 6
* Game time: 1:00pm ET
* Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 68,544
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
HOU – Brian Hoyer, 26-43, 293 yards, 3 TD, INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 11-21, 211 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Chris Polk, 12 attempts, 61 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 21 attempts, 112 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Cecil Shorts III, 6 receptions, 91 yards
BUF – Sammy Watkins, 3 receptions, 109 yards, TD
Top tacklers
HOU – Kareem Jackson, 5 solo, 1 assist
BUF – Preston Brown, 5 solo, 4 assist :
With the win, not only did the Bills improve to 6-6, they remained in the wild card race. It's also the Bills first win against the Texans since 2006.

### Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| Eagles | 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: December 13
* Game time: 1:00pm ET
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 69,596
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 19-36, 268 yards, TD, INT
PHI – Sam Bradford, 23-38, 247 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy, 20 attempts, 74 yards
PHI – Darren Sproles, 7 attempts, 41 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Robert Woods, 5 receptions, 106 yards
PHI – Zach Ertz, 5 receptions, 98 yards
Top tacklers
BUF – Corey Graham, 8 solo, 1 assist
PHI – Fletcher Cox, 7 solo, 1 assist, 1 sack, 2 TFL :
LeSean McCoy made his return to Philadelphia for the first time since the Eagles traded him in the offseason. McCoy was seen kissing the Eagles logo, but did not stick around to interact with his former teammates or coach Chip Kelly.

### Week 15: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 25 |
| Redskins | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: December 20
* Game time: 1:00pm ET
* Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 80,124
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
BUF –
WAS –
Top rushers
BUF –
WAS –
Top receivers
BUF –
WAS –
Top tacklers
BUF –
WAS – :
With the loss, not only did the Bills drop to 6-8, but they were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the 16th consecutive season.

### Week 16: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Bills | 6 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 27
* Game time: 1:00pm ET
* Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), rain showers
* Game attendance: 70,172
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 46-yard field goal, 9:45. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:19.
BUF – Karlos Williams 1-yard run (kick failed), 0:51. Bills 6–3. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:57.
Second quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 22-yard field goal, 5:29. Tied 6–6. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:51.
Third quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 32-yard field goal, 6:21. Bills 9–6. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:37.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Mike Gillislee 50-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 2:34. Bills 16–6. Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 4:28.
Top passers
DAL – Kellen Moore – 13/31, 186 yards, INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 13/18, 179 yards, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Darren McFadden – 19 rushes, 99 yards
BUF – Mike Gillislee – 9 rushes, 93 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Brice Butler – 4 receptions, 74 yards
BUF – Sammy Watkins – 5 receptions, 84 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee – 11 tackles, 4 assists (0.5 sacks)
BUF – Corey Graham – 8 tackles, 3 assists :
With the win, the Bills improved to 7-8 heading into the season finale.

### Week 17: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Bills | 7 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: January 3, 2016
* Game time: 1:00pm ET
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 68,670
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 18-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 5:55. Bills 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 1:19.
Second quarter
BUF – Karlos Williams 2-yard run (kick failed), 13:02. Bills 13–0. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 6:21.
NYJ – Brandon Marshall 17-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Randy Bullock kick), 9:42. Bills 13–7. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 1:26.
BUF – Dan Carpenter 20-yard field goal, 0:27. Bills 16–7. Drive: 15 plays, 70 yards, 9:16.
Third quarter
NYJ – Randy Bullock 39-yard field goal, 13:24. Bills 16–10. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:49.
BUF – Dan Carpenter 37-yard field goal, 5:05. Bills 19–10. Drive: 14 plays, 66 yards, 8:19.
NYJ – Eric Decker 21-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Randy Bullock kick), 1:15. Bills 19–17. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 3:52.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 42-yard field goal, 3:53. Bills 22–17. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 6:54.
Top passers
NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 16/37, 181 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 18/28, 182 yards
Top rushers
NYJ – Chris Ivory – 6 rushes, 81 yards
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 10 rushes, 51 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYJ – Brandon Marshall – 8 receptions, 126 yards, TD
BUF – Sammy Watkins – 11 receptions, 136 yards
Top tacklers
NYJ – David Harris, 10 total, 4 assists, 2 sacks, 2 TFL
BUF – Corey Graham, 6 solo, 1 TFL :
Prior to the game, the team called for paid volunteers to help shovel snow out of Ralph Wilson Stadium. Former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made his first return to Buffalo since being cut after the 2012 season, hoping to clinch a playoff spot for his new team with a win. Despite the Jets setting various team records, the Bills ultimately pulled out a win to close the season at 8-8 for the first time since 2002 in their final regular season game before Ralph Wilson Stadium was renamed New Era Field the following summer, not only keeping the Jets out of the playoffs for a fifth straight year, but helping the Pittsburgh Steelers reach the playoffs. As a thank you gift of sorts, the Steelers sent the Bills a care package of Primanti Brothers sandwiches.

## Standings
### Division

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ New England Patriots | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 465 | 315 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 387 | 314 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 379 | 359 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 310 | 389 | W1 |

### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division Leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Denver Broncos | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .500 | .479 | W2 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .473 | .448 | L2 |
| 3 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .477 | .406 | W1 |
| 4 | Houston Texans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .496 | .410 | W3 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .496 | .432 | W10 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .504 | .463 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | New York Jets | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .441 | .388 | L1 |
| 8 | Buffalo Bills | East | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .508 | .438 | W2 |
| 9 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .500 | .406 | W2 |
| 10 | Oakland Raiders | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .512 | .366 | L1 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .469 | .469 | W2 |
| 12 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .473 | .375 | L3 |
| 13 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .508 | .425 | L1 |
| 14 | San Diego Chargers | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 0–6 | 3–9 | .527 | .328 | L2 |
| 15 | Cleveland Browns | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .531 | .271 | L3 |
| 16 | Tennessee Titans | South | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 1–11 | .492 | .375 | L4 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 3 Denver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3. 1 2 Pittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2. 1 2 Buffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head 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. ||||||||||||