# 1994 Buffalo Bills season

The 1994 Buffalo Bills season was the 35th season for the team franchise and the 25th in the National Football League. The Bills entered the season as the four-time defending AFC champions and looked to advance to the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season and to the Super Bowl for the fifth consecutive season---and to finally win a Super Bowl.
However, for the first time since 1987, the Bills failed to make the playoffs. Buffalo finished at 7–9 for the year, only good enough for fourth place in the AFC East. Going into Week 14 the Bills were still in postseason contention, before losing their final three games and finishing the season with a losing record for the first time since the strike-shortened 1987 season.

## Offseason

| Additions | Subtractions |
| QB Rick Strom (Steelers) | T Howard Ballard (Seahawks) |
| | CB James Williams (Cardinals) |
| | QB Gale Gilbert (Chargers) |
| | G Jim Ritcher (Falcons) |

### NFL draft

1994 Buffalo Bills draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 27 | Jeff Burris | CB | Notre Dame |
| 2 | 48 | Bucky Brooks | CB | North Carolina |
| 2 | 61 | Lonnie Johnson | TE | Florida State |
| 2 | 64 | Sam Rogers | LB | Colorado |
| 3 | 81 | Marlo Perry | LB | Jackson State |
| 3 | 98 | Corey Louchiey | OT | South Carolina |
| 4 | 130 | Sean Crocker | DB | North Carolina |
| 5 | 158 | A. J. Ofodile | TE | Missouri |
| 6 | 188 | Anthony Abrams | DT | Clark Atlanta |
| 6 | 192 | Kevin Knox | WR | Florida State |
| 6 | 221 | Filmel Johnson | DB | Illinois |

### Undrafted Free Agents

1994 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| John Bock | Center | Indiana State |
| Mike Collins | Safety | West Virginia |
| Todd Herget | Linebacker | BYU |
| Steve Hoyem | Tackle | Stanford |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 4 | New York Jets | L 3–23 | 0–1 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 11 | at New England Patriots | W 38–35 | 1–1 | Foxboro Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 18 | at Houston Oilers | W 15–7 | 2–1 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 4 | September 26 | Denver Broncos | W 27–20 | 3–1 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 2 | at Chicago Bears | L 13–20 | 3–2 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 9 | Miami Dolphins | W 21–11 | 4–2 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 16 | Indianapolis Colts | L 17–27 | 4–3 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 9 | October 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 44–10 | 5–3 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 6 | at New York Jets | L 17–22 | 5–4 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 14 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 10–23 | 5–5 | Three Rivers Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 20 | Green Bay Packers | W 29–20 | 6–5 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 24 | at Detroit Lions | L 21–35 | 6–6 | Pontiac Silverdome | Recap |
| 14 | December 4 | at Miami Dolphins | W 42–31 | 7–6 | Joe Robbie Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 11 | Minnesota Vikings | L 17–21 | 7–7 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 18 | New England Patriots | L 17–41 | 7–8 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 24 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 9–10 | 7–9 | RCA Dome | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1

Pete Carroll's debut as a head coach with the New York Jets.
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Jets | 0 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Bills | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |

#### Week 2

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 14 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 38 |
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at Foxboro Stadium • Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
* Game attendance: 60,274
* Referee: Dale Hamer
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Beasley Reece
* Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database
Game information :
Bills
Jim Kelly 25/41, 328 Yds, 4 TD, 3 INT
Thurman Thomas 26 Rush, 106 Yds
Andre Reed 7 Rec, 142 Yds, TD
Patriots
Drew Bledsoe 26/42, 380 Yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Marion Butts 18 Rush, 82 Yds, 2 TD
Ben Coates 9 Rec, 124 Yds, 2 TD :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | BUF | NE |
| 1 | 12:38 | 8 | 80 | | Bills | Andre Reed 37-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Steve Christie kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 1 | 6:58 | 11 | 89 | | Bills | Thurman Thomas 4-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Steve Christie kick good | 14 | 0 |
| 1 | 0:07 | 6 | 42 | | Patriots | Ben Coates 18-yard touchdown reception from Drew Bledsoe, Matt Bahr kick good | 14 | 7 |
| 2 | 12:04 | 9 | 77 | | Bills | Bill Brooks 12-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Steve Christie kick good | 21 | 7 |
| 2 | 2:58 | 10 | 88 | | Patriots | Ben Coates 5-yard touchdown reception from Drew Bledsoe, Matt Bahr kick good | 21 | 14 |
| 2 | 1:13 | 6 | 78 | | Bills | Don Beebe 14-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Steve Christie kick good | 28 | 14 |
| 3 | 12:33 | 1 | 19 | | Patriots | Marion Butts 19-yard touchdown run, Matt Bahr kick good | 28 | 21 |
| 4 | 14:07 | | | | Bills | Fumble recovery in end zone for touchdown by Mike Lodish, Steve Christie kick good | 35 | 21 |
| 4 | 9:17 | 3 | 23 | | Patriots | Michael Timpson 12-yard touchdown reception from Drew Bledsoe, Matt Bahr kick good | 35 | 28 |
| 4 | 9:22 | 5 | 69 | | Patriots | Marion Butts 6-yard touchdown run, Matt Bahr kick good | 35 | 35 |
| 4 | 0:52 | 8 | 53 | | Bills | 32-yard field goal by Steve Christie | 38 | 35 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 38 | 35 |

#### Week 3

In a game that featured the old American Football League helmets, the Houston Oilers starting QB for this game was Bucky Richardson.
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bills | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| Oilers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |

#### Week 4

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
| • Bills | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 27 |

#### Week 5

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| • Bears | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 20 |

#### Week 6

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| • Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

#### Week 7

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Colts | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Bills | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |

#### Week 9

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| • Bills | 14 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 44 |

#### Week 10

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| • Jets | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 22 |

#### Week 11

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| • Steelers | 10 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 23 |

#### Week 12

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| • Bills | 14 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 29 |

#### Week 13

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| • Lions | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |

#### Week 14

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bills | 7 | 0 | 21 | 14 | 42 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 31 |

#### Week 15

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Vikings | 3 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 21 |
| Bills | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |

#### Week 16

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Patriots | 3 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 41 |
| Bills | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |

#### Week 17

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| • Colts | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |

### Standings

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Miami Dolphins | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 389 | 327 | W1 |
| $^{(5)}$ New England Patriots | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 351 | 312 | W7 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 307 | 320 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 340 | 356 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 264 | 320 | L5 |