1987 Buffalo Bills season
28th season in franchise history
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The 1987 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 18th season in the National Football League, and 28th overall.
| 1987 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| General manager | Bill Polian |
| Head coach | Marv Levy |
| Home stadium | Rich Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–8 |
| Division place | 4th AFC East |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | DE Bruce Smith (1st team) ST Steve Tasker (1st team) LB Shane Conlan (2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | QB Jim Kelly DE Bruce Smith |
On October 31, 1987, the Los Angeles Rams traded Eric Dickerson to the Indianapolis Colts in a three team trade involving the Bills. The Rams sent Dickerson to the Colts for six draft choices and two players. Buffalo obtained the rights to Cornelius Bennett from Indianapolis. Buffalo sent running back Greg Bell and three draft choices to the Rams, while Indianapolis added Owen Gill and three of their own draft picks to complete the deal with the Rams.[1] Adding Bennett to the team helped to form the nucleus for a strong young defensive unit that would become the core of Buffalo's later Super Bowl teams.
Offseason
NFL draft
Buffalo's first two draft picks—linebacker Shane Conlan and defensive back Nate Odomes—would later go on to make to have a great deal of impact on Buffalo's defense. Conlan was named 1987 Defensive Rookie of the Year and would be selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls in the 1988, 1989 and 1990 seasons. Odomes would be selected to consecutive Pro Bowls in 1992 and 1993.
Another impactful rookie, Cornelius Bennett, was drafted by Indianapolis in 1987, before being traded to Buffalo.
| 1987 Buffalo Bills draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Shane Conlan * | Linebacker | Penn State | |
| 2 | 29 | Nate Odomes * | Defensive back | Wisconsin | |
| 2 | 33 | Roland Mitchell | Defensive back | Texas Tech | |
| 3 | 60 | David Brandon | Linebacker | Memphis State | |
| 3 | 78 | Jamie Mueller | Running back | Benedictine (KS) | |
| 4 | 109 | Leon Seals | Defensive end | Jackson State | |
| 7 | 171 | Kerry Porter | Running back | Washington State | |
| 11 | 283 | Howard Ballard * | Offensive Tackle | Alabama A&M | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
NFL replacement players
After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled:
| 1987 Buffalo Bills replacement roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| ||||
Roster
Regular season
Cornerback Nate Odomes was the youngest starting defensive player in the NFL. It was also his rookie season.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13 | New York Jets | L 31–28 | 0–1 | 76,718 |
| 2 | September 20 | Houston Oilers | W 34–30 | 1–1 | 56,534 |
| – | September 27 | at Dallas Cowboys | canceled | ||
| 3 | October 4 | Indianapolis Colts | L 47–6 | 1–2 | 9,860 |
| 4 | October 11 | at New England Patriots | L 14–7 | 1–3 | 11,878 |
| 5 | October 18 | New York Giants | W 6–3 | 2–3 | 15,737 |
| 6 | October 25 | at Miami Dolphins | W 34–31 OT | 3–3 | 61,295 |
| 7 | November 1 | Washington Redskins | L 27–7 | 3–4 | 71,640 |
| 8 | November 8 | Denver Broncos | W 21–14 | 4–4 | 63,698 |
| 9 | November 15 | at Cleveland Browns | L 27–21 | 4–5 | 78,409 |
| 10 | November 22 | at New York Jets | W 17–14 | 5–5 | 58,407 |
| 11 | November 29 | Miami Dolphins | W 27–0 | 6–5 | 68,055 |
| 12 | December 6 | at Los Angeles Raiders | L 34–21 | 6–6 | 43,143 |
| 13 | December 13 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 27–3 | 7–6 | 60,253 |
| 14 | December 20 | New England Patriots | L 13–7 | 7–7 | 74,945 |
| 15 | December 27 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 17–7 | 7–8 | 57,547 |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||
Game summaries
Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 3 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
| • Bills | 3 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 34 |
- Date: September 20
- Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 62 °F (16.7 °C); wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
| 1 | BUF | Scott Norwood 45 yard field goal | Bills 3–0 | |
| 1 | HOU | Tony Zendejas 52 yard field goal | Tie 3–3 | |
| 2 | HOU | Drew Hill 2 yard pass from Warren Moon (Tony Zendejas kick) | Oilers 10–3 | |
| 2 | BUF | Scott Norwood 38 yard field goal | Oilers 10–6 | |
| 2 | HOU | Mike Rozier 8 yard run (Tony Zendejas kick) | Oilers 17–6 | |
| 2 | BUF | Robb Riddick 11 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) | Oilers 17–13 | |
| 3 | HOU | Tony Zendejas 27 yard field goal | Oilers 20–13 | |
| 4 | BUF | Andre Reed 8 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) | Tie 20–20 | |
| 4 | HOU | Ernest Givens 12 yard pass from Warren Moon (Tony Zendejas kick) | Oilers 27–20 | |
| 4 | HOU | Tony Zendejas 30 yard field goal | Oilers 30–20 | |
| 4 | BUF | Robb Riddick 2 yard run (Scott Norwood kick) | Oilers 30–27 | |
| 4 | BUF | Ronnie Harmon 2 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) | Bills 34–30 | |
Week 6
Buffalo Bills (2–3) at Miami Dolphins (2–3)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bills | 0 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
| Dolphins | 14 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
- Date: October 25, 1987
- Location: Joe Robbie Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 61,295
- Game weather: 78 °F (25.6 °C); wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Donovan and Paul Maguire
Week 7
Washington Redskins (5–1) at Buffalo Bills (3–3)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Redskins | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
- Date: November 1, 1987
- Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 71,640
- Game weather: 52 °F (11.1 °C); wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Terry Bradshaw
Week 8
Week Eight: Denver Broncos (4–2–1) at Buffalo Bills (3–4)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Bills | 0 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 21 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: November 8, 1987
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 50 °F or 10 °C; wind 17 miles per hour (27 km/h; 15 kn)
- Game attendance: 63,698
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Reggie Rucker
- [7]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
- Cornelius Bennett’s first game as a Buffalo Bill, wearing #55.
- Steve Tasker blocked punt just before halftime resulting in a safety and 18–0 halftime score.
Week 9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| • Browns | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
- Date: November 15
- Location: Cleveland Municipal Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 PM EST
- Game attendance: 78,409
- Game weather: 48 °F or 8.9 °C; wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Michael Jackson
Week 11 vs Dolphins
Week Twelve: Miami Dolphins (5–5) at Buffalo Bills (5–5)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bills | 0 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: November 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 48 °F or 8.9 °C
- Game attendance: 68,055
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
- Box Score, Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| • Raiders | 10 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 34 |
- Date: December 6, 1987
- Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
- Elapsed time: EST
- Game weather: 48 °F or 8.9 °C; wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Dave Casper
Week 15
Buffalo Bills (7–7) at Philadelphia Eagles (6–8)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
- Date: December 27, 1987
- Location: Veterans Stadium Philadelphia, PA
- Game start: 1:00 EST
- Game weather: 35 °F (1.7 °C); wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
- TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond
Standings
| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Indianapolis Colts(3) | 9 | 6 | 0 | .600 | 5–3 | 8–6 | 300 | 238 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 8 | 7 | 0 | .533 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 320 | 293 | W3 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 7 | 0 | .533 | 2–6 | 5–7 | 362 | 335 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 270 | 305 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 6 | 9 | 0 | .400 | 3–5 | 6–5 | 334 | 360 | L4 |
Player stats
Passing
Note: Comp = Completions; ATT = Attempts; TD = Touchdowns; INT = Interceptions
| Player | Games | Comp | Att | Yards | TD | INT | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Kelly | 12 | 250 | 419 | 2798 | 19 | 11 | 83.8 |
| John Kidd | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 |
| Dan Manucci | 3 | 7 | 21 | 68 | 0 | 2 | 3.8 |
| Brian McClure | 1 | 20 | 38 | 181 | 0 | 3 | 32.9 |
| Mark Miller | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2.8 |
| Robb Riddick | 6 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 118.7 |
| Willie Totten | 2 | 13 | 33 | 155 | 2 | 2 | 49.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Games | Attempts | Yards | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Harmon | 12 | 116 | 485 | 2 | |
| Jamie Mueller | 12 | 82 | 354 | 2 | |
| Carl Byrum | 13 | 66 | 280 | 0 | |
| Robb Riddick | 6 | 59 | 221 | 5 | |
| Ricky Porter | 9 | 47 | 177 | 0 | |
| Jim Kelly | 12 | 29 | 133 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Games | Number | Yards | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Burkett | 12 | 56 | 765 | 13.7 | 4 |
| Andre Reed | 12 | 57 | 752 | 13.2 | 5 |
| Ronnie Harmon | 12 | 56 | 477 | 8.5 | 2 |
| Pete Metzelaars | 12 | 28 | 290 | 10.4 | 0 |
| Trumaine Johnson | 12 | 15 | 186 | 12.4 | 2 |
Defense
Note: FR = Fumble Recoveries; TCKL = Tackles; INT = Interceptions; TD = Touchdowns
| Player | Games | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | FR | Tckl | INT | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Conlan | 12 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 114 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bruce Smith | 12 | 12.0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Special teams
Note: FGA = Field Goals Attempted; FGM = Field Goals Made; FG% = Field goal percentage; XPA = Extra Points Attempted; XPM = Extra Points Made; XP% = Extra points percentage
| Player | Games | FGA | FGM | FG % | XPA | XPM | XP % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Norwood | 12 | 15 | 10 | 66.7 | 31 | 31 | 100 |
| Todd Schlopy | 3 | 5 | 2 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 50 |
Punting
| Player | Games | Punts | Yards | Long | Blocked | Avg. yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Kidd | 12 | 64 | 2495 | 67 | 0 | 39.0 |
| Rick Partridge | 3 | 18 | 678 | 52 | 1 | 37.7 |