1973 Buffalo Bills season

1973 Buffalo Bills season
Owner	Ralph Wilson
Head coach	Lou Saban
Home field	Rich Stadium
Results
Record	9–5
Division place	2nd AFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
←  1972 Bills seasons 1974  →

The 1973 Buffalo Bills season was the 14th season for the team and their 4th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Bills finished in 2nd place in the AFC East division and finished the 1973 NFL season with a record of 9 wins and 5 losses, the team's first winning record since 1966. ^[1]

Head coach Lou Saban began the second season of his second tenure with the Bills. ^[1] Saban had previously led the team to the 1964 and 1965 AFL championships. ^[2] It was the first season that the team played in Rich Stadium (now "Highmark Stadium") after thirteen years playing at War Memorial Stadium ("The Rockpile").

The Bills were returning from 1–13 and 4–9–1 records in 1971 and 1972, respectively. Incumbent starting quarterback Dennis Shaw found himself in a battle with rookie Joe Ferguson for the starting job.

The season was defined by O. J. Simpson. The fifth-year running back became the first player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Behind Simpson's record-setting season, the Bills set an NFL record for most team rushing yards in a 14-game season, with 3,088 ^[3] and averaged 5.1 yards per carry, higher than every Super Bowl championship team in all of league history. Simpson was returning from his best professional season, in which he earned his first All-Pro recognition and first rushing title. ^[4] In addition to establishing a then-record for single-season rushing yardage, with 2,003, ^[5] Simpson established the single-season record for rushing yards gained per game (143.1 yards per game on 23.7 rushes per game, an average of six yards per carry), ^[6] which still stands. ^[7] The explosive offense centered on O. J. Simpson was nicknamed the "Electric Company" for its ability to turn on "The Juice" (i.e. "O. J." Simpson)

Electric Company era begins

Although some describe the entire 1970s decade as the Electric Company era, ^[8] the 1973 season marked a new era in Bills history and is regarded by many as the beginning of the Electric Company era of the mid-1970s. The team ushered in a new stadium, new uniforms and a transformed team built through the draft and a few key trades. ^[9] With all the emphasis on rushing the team would only post two 100-yard receiving efforts. ^[10]

The Bills started the season 4–1 and then lost four of their next five before winning their final 4 games. ^[10] Rookie quarterback Joe Ferguson, who eventually would be the Bills starting quarterback for 12 seasons, ^[11] started all 14 games at quarterback. ^[10] Dennis Shaw who had been the starter the previous three seasons, saw action in four games. ^[12]

Simpson's record-breaking year

Simpson pictured in the game where he became the first running back to gain over 2,000 yards in a season on Dec. 16, 1973.

Running back O. J. Simpson broke the 2,000-yard barrier for rushing yards in a season, and was voted NFL Most Valuable Player. Simpson began and ended the fourteen-game season with bookend five-game streaks where he ran for at least 100 yards. ^[13] 1973 was the fifth of nine consecutive seasons that Simpson led the team in rushing yards.

It was also the first time Simpson would lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns, first time he would lead the league in yards from scrimmage and the second time he would lead the league in rushing yards. ^[14] (Although Simpson posted a career best 6.0 yards per carry in 1973, he was surpassed by Mercury Morris who posted a 6.4 yards per carry average for the 1973 Miami Dolphins. The only season that Simpson led the league in yards per carry was two years later when he averaged 5.5 yards per carry.) ^[15]

Although Simpson's 2003 yard total has now been eclipsed by 5 other runners, ^[16] as of 2010 ^[update] , his 143.1 yards per game remains an NFL single-season record due to being achieved in a fourteen-game season. (All subsequent 2,000-yard seasons took place in 16 games.) ^[17]

Simpson was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year. ^[18]

Offensive firepower

The "Electric Company" of Simpson, Jim Braxton, and rookie Paul Seymour and Joe DeLamielleure led a dramatic turnaround on the field. The "Electric Company" was the nickname of the offensive line (OG Reggie McKenzie, OT Dave Foley, Centers Mike Montler and Bruce Jarvis OG Joe DeLamielleure and OT Donnie Green) which "turned on the Juice" (i.e. O. J. Simpson). The offensive guards were a pair of young future All-Pro performers: Pro Football Hall of Famer DeLamielleure (drafted 26th overall in 1973) and College Football Hall of Famer McKenzie (drafted 27th overall in 1972). ^{[19] [20]}

Paul Seymour, who would play his entire career with the Bills, became the team's starting tight end. ^[10] Seymour had been an All-American tackle for Michigan after having played two season at tight end. ^[21] Seymour went on to start at tight end for a total of five seasons. ^[22] replacing former tight end Jan White. ^[23]

Running backs Braxton and Larry Watkins shared the fullback duties with each accumulating over 400 yards rushing. ^[10] Braxton's 4.6 yards per carry were eighth-most in the NFL. ^[24]

Wide receiver Bob Chandler led the team in receiving yards, the first of four years he would do so. ^[1] During the season, Wallace Francis, who finished second in the league in kickoff return average, was the only player in the league to return two kickoffs for touchdowns. ^[15] John Leypoldt's 70% field goal percentage ranked fifth in the league. ^[15]

Awards, accolades and legacy

The 1973 Bills had three participants in the 1974 Pro Bowl and two members of the All-Pro team.

1973 was the second Pro Bowl and first All-Pro season for cornerback Robert James. ^[25] Offensive tackle Foley was also voted to the Pro Bowl. ^[26] Guard McKenzie's was voted to the All-Pro team. ^[19] Simpson made this third Pro Bowl and second All-Pro team. ^[14] Both Simpson and James were returning Pro Bowl selections. ^[27]

The team was featured in the video game Madden NFL '96 as one of the game's "classic" teams, along with 1990–1993 Bills, who won four consecutive AFC Championships. ^[28]

Offseason

On April 19, 1973, the Bills traded linebackers Edgar Chandler and Jeff Lyman and fullback Wayne Patrick to the New England Patriots for linebacker Jim Cheyunski and offensive linemen Halvor Hagen and Mike Montler. ^[29] Although Patrick had been the Bills' Fullback, he lost the starting job to Jim Braxton in 1972. ^[30]

The Bills also acquired of the Miami Dolphins' top draft selection Mike Kadish in exchange for offensive lineman Irv Goode. The Bills traded defensive tackle Al Cowlings to Houston in exchange for defensive end Earl Edwards. Long-time Bills linebacker Mike Stratton, who had spent the last ten seasons with Buffalo, left the team to play his final season with the San Diego Chargers. ^[9]

NFL draft

Main article: 1973 NFL Draft

The team drafted several players in the 1973 NFL Draft who contributed to the offense as starters during this record-setting season. Offensive linemen Paul Seymour and Joe DeLamielleure became cornerstones of the Bills' "Electric Company" offensive line. DeLamielleure was voted to five consecutive Pro Bowls for the Bills (1975–1979), to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, and to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Quarterback Joe Ferguson played 164 games at quarterback in 12 seasons for the Bills, a franchise-record. Ferguson retired as the team's all-time leading passer, and his 27,590 passing yards are still second in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Jim Kelly.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1	7	Paul Seymour	Offensive Tackle	Michigan
	26	Joe DeLamielleure	Offensive Guard	Michigan State
2	32	Jeff Winans	Defensive tackle	USC
3	57	Joe Ferguson	Quarterback	Arkansas
	77	Bob Kampa	Defensive Tackle	California
5	110	Wallace Francis	Wide receiver	Arkansas State
6	136	John Skorupan	Linebacker	Penn State
7	162	Brian McConnell	Linebacker	Michigan State
	181	John Ford	Tight end	Henderson State
8	190	Lee Fobbs	Running back	Grambling
10	240	Matthew Reed	Quarterback	Grambling
	259	John LeHeup	Linebacker	South Carolina
11	265	Richard Earl	Tackle	Tennessee
12	294	Ronnie Carroll	Defensive tackle	Sam Houston State
14	344	Merv Krakau	Linebacker	Iowa State
15	369	Joe Rizzo	Linebacker	Kings Point
	379	Vince O'Neil	Running back	Kansas
17	423	John Stearns	Defensive back	Colorado

= Pro Bowler

= Hall of Famer

Personnel

Staff/coaches

1973 Buffalo Bills staff

	Front office Owner/CEO/President – Ralph Wilson Vice president and general manager – Bob Lustig Vice president – Pat McGroder Head coaches Head coach – Lou Saban Offensive coaches Receivers – Bob Shaw Offensive line – Jim Ringo			Defensive coaches Defensive line – Stan Jones Linebackers – Jim Dooley Defensive backfield – Bill Atkins Special teams coaches Special teams – Ed Cavanaugh

Final roster

1973 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks 12 Joe Ferguson 10 Leo Hart 16 Dennis Shaw Running backs 34 Jim Braxton FB 46 Steve Jones 32 O. J. Simpson 36 Pete Van Valkenberg 38 Larry Watkins Wide receivers 81 Bob Chandler 40 J.D. Hill 89 Wallace Francis 80 Ray Jarvis Tight ends 37 Ted Koy 87 Paul Seymour		Offensive linemen 68 Joe DeLamielleure G 74 Donnie Green T 78 Dave Foley T 88 Halvor Hagen G 51 Bruce Jarvis C 67 Reggie McKenzie G 53 Mike Montler C 56 Willie Parker C 69 Bob Penchion G 75 Jeff Winans T Defensive linemen 73 Earl Edwards DT 71 Mike Kadish DT 70 Bob Kampa DT 79 Steve Okoniewski DE 85 Walt Patulski DE 77 Jerry Patton DE		Linebackers 50 Jim Cheyunski 30 Bo Cornell 54 Phil Croyle 57 Dale Farley 57 Fred Forsberg 52 Merv Krakau 54 Rick Kingrea 56 Rich Lewis OLB 82 Brian McConnell 55 John Skorupan OLB 86 Dave Washington Defensive backs 22 Bill Cahill CB 47 Leon Garror CB 43 Tony Greene FS 25 Dwight Harrison CB 20 Robert James CB 24 Ernie Kellermann FS 48 John Pitts SS 23 Ken Stone SS 26 Donnie Walker CB Special teams 11 Spike Jones P  3 John Leypoldt K Reserve lists Don Croft DT (IR)
*Notes:rookies in italics

Source:
Pro-Football-Reference

Regular season

Schedule

• On Week 1, (played on September 16), against the New England Patriots, O. J. Simpson sets record with 250 yards to go with two touchdowns.
• On Week 14, (played on December 16), against the New York Jets. O. J. Simpson rushes for 200 yards to reach a season total of 2,003. He became the first running back to eclipse 2,000 yards and broke Jim Brown's season record of 1,863 set ten years earlier. Seven players have since rushed for 2,000 yards, with Simpson being passed in 1984, but Simpson is the only one to have done his mark in a fourteen game season, and his 143.1 yards per game for that season still ranks as the best in NFL history.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 16	at New England Patriots	W 31–13	1–0	Schaefer Stadium	Recap
2	September 23	at San Diego Chargers	L 7–34	1–1	San Diego Stadium	Recap
3	September 30	New York Jets	W 9–7	2–1	Rich Stadium	Recap
4	October 7	Philadelphia Eagles	W 27–26	3–1	Rich Stadium	Recap
5	October 14	Baltimore Colts	W 31–13	4–1	Rich Stadium	Recap
6	October 21	at Miami Dolphins	L 6–27	4–2	Miami Orange Bowl	Recap
7	October 29	Kansas City Chiefs	W 23–14	5–2	Rich Stadium	Recap
8	November 4	at New Orleans Saints	L 0–13	5–3	Tulane Stadium	Recap
9	November 11	Cincinnati Bengals	L13–16	5–4	Rich Stadium	Recap
10	November 18	Miami Dolphins	L 0–17	5–5	Rich Stadium	Recap
11	November 25	at Baltimore Colts	W 24–17	6–5	Memorial Stadium	Recap
12	December 2	at Atlanta Falcons	W 17–6	7–5	Atlanta Stadium	Recap
13	December 9	New England Patriots	W 37–13	8–5	Rich Stadium	Recap
14	December 16	at New York Jets	W 34–14	9–5	Shea Stadium	Recap

^[31]

Standings

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Miami Dolphins	12	2	0	.857	7–1	9–2	343	150	W1
Buffalo Bills	9	5	0	.643	6–2	7–4	259	230	W4
New England Patriots	5	9	0	.357	1–7	3–8	258	300	L2
New York Jets	4	10	0	.286	4–4	4–7	240	306	L2
Baltimore Colts	4	10	0	.286	2–6	2–9	226	341	W2

^[32]

O. J. Simpson

O. J. Simpson had three 200-yard rushing games, six 150-yard rushing games and eleven 100-yard rushing games. He only had 30 rushes in a game twice all season, but totaled 2,003 yards due to a 6.0 yards-per-carry average. Over the course of the season Simpson also caught six pass receptions. ^[13]

Date	Home/Away	Opponent	Result	Rushes	Yards	Yards/Attempt	Touchdowns	Receptions	Yards
September 16, 1973	A	NWE	W 31–13	29	250	8.62	2	0	0
September 23, 1973	A	SDG	L 7–34	22	103	4.68	1	0	0
September 30, 1973	H	NYJ	W 9–7	24	123	5.13	0	2	15
October 7, 1973	H	PHI	W 27–26	27	171	6.33	1	3	33
October 14, 1973	H	BAL	W 31–13	22	166	7.55	2	0	0
October 21, 1973	A	MIA	L 6–27	14	55	3.93	0	0	0
October 29, 1973	H	KAN	W 23–14	39	157	4.03	2	0	0
November 4, 1973	A	NOR	L 0–13	20	79	3.95	0	0	0
November 11, 1973	H	CIN	L 13–16	20	99	4.95	1	0	0
November 18, 1973	H	MIA	L 0–17	20	120	6.00	0	1	22
November 25, 1973	A	BAL	W 24–17	15	124	8.27	1	0	0
December 2, 1973	A	ATL	W 17–6	24	137	5.71	0	0	0
December 9, 1973	H	NWE	W 37–13	22	219	9.95	1	0	0
December 16, 1973	A	NYJ	W 34–14	34	200	5.88	1	0	0

Game summaries

Week 1

Week 1: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots ^[33]

1 2 3 4 Total • Buffalo Bills (1–0) 7 3 7 14 31 New England Patriots (0–1) 6 0 7 0 13 Location: Schaefer Stadium (astroturf) Foxborough, Massachusetts Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 56,119 Game weather: 64 degrees, relative humidity 71%, wind 15 mph Referee: Fred Silva

Simpson rushed for 250 yards on 29 carries, setting a new NFL single-game rushing record. He surpassed Willie Ellison's 247-yard performance in 1971. Although the Bills had gone 0–6 in their exhibition schedule, they started the season with a 31–13 victory in Chuck Fairbanks's debut as New England Patriots coach. Simpson scored on an 80-yard run in the first quarter and a 22-yard run in the third quarter. ^[34] Backup back Larry Watkins also had a strong day with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Week 2

Week 2: Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers ^[35]

1 2 3 4 Total Buffalo Bills (1–1) 0 7 0 0 7 • San Diego Chargers (1–1) 7 7 14 6 34 Location: San Diego Stadium (grass) San Diego Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 47,588 Game weather: 67 degrees, relative humidity 70%, wind 11 mph

The Bills surrendered an opening kickoff return touchdown, 3 quarterback sacks and 4 interceptions, despite 103 yards rushing by Simpson and 118 yards receiving by Hill. The Bills surrendered 27 consecutive points after Simpson tied the score 7–7 with a 6-yard second quarter run. ^[35]

Week 3

Week 3: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills ^[36]

1 2 3 4 Total New York Jets (1–2) 0 0 0 7 7 • Buffalo Bills (2–1) 3 0 0 6 9 Location: Rich Stadium (astroturf) Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 77,425 Game weather: 53 degrees, relative humidity 62%, wind 9 mph Referee: Pat Haggerty

The Bills' Rich Stadium debut was a sellout of 80,200 with 2595 no-shows. Simpson rushed for 123 yards, giving him 476 in his first three games. The Bills scored on three Leypoldt field goals. He made a 42-yarder in the first quarter and added two more in the fourth quarter. The Jets almost became the Bills' first shutout victim since 1965, but Al Woodall (playing in place of an injured Joe Namath) hit Jerome Barkum for 34 yards with two seconds left. ^[37]

Week 4

Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills ^[38]

1 2 3 4 Total Philadelphia Eagles (0–3–1) 6 10 7 3 26 • Buffalo Bills (3–1) 10 14 0 3 27 Location: Rich Stadium (astroturf) Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 72,364 Game weather: 56 degrees, relative humidity 66%, wind 8 mph Referee: Fred Wyant

The Bills opted for a 47-yard Leypoldt field goal with four minutes remaining after driving 42 yards to Eagles' 40-yard-line. The score held up in the final minutes. ^[39] On the day, Simpson's 171-yard rushing performance offset a pair of 100-yard performances by Tom Sullivan and Norm Bulaich. ^[38]

Week 5

Week 5: Baltimore Colts at Buffalo Bills ^[40]

1 2 3 4 Total Baltimore Colts (1–4) 3 3 0 7 13 • Buffalo Bills (4–1) 0 10 7 14 31 Date: October 14, 1973 Location: Rich Stadium (astroturf) Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 78,875 Game weather: 58 degrees, relative humidity 58%, wind 27 mph Referee: Bob Frederic

O. J. posted 166 yards, giving him his fifth 100-yard rushing effort in five games and giving him 813 for the season. The Colts had given Simpson 1-yard losses on his first two carries. Ferguson got the scoring started by connecting with Larry Watkins for 10-yards and later scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper. Simpson scored on a 3-yard run in the third quarter and on a 78-yard run in the fourth "thrilled a crowd of 78,875". ^[41]

Week 6

Week 6: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins ^[42]

1 2 3 4 Total Buffalo Bills (4–2) 3 0 0 3 6 • Miami Dolphins (5–1) 3 21 3 0 27 Date: October 21, 1973 Location: Orange Bowl (astroturf) Miami, Florida Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 65,241 Game weather: 80 degrees, relative humidity 77%, wind 17 mph Referee: Fred Silva

Miami took over first place in the AFC East by halting Simpson's streak of consecutive 100-yard performances. They held him to 55 yards on 14 carries before he left the game with an ankle sprain in the fourth quarter. Miami posted a 21-point second quarter highlighted by a pair of touchdown passes from Bob Griese to Jim Mandich. The Bills made no first downs in the first half. ^[43] Leypoldt and Garo Yepremian opened and closed the scoring by swapping field goals. The Dolphins' other touchdown came when a 21-yard Paul Warfield reception set up a Mercury Morris 4-yard touchdown. ^[44]

Week 7

Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills ^[45]

1 2 3 4 Total Kansas City Chiefs (3–3–1) 0 7 0 7 14 • Buffalo Bills (5–2) 14 0 9 0 23 Date: October 29, 1973 Location: Rich Stadium (astroturf) Orchard Park, New York Game start: 9:00 PM Game attendance: 76,071 Game weather: 45 degrees, relative humidity 92%, wind 19 mph

Simpson set an NFL record for yards in the first seven games by surpassing 1,000 yards with a 157-yard effort. His total of 1,025 was 54 ahead of Brown's pace. Simpson set the NFL single-game record for carries with 39 surpassing the 38 by Jim Nance in 1966 and Harry Newman in 1934. In the game, the Chiefs fumbled on their opening possession on their own 15-yard-line, leading to a Bills touchdown on four consecutive rushes. Three plays into the Chiefs' second possession Cheyunski intercepted Len Dawson and returned it 31 yards to the 4-yard-line leading to another Simpson score, giving them a 14–0 lead 3:37 into the game. Leypoldt added three field goals. ^[46]

Week 8

Week 8: Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints ^[47]

1 2 3 4 Total Buffalo Bills (5–3) 0 0 0 0 0 • New Orleans Saints (4–4) 3 10 0 0 13 Date: November 4, 1973 Location: Tulane Stadium (astroturf) New Orleans Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 74,770 Game weather: 73 degrees, relative humidity 83%, wind 9 mph Referee: Jack Reader

Simpson had totaled 1025 yards in the first half of the season, which was ahead of the 971 Brown had gained in his first seven games. ^[48] The Saints posted all their scoring in the first half and kept the Bills to under 200 yards of total offense while shutting them out. ^[47]

Week 9

Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills ^[49]

1 2 3 4 Total • Cincinnati Bengals (5–4) 6 7 0 3 16 Buffalo Bills (5–4) 3 3 7 0 13 Date: November 11, 1973 Location: Rich Stadium (astroturf) Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 76,927 Game weather: 34 degrees, relative humidity 69%, wind 14 mph, wind chill 25 Referee: Ben Dreith

Simpson posted 99 yards on 20 carries including a 32-yard game-tying touchdown run in the third quarter. He had a 1,203 total for nine games. It appeared the game would end in a tie until the Bengals' Horst Muhlmann made a 33-yard field goal with three seconds remaining. ^[43]

Week 10

Week 10: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills ^[50]

1 2 3 4 Total • Miami Dolphins (9–1) 7 10 0 0 17 Buffalo Bills (5–5) 0 0 0 0 0 Date: November 18, 1973 Location: Rich Stadium (astroturf) Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 77,138 Game weather: 37 degrees, relative humidity 70%, wind 12 mph, wind chill 28 Referee: Dick Jorgensen

The Dolphins clinched the East Division title with a 17–0 shutout of the Bills. Miami's first touchdown drive included two fourth-and-one conversions by Jim Kiick. With Miami leading 10–0, Buffalo drove from their own 20-yard-line to the Dolphins' 4-yard-line and then turned the ball over on downs four plays later at the 1-yard-line. ^[51] In the game, the Bills were shut out despite a pair of 100-yard rushing efforts by Simpson and Braxton who posted 120 and 119 yards respectively. ^[50]

Week 11

Week 11: Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Colts ^[52]

1 2 3 4 Total • Buffalo Bills (6–5) 3 7 0 14 24 Baltimore Colts (2–9) 7 0 0 10 17 Date: November 25, 1973 Location: Memorial Stadium (grass) Baltimore Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 52,250 Game weather: 61 degrees, relative humidity 78%, wind 16 mph Referee: Fred Swearingen

The Bills built a 10–7 halftime lead on the strength of a 58-yard Simpson touchdown run. Marty Domres connected with Tom Mitchell and George Hunt added a field goal to give Baltimore a 17–10 lead. Late in the game the Colts gave the Bills good field position following an 18-yard punt by David Lee. Ferguson passed for 38-yards to Bob Chandler to tie the score with 1:34 remaining. Then Dwight Harrison recorded a 31-yard interception return with 1:11 remaining to give the Bills their final margin of victory. ^[53] The game marked only the second and final time all season the Bills passed for 100 yards. ^[10]

Week 12

Week 12: Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons ^[54]

1 2 3 4 Total • Buffalo Bills (7–5) 7 3 7 0 17 Atlanta Falcons (8–4) 0 6 0 0 6 Date: December 2, 1973 Location: Atlanta Stadium (grass) Atlanta Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 54,607 Game weather: 52 degrees, relative humidity 62%, wind 12 mph

Braxton, who totaled 80 yards on 23 carries accounted for both of the Bills' touchdowns. Simpson posted 137 yards on 24 carries. The Falcon's scoring came from future Bills kicker Nick Mike-Mayer who posted two field goals. ^[54]

Week 13

Week 13: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills ^[55]

1 2 3 4 Total New England Patriots (5–8) 3 3 7 0 13 • Buffalo Bills (8–5) 7 10 17 3 37 Date: December 9, 1973 Location: Rich Stadium (astroturf) Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 PM Game attendance: 72,470 Game weather: 30 degrees, relative humidity 88%, wind 9 mph, wind chill 22

After New England posted a first-quarter field goal, Francis returned the kickoff 90 yards to give the Bills a lead they would not relinquish. Simpson posted 219 yards on 22 carries including a 6-yard touchdown that put the Bills ahead 14–3 in the second quarter. Chandler caught two touchdown passes from Ferguson and Leypoldt added three field goals. ^[55] The effort earned Simpson his third NFL Offensive Player of the Week honor. ^[56]

Week 14 at Jets

Week Fourteen: Buffalo Bills (8–5) at New York Jets (4–9)

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	7	14	7	6	34
Jets	7	0	0	7	14

at Shea Stadium • Flushing, New York

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Flurries • 31 °F (−1 °C) • Wind 17 miles per hour (27 km/h; 15 kn)
• Game attendance: 47,740
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Bills Joe Ferguson 3/5, 70 Yds O. J. Simpson 34 Rush, 200 Yds, TD Bob Chandler 2 Rec, 55 Yds Jets Joe Namath 13/30, 206 Yds, 2 TD Emerson Boozer 7 Rush, 32 Yds Jerome Barkum 4 Rec, 102 Yds, TD

Simpson entered the final game needing 61 yards to eclipse Brown's record of 1863 yards and the team entered the game needing 177 rushing yards to break the team record of 2960 set by the 1972 Miami Dolphins. In addition Simpson needed 197 rushing yards to gain 2,000 yards rushing overall on the season. ^[56] He posted 200 yards on 34 carries to bring his total to 2003 in Weeb Ewbank's final game as Jets coach. He became the first to accumulate 200 yards in a game three times in a season. In O. J.'s post-game press conference, he brought the entire Electric Company to meet the media. Before he would field any questions, he introduced each of his teammates. ^[57]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP BUF NYJ 1 Bills Jim Braxton 1-yard touchdown run, John Leypoldt kick good 7 0 1 Jets Jerome Barkum 48-yard touchdown reception from Joe Namath, Bobby Howfield kick good 7 7 2 Bills O. J. Simpson 13-yard touchdown run, John Leypoldt kick good 14 7 2 Bills Punt returned 51 yards for touchdown by Bill Cahill, John Leypoldt kick good 21 7 3 Bills Jim Braxton 1-yard touchdown run, John Leypoldt kick good 28 7 4 Bills 12-yard field goal by John Leypoldt 31 7 4 Bills 11-yard field goal by John Leypoldt 34 7 4 Jets Rich Caster 16-yard touchdown reception from Joe Namath, Bobby Howfield kick good 34 14 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 34 14

Awards and records

• O. J. Simpson, NFL MVP ^[14]
• O. J. Simpson, NFL Offensive Player of the Year ^[14]
• O. J. Simpson, Bert Bell Award ^[58]
• O. J. Simpson, UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year ^[59]
• O. J. Simpson, AP Male Athlete of the Year ^[18]
• O. J. Simpson, 1974 Pro Bowl Selection ^[60]
• O. J. Simpson, All-Pro Selection ^[14]
• Robert James, All-Pro Selection ^[25]
• Robert James, 1974 Pro Bowl Selection ^[60]
• Dave Foley, 1974 Pro Bowl Selection ^[60]
• Reggie McKenzie, All-Pro Selection ^[19]

Milestones

• O. J. Simpson, First 2,000 Yard Rushing Season in NFL History ^[16]
• Single-season record: 143.1 rushing yards per game ^[17]
• Single-season record: 2,243 yards from scrimmage ^[61]
• Single-season record: 23 touchdowns ^[62]
• Single-game record: 250 rushing yards ^[63]
• First back-to-back 200-yard rushing games ^[64]
• Single-game carries record (39) ^[46]
• Consecutive 100-yard rushing games (7, ending with week 5). ^[65]
• Single-season record: 3 200-yard games ^[64]
• Single-season record: 11 100-yard games ^[64]

External links

• 1973 Bills on Pro Football Reference
• 1973 Bills on databasefootball.com

References

1. "Buffalo Bills Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
2. "Lou Saban". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
3. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by descending Rushing Yds
4. "Buffalo Is Still Rebuilding". The Dispatch . August 17, 1973. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
5. The record was later broken by Eric Dickerson in 1984)
6. 1973 Buffalo Bills Statistics And Players from Pro Football Reference
7. as of 2011 ^[update]
8. Choinski, Bill. "The Electric Company 1970–1978 Buffalo Bills". Billszone.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
9. "1973 Buffalo Bills – The Birth of the Electric Company". Billszone.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
10. "1973 Buffalo Bills". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
11. "Joe Ferguson". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
12. "Dennis Shaw". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
13. "O. J. Simpson Career Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
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