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The 1965 Buffalo Bills season was the team's sixth season in the American Football League. Though not as statistically dominant as the previous season, the Bills won a second consecutive league championship.
| 1965 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| Head coach | Lou Saban |
| Home field | War Memorial Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–3–1 |
| Division place | 1st AFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | Won AFL Championship (at Chargers) 23–0 |
Although Buffalo's offense was in the middle of the pack in 1965, it was their dominant team defense that kept them atop the league's standings. Buffalo gave up only 226 points (16.1 per game), fewest in the AFL, and one point fewer than AFL Championship runner-up San Diego.[1] The Bills' opportunistic defense led the league in interceptions, with 32, and gave up a league-low four rushing touchdowns all season. Between week 6 of the 1964 season, through week eight of the 1965 season, including two 1964 playoff games, the Bills' defense did not allow a touchdown by rushing, a Professional Football record that still stands.
The Bills, who had led the AFL in points, rushing yards and total yards the previous season, suffered significantly after losing star running back Cookie Gilchrist in the offseason. Statistically, the Bills dropped to 6th (out of 8) in rushing yards, and 7th in passing yards. Still, they managed to finish 3rd in the AFL in points scored, with 313 (22.3 per game).[2]
The Bills' turnover ratio was +18, best in the AFL, and fourth best in AFL history.[3] Buffalo's +87 point differential was second-best in the league in 1965.
Seven Bills made the 1965 AFL All-Star team: safety George Saimes, cornerback Butch Byrd, linebacker Mike Stratton, defensive tackle Tom Sestak, guard Billy Shaw, kicker Pete Gogolak, and quarterback Jack Kemp.[4]
Coaches/Staff
| 1965 Buffalo Bills staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
| |||||
Final roster
The Bills lost All-AFL running back Cookie Gilchrist to the Denver Broncos after the 1964 season. Bills running back Wray Carlton would take over as the Bills' lead back.
AFL Draft
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2015) |
| AFL Eastern Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Buffalo Bills | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 4–2 | 313 | 226 | L1 | |
| New York Jets | 5 | 8 | 1 | .385 | 3–3 | 285 | 303 | W1 | |
| Boston Patriots | 4 | 8 | 2 | .333 | 2–4 | 244 | 302 | W3 | |
| Houston Oilers | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 3–3 | 298 | 429 | L7 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings in the AFL.
Season schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11 | Boston Patriots | W 24–7 | 1–0 | War Memorial Stadium | 45,502 | Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | at Denver Broncos | W 30–15 | 2–0 | Bears Stadium | 30,682 | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | New York Jets | W 33–21 | 3–0 | War Memorial Stadium | 45,056 | Recap |
| 4 | October 3 | Oakland Raiders | W 17–12 | 4–0 | War Memorial Stadium | 41,256 | Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | San Diego Chargers | L 3–34 | 4–1 | War Memorial Stadium | 45,260 | Recap |
| 6 | October 17 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 23–7 | 5–1 | Municipal Stadium | 26,941 | Recap |
| 7 | October 24 | Denver Broncos | W 31–13 | 6–1 | War Memorial Stadium | 45,046 | Recap |
| 8 | October 31 | Houston Oilers | L 17–19 | 6–2 | War Memorial Stadium | 44,267 | Recap |
| 9 | November 7 | at Boston Patriots | W 23–7 | 7–2 | Fenway Park | 24,415 | Recap |
| 10 | November 14 | at Oakland Raiders | W 17–14 | 8–2 | Frank Youell Field | 19,352 | Recap |
| 11 | Bye | ||||||
| 12 | November 25 | at San Diego Chargers | T 20–20 | 8–2–1 | Balboa Stadium | 27,473 | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | at Houston Oilers | W 29–18 | 9–2–1 | Rice Stadium | 23,087 | Recap |
| 14 | December 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 34–25 | 10–2–1 | War Memorial Stadium | 40,298 | Recap |
| 15 | December 19 | at New York Jets | L 12–14 | 10–3–1 | Shea Stadium | 57,396 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Passing
| Player | Comp | Att | Yds | Completion % | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Kemp | 179 | 391 | 2368 | 45.8 | 10 | 18 |
| Daryle Lamonica | 29 | 70 | 376 | 41.4 | 3 | 6 |
Rushing
| Player | Att | Yds | Average | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wray Carlton | 156 | 592 | 3.8 | 80 | 6 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 26 | at San Diego Chargers | W 23–0 | Balboa Stadium | 30,361 | Recap |
AFL Championship Game
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 23 |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Buffalo Bills 23, San Diego Chargers 0
- December 26, 1965, at Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California
Attendance: 30,361
Scoring
- BUF – Warlick 18 pass from Kemp (Gogolak kick)
- BUF – Byrd 74 punt return (Gogolak kick)
- BUF – Field goal Gogolak 11
- BUF – Field goal Gogolak 39
- BUF – Field goal Gogolak 32
AFL All-Star Game
| Season | Date | Winner | Most Valuable Player(s) | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | January 15, 1966 | AFL All-Stars 30, Buffalo Bills 19 | Offense: Joe Namath, QB, Jets Defense: Frank Buncom, LB, Chargers | Rice Stadium, Houston |
- Lou Saban, Coach of the Year
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