1962 Buffalo Bills season
| 1962 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Lou Saban |
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| Home field | War Memorial Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–6–1 |
| Division place | 3rd AFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1962 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s third season in the American Football League. The Bills finished the season with a 7–6–1 record, third place in the AFL East; it was the Bills' first-ever season finishing with a winning record.
The Bills lost their first five games of the season, but finished the final nine games with only one loss (and one tie).
The Bills were a run-heavy offense in 1962; they led the league in rushing yards, with 2,480. The Bills ran the ball 58.8 percent of the time on offense. The Bills gained 5.0 yards per carry as a team, tied for the league lead.
Bills running back Cookie Gilchrist, who came to the Bills in 1962 from the Canadian Football League, led the AFL in rushing yards with 1,096 yards. and 13 rushing touchdowns. Running back Wray Carlton ran for 530 yards, but led the league with 5.6 yards per rushing attempt.
The Bills' defense got a major infusion of talent on defense, as rookies Tom Sestak, Mike Stratton, Ray Abruzzese, and Booker Edgerson won starting jobs.
During the offseason, the Bills removed former coach Buster Ramsey and hired Lou Saban to helm the team.
The Bills also picked up former Chargers quarterback Jack Kemp off the waiver wire. Kemp had a broken hand, and as such could not play until the twelfth game of the season, but he would prove to be the best Bills quarterback of the 1960s.
Defensive lineman Tom Sestak and linebacker Mike Stratton started for the Bills on defense as rookies; both would go on to be AFL All-Stars multiple times.
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