1971 Buffalo Bills season
| 1971 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Harvey Johnson |
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| Home field | War Memorial Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 1–13 |
| Division place | 5th AFC East |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
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| Scoring summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | NE | Gogolak 40 yard field goal | NE 3–0 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Hill 11 yard pass from Shaw (Leypoldt kick) | BUF 7–3 | |
| Q2 | NE | Gogolak 17 yard field goal | BUF 7–6 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Hill 47 yard pass from Shaw (Leypoldt kick) | BUF 14–6 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Leypoldt 48 yard field goal | BUF 17–6 | |
| Q3 | NE | Nance 1 yard run (Gogolak kick) | BUF 17–13 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Simpson 7 yard run (Leypoldt kick) | BUF 24–13 | |
| Q4 | NE | Sellers 12 yard pass from Plunkett (Gogolak kick) | BUF 24–20 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Leypoldt 41 yard field goal | BUF 27–20 | |
The 1971 Buffalo Bills season was the 12th season for the club and its second in the National Football League.
For the second time in four seasons, the Bills finished with only one victory. The Bills 1–13 record (a 0.071 winning percentage) remains the worst in franchise history. The team allowed 394 points, the most in franchise history for a 14-game season.
The season began in turmoil when coach John Rauch resigned, forcing pro personnel director Harvey Johnson to assume the position for the second time on an interim basis.
Buffalo lost their first ten games of the season, extending their losing streak to 15 and winless streak to 17, dating back to the previous season. They were held scoreless in four games; their minus-210 point differential is the worst in the team's history, and one of the forty worst point-differentials in NFL history.
Running back O.J. Simpson would have a stellar year, despite the Bills poor team record. Simpson would rush for 742 yards on 183 attempts. However, Simpson would only score 5 touchdowns, the fewest of his career in one season. The Bills would only score 21 touchdowns as a team during the 1971 season, the fewest in franchise history.
The Bills had a strong draft in 1971, selecting several players who would have long-term impact with the team.
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
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