1973 Buffalo Bills season

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

Week 1: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

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

Week 2: Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers

1 2 3 4 Total Buffalo Bills (1–1) 0 3 0 0 3 • 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

Week 3: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills

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

Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills

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

Week 5: Baltimore Colts at Buffalo Bills

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

Week 6: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

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

Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills

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

Week 8: Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints

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

Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills

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

The 1973 Buffalo Bills season was the 14th season for the team and their fourth season in the National Football League (NFL). The Bills finished in second 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.

Head coach Lou Saban began the second season of his second tenure with the Bills. Saban had previously led the team to the 1964 and 1965 AFL championships. It was the first season that the team played in Rich Stadium (now "New Era Field") after thirteen years playing at War Memorial Stadium.

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 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. In addition to establishing a then-record for single-season rushing yardage, with 2,003, 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), which still stands. 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)

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