1998 Buffalo Bills season
| 1998 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Wade Phillips |
| General manager | John Butler |
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| Home field | Ralph Wilson Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Dolphins) 17–24 |
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| Scoring summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUF | Eric Moulds 20 yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick) | Bills 7–0 | |
| 1 | BUF | Steve Christie 42 yard field goal | Bills 10–0 | |
| 2 | CAR | William Floyd 1 yard run (John Kasay kick) | Bills 10–7 | |
| 2 | BUF | Eric Moulds 82 yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick) | Bills 17–7 | |
| 3 | BUF | Steve Christie 47 yard field goal | Bills 20–7 | |
| 3 | BUF | Thurman Thomas 17 yard run (Steve Christie kick) | Bills 27–7 | |
| 4 | BUF | Steve Christie 44 yard field goal | Bills 30–7 | |
| 4 | CAR | Mark Carrier 8 yard pass from Steve Beuerlein (John Kasay kick) | Bills 30–14 | |
The 1998 Buffalo Bills season was the team's 39th season, and 29th in the National Football League. The season marked an important development in the Bills’ history as a quarterback controversy would consume the whole season between Rob Johnson and Doug Flutie. It would also mark the beginning of the Wade Phillips era. The Bills improved on the previous season's output of 6–10, and finished second in the AFC East with a 10–6 record, and would qualify for the playoffs only to lose in the wild card round to the Miami Dolphins.
The Bills lost their first three games of the season, all by six points or less, and looked to be headed for a losing season. After a bye in Week Four, quarterback Rob Johnson finally won his first game with Buffalo, holding on for a 26–20 win over San Francisco in Week Five. Flutie started the next eleven games, winning nine of them. The Bills had a playoff spot locked up by the final game of the season, which Johnson started and won.
The Bills played the Dolphins in the Wild Card round of the 1998 AFC Playoffs, where wide receiver Eric Moulds would set the NFL playoff record for receiving yards, with 240. The Bills would end up losing the game 24 - 17, as Dolphins lineman Trace Armstrong sacked Flutie on Buffalo's last drive, forcing him to fumble, and icing the game for Miami.
The Bills, looking to upgrade the quarterback position, signed Rob Johnson, who had played for Jacksonville in 1997, and improved his stock with a win in relief of Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell. Bills general manager John Butler traded away the Bills' first- and fourth-round picks to Jacksonville for the rights to Johnson.
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