2004 Buffalo Bills season

The 2004 Buffalo Bills season was their 45th in the National Football League. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 6–10, finishing 9–7.[1] However, this was the fifth straight season in which the team missed the playoffs.

2004 Buffalo Bills season
Head coachMike Mularkey
General managerTom Donahoe
OwnerRalph Wilson
Home fieldRalph Wilson Stadium
Results
Record9–7
Division place3rd AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify

Buffalo needed a win in the final game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers to qualify for the playoffs. However, despite the Steelers playing their third-stringers (which, notably, included Willie Parker, who would have his breakout performance in the game), Buffalo lost and subsequently missed the playoffs. It was the only winning season that Buffalo had in the 2000s (2000–2009) and would be the Bills' last winning season until 2014.

According to Football Outsiders, who has tracked every play in the NFL since the early 1990s, the 2004 Bills are statistically the best NFL team (in their record-keeping history) to have failed to qualify for the playoffs.[2]

The Bills set an NFL record by returning six kickoffs for touchdowns in 2004.

Their match with the Miami Dolphins in Week 6 is the only time in the NFL since 1968 that the last two winless teams have met each other.[3]

Offseason

NFL Draft
Main article: 2004 NFL Draft

The Bills drafted future starters Lee Evans from Wisconsin and J. P. Losman from Tulane in the first round of the 2004 Draft. Buffalo also signed undrafted tight end Jason Peters from Arkansas and converted him into a Pro Bowl offensive tackle. Buffalo traded their 2004 second round pick and 2005 first round pick to move into position to draft Losman.

RoundPick #PlayerPositionCollege
113Lee EvansWide ReceiverWisconsin
122J. P. LosmanQuarterbackTulane
374Tim AndersonDefensive TackleOhio State
4109Tim EuhusTight EndOregon State
7207Dylan McFarlandOffensive TackleMontana
7214Jonathan SmithWide ReceiverGeorgia Tech

Roster
2004 Buffalo Bills final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists



Practice squad



Rookies in italics
 53 active, 0 inactive, 0 practice squad

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result TV Time Attendance Record
1 September 12, 2004 Jacksonville Jaguars L 13–10 CBS 1:00pm
72,389
 0–1
2 September 19, 2004 at Oakland Raiders L 13–10 CBS 4:15pm
53,610
 0–2
3 Bye
4 October 3, 2004 New England Patriots L 31–17 CBS 1:00pm
72,698
 0–3
5 October 10, 2004 at New York Jets L 16–14 CBS 4:05pm
77,976
 0–4
6 October 17, 2004 Miami Dolphins W 20–13 CBS 1:00pm
72,714
 1–4
7 October 24, 2004 at Baltimore Ravens L 20–6 CBS 1:00pm
69,809
 1–5
8 October 31, 2004 Arizona Cardinals W 38–14 FOX 1:00pm
65,887
 2–5
9 November 7, 2004 New York Jets W 22–17 CBS 1:00pm
72,574
 3–5
10 November 14, 2004 at New England Patriots L 29–6 ESPN 8:30pm
68,756
 3–6
11 November 21, 2004 St. Louis Rams W 37–17 FOX 1:00pm
72,393
 4–6
12 November 28, 2004 at Seattle Seahawks W 38–9 CBS 4:15pm
66,271
 5–6
13 December 5, 2004 at Miami Dolphins W 42–32 CBS 1:00pm
73,084
 6–6
14 December 12, 2004 Cleveland Browns W 37–7 CBS 1:00pm
72,330
 7–6
15 December 19, 2004 at Cincinnati Bengals W 33–17 CBS 1:00pm
65,378
 8–6
16 December 26, 2004 at San Francisco 49ers W 41–7 CBS 4:05pm
63,248
 9–6
17 January 2, 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers L 29–24 CBS 1:00pm
73,414
 9–7

Game summaries

Week 1
1 234Total
• Jaguars 0 337 13
Bills 7 003 10
  • Date: September 12
  • Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium • Orchard Park, New York
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game attendance: 72,389
  • Game weather: 66°F • Wind 9
  • Referee: Ron Winter
  • TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker

[4]


Standings
AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) New England Patriots 14 2 0 .875 5–1 10–2 437 260 W2
(5) New York Jets 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 333 261 L2
Buffalo Bills 9 7 0 .563 3–3 5–7 395 284 L1
Miami Dolphins 4 12 0 .250 1–5 2–10 275 354 L1
gollark: "We responded really slowly to a terrorist attack, what shall we do?! The public will be angry at us!""Arrest people who have the video of us failing to respond and do something big which sounds like it'll kind of help to distract everyone.""We could try actually improving...""No."
gollark: Since you appear, er, not dead.
gollark: Which is also a bad thing to base government policy on.
gollark: Regardless of whether having guns is a good idea or not, it's still a bit stupid to set government policy based on the latest terror attack.
gollark: It would be good, but someone will inevitably kill it a few electoral terms down the line.

References
  1. 2004 Buffalo Bills
  2. Football Outsiders – FO Mailbag: Best DVOA to Miss the Playoffs
  3. Last Winless Team in Each NFL season
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