The Bills hoped to improve on their 8–8 record from 2015 , the team's first since 2002 , but a 34–31 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 16 eliminated the Bills from playoff contention for a 17th season in a row, extending the longest active drought among all four North American major professional sports leagues. It would be Ryan's final season as head coach of the team, as he and his brother, Rob , were fired with one game remaining in the regular season.
Offseason
Roster changes Signings Position Player 2015 Team Date signed Notes Source RB Mike Gillislee Buffalo Bills January 4, 2016 1-year extension/$600,000 RB James Wilder, Jr. Cincinnati Bengals January 20, 2016 1 year/$525,000 (Reserve/Future) RB Reggie Bush San Francisco 49ers August 1, 2016 1 year/$3 million TE Jim Dray Cleveland Browns March 16, 2016 1 year/$760,000 WR Greg Salas Buffalo Bills January 4, 2016 1-year extension/$600,000 WR Leonard Hankerson Buffalo Bills April 4, 2016 1 year/$840,000 WR Kain Colter Minnesota Vikings August 1, 2016 1 year/$450,000 OG Richie Incognito Buffalo Bills March 8, 2016 3-year extension/$15.75 million OG Fernando Velasco Carolina Panthers April 7, 2016 1 year/$965,000 OT Jordan Mills Buffalo Bills March 30, 2016 1 year tender/$1.67 million OT Chris Martin Miami Dolphins June 13, 2016 1 year/$525,000 OT Cordy Glenn Buffalo Bills May 3, 2016 5-year extension/$65 million OT Justin Renfrow San Francisco 49ers June 17, 2016 1 year/$450,000 DT Corbin Bryant Buffalo Bills March 7, 2016 1 year tender/$1.67 million DT Casey Walker Dallas Cowboys July 30, 2016 1 year/$525,000 LB Zach Brown Tennessee Titans April 4, 2016 1 year/$1.25 million LB Lorenzo Alexander Oakland Raiders April 13, 2016 1 year/$885,000 CB Mario Butler Buffalo Bills January 4, 2016 1-year extension/$600,000 CB/KR Javier Arenas New York Jets February 3, 2016 1 year/$600,000 (Reserve/Future) CB Corey White Arizona Cardinals April 4, 2016 1 year/$840,000 CB Sterling Moore Tampa Bay Buccaneers April 5, 2016 1 year/$840,000 SS Robert Blanton Minnesota Vikings March 18, 2016 1 year/$840,000 SS Colt Anderson Indianapolis Colts April 13, 2016 1 year/$840,000 P Colton Schmidt Buffalo Bills January 4, 2016 1-year extension/$600,000 WR Percy Harvin Buffalo Bills November 1, 2016
Free agents lost Cuts Position Player Date Source RB Boobie Dixon March 1, 2016 WR Davonte Allen August 1, 2016 TE MarQueis Gray March 1, 2016 TE Jacob Maxwell April 29, 2016 T Tyson Chandler April 15, 2016 T Keith Lumpkin June 13, 2016 G Kraig Urbik March 1, 2016 C Ronald Patrick May 2, 2016 DE Mario Williams March 1, 2016 DE Cedric Reed July 30, 2016 DE Claudell Louis June 13, 2016 DE Jarius Wynn May 2, 2016 LB Tony Steward April 19, 2016 CB Leodis McKelvin March 4, 2016 CB Cam Thomas April 18, 2016 CB Julian Whigham June 9, 2016 CB Merrill Noel May 2, 2016 S Phillip Thomas June 17, 2016 K Marshall Morgan August 1, 2016
Retirements Draft Pre-Draft Prior to the draft, the Bills held visits for 47 players; 8 had previous visits, 23 players visited during the NFL Scouting Combine , 2 at the East–West Shrine Game , 19 had private visits, and 3 had private workouts.
Previously, the Bills traded their 2016 seventh-round selection (240th overall ) and their 2015 fifth-round selection (137th overall ) to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for quarterback Matt Cassel and the Vikings' 2015 sixth-round selection (188th overall ).
Day-of Activity The Bills traded their 2016 second-round pick (49th overall ) and fourth-round pick (117th overall ) to the Chicago Bears in return for Chicago's 2016 second-round pick (41st overall ).
Undrafted free agents All undrafted free agents were signed after the 2016 NFL draft concluded on April 30 unless otherwise noted.
Staff On January 10, 2016, one week after the 2015 season ended, Doug Whaley signed a three-year contract extension to remain the Bills general manager. That same day, it was announced that Ryan had hired his twin brother, Rob, to the Bills coaching staff to serve as an assistant head coach and will also work with the defense. Three days later, Ryan hired former NFL standout Ed Reed to be an assistant defensive backs coach.
On January 20, 2016, the Bills promoted Kathryn Smith to special teams quality control coach, making her the first female full-time coach in NFL history. On September 16, 2016, less than 24 hours after losing 37–31 to the New York Jets in their home opener in a game in which the defense failed to stop Jets running back Matt Forte , instead of firing defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman , Ryan pretty much sealed his own fate by firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman and promoting running backs coach Anthony Lynn to the position.
Lynn would later be promoted to interim head coach on December 27, 2016, when the Ryan brothers were fired after the 34–31 overtime loss to the Dolphins eliminated the team from the playoffs.
Staff
2016 Buffalo Bills staff Front office
Owner/CEO – Terry Pegula Owner – Kim Pegula President – Russ Brandon General manager – Doug Whaley Senior vice president of football administration – Jim Overdorf Director of football administration – Don Purdy Director of football operations – Kevin Meganck Director of analytics – Michael Lyons Director of player personnel – Jim Monos Player personnel advisor – Kelvin Fisher Director of pro personnel – Rob Hanrahan Special assistant – Ron Hughes Special assistant – Buddy Nix Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Head strength and conditioning – Eric Ciano Assistant head strength and conditioning – Hal Luther Strength and conditioning assistant – Jason Oszvart Strength and conditioning assistant – Dan Liburd Strength and conditioning assistant – Mark Loecher
Final roster
2016 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, 18 inactive, 10 practice squad
Schedule
Preseason Regular season Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Baltimore Ravens Game information First quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 50-yard field goal, 0:35. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:47. Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 37-yard field goal, 5:39. Ravens 13–7. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:59. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 2: vs. New York Jets Game information First quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 28-yard field goal, 6:41. Jets 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 8:19. BUF – Marquise Goodwin 84-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 5:16. Bills 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:25. NYJ – Nick Folk 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Bills 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:16. Second quarter
NYJ – Matt Forte 1-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 11:07. Jets 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:15. NYJ – Eric Decker 5-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Nick Folk kick), 3:53. Jets 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:54. BUF – Dan Carpenter 39-yard field goal, 0:05. Jets 20–10. Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 3:48. Third quarter
BUF – Greg Salas 71-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 14:09. Jets 20–17. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:51. BUF – Nickell Robey-Coleman 36-yard fumble return (Dan Carpenter kick), 11:15. Bills 24–20. NYJ – Matt Forte 3-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 2:12. Jets 27–24. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:27. Fourth quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 36-yard field goal, 10:40. Jets 30–24. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:12. NYJ – Matt Forte 12-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 4:02. Jets 37–24. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 3:01. BUF – Mike Gillislee 18-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 1:17. Jets 37–31. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:45. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Bills saw the return of their red Color Rush uniforms from 2015 in this game. With the loss, not only did the Bills drop to 0–2, but head coach Rex Ryan fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman , promoting running backs coach Anthony Lynn to offensive coordinator the next day. They also lost wide receiver Greg Salas for the season to a groin injury and lost wide receiver Sammy Watkins for several weeks to a foot injury.
Week 3: vs. Arizona Cardinals Week Three: Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills
Period 1 2 3 4 Total Cardinals 0 7 6 5 18 Bills 10 7 13 3 33
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
Game information First quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 19-yard field goal, 3:29. Bills 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:51. BUF – LeSean McCoy 24-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:55. Bills 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 1:30. Second quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 5-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 10:25. Bills 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:51. ARI – David Johnson 4-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:05. Bills 17–7. Drive: 17 plays, 84 yards, 9:20. Third quarter
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 20-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 10:31. Bills 23–7. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:49. BUF – Aaron Williams 53-yard fumble return (Dan Carpenter kick), 2:25. Bills 30–7. ARI – David Johnson 22-yard run (pass failed), 0:12. Bills 30–13. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:13. Fourth quarter
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 60-yard field goal, 10:36. Bills 30–16. Drive: 5 plays, 4 yards, 2:19. BUF – Dan Carpenter 45-yard field goal, 4:48. Bills 33–16. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:42. ARI – LeSean McCoy tackled in the end zone by Corey Peters for a safety, 3:04. Bills 33–18. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the win, the Bills improved to 1–2 in Lynn's first game as offensive coordinator.
Week 4: at New England Patriots Game information First quarter
Second quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 34-yard field goal, 14:49. Bills 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 3:58. BUF – Dan Carpenter 43-yard field goal, 7:46. Bills 13–0. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:40. Third quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 44-yard field goal, 0:28. Bills 16–0. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 4:27. Fourth quarter
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 27/39, 246 yards, TD NE – Jacoby Brissett – 17/27, 205 yards Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 19 rushes, 70 yards NE – LeGarrette Blount – 13 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers
With the win, not only did the Bills improve to 2–2, but Ryan got his first career regular season victory at Gillette Stadium (he was 0–7 as head coach entering the game, including six straight losses as New York Jets head coach).
Week 5: at Los Angeles Rams Game information First quarter
Second quarter
BUF – Mike Gillislee 5-yard run (kick blocked), 13:59. Bills 13–3. Drive: 2 plays, 63 yards, 1:01. LA – Greg Zuerlein 32-yard field goal, 7:46. Bills 13–6. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:33. LA – Todd Gurley 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 1:56. Tied 13–13. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:39. BUF – Dan Carpenter 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Bills 16–13. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 1:56. Third quarter
LA – Greg Zuerlein 54-yard field goal, 8:05. Tied 16–16. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 5:13. BUF – Nickell Robey-Coleman 41-yard interception return (Dan Carpenter kick), 3:54. Bills 23–16. Fourth quarter
LA – Greg Zuerlein 22-yard field goal, 5:51. Bills 23–19. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 8:16. BUF – Marquise Goodwin 6-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 2:37. Bills 30–19. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 1:04. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the win, the Bills improve to 3–2 and their first three-game winning streak since 2011 (the team started that season 3–0).
Week 6: vs. San Francisco 49ers Week Six: San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills
Period 1 2 3 4 Total 49ers 3 10 0 3 16 Bills 7 10 7 21 45
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
Game information First quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 33-yard field goal, 5:43. 49ers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 13 yards, 3:53. BUF – LeSean McCoy 4-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:14. Bills 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:29. Second quarter
SF – Torrey Smith 53-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 13:56. 49ers 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:18. BUF – LeSean McCoy 12-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 10:18. Bills 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:38. SF – Phil Dawson 48-yard field goal, 5:54. Bills 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:24. BUF – Dan Carpenter 40-yard field goal, 0:21. Bills 17–13. Drive: 14 plays, 53 yards, 5:33. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 47-yard field goal, 14:48. Bills 24–16. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 2:46. BUF – LeSean McCoy 18-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 10:53. Bills 31–16. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:55. BUF – Robert Woods 5-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 10:32. Bills 38–16. Drive: 1 play, 27 yards, 0:11. BUF – Mike Gillislee 44-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 5:40. Bills 45–16. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:25. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the win, the Bills improve to 4–2 and their first four-game winning streak since 2008 (the team started that season 4–0 in Dick Jauron 's last full season as head coach).
Week 7: at Miami Dolphins Game information First quarter
MIA – Andrew Franks 36-yard field goal, 7:28. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 64 yards, 7:32. BUF – Dan Carpenter 29-yard field goal, 0:49. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 1:59. Second quarter
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 10-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 11:47. Bills 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:50. MIA – Andrew Franks 33-yard field goal, 3:47. Bills 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 8:00. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
MIA – Damien Williams 12-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 3:56. Dolphins 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:49. MIA – Kenny Stills 66-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 2:24. Dolphins 28–17. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:03. BUF – Reggie Bush 1-yard run (Tyrod Taylor–Reggie Bush pass), 0:14. Dolphins 28–25. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 2:10. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Bills led 17–14 by the start of the fourth quarter, but the Dolphins came back to win 28–25, causing the Bills to drop to 4–3.
Week 8: vs. New England Patriots Week Eight: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Period 1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 14 10 14 3 41 Bills 3 7 7 8 25
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
Date : October 30Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : 49 °F (9 °C), rainGame attendance : 70,442Referee : John Parry TV announcers (CBS) : Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan WashburnRecap , Game book
Game information First quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 23-yard field goal, 11:07. Bills 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 3:55. NE – Danny Amendola 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:35. Patriots 7–3. Drive 14 plays, 70 yards, 6:30. NE – Chris Hogan 53-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:41. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 2:08. Second quarter
BUF – Mike Gillislee 3-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 6:26. Patriots 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:14. NE – Rob Gronkowski 53-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:18. Patriots 21–10. Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 2:08. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 51-yard field goal, 0:03. Patriots 24–10. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 0:27. Third quarter
NE – Julian Edelman 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 14:00. Patriots 31–10. Drive: 2 plays, 24 yards, 1:00. BUF – Tyrod Taylor 26-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 7:57. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:03. NE – LeGarrette Blount 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:10. Patriots 38–17. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:52. Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard field goal, 7:10. Patriots 41–17. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 4:52. BUF – Jonathan Williams (EJ Manuel –Nick O'Leary pass), 0:33. Patriots 41–25. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 1:56. Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 22/33, 315 yards, 4 TD BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 19/38, 183 yards Top rushers
NE – LeGarrette Blount – 18 rushes, 43 yards, TD BUF – Mike Gillislee – 12 rushes, 85 yards, TD Top receivers
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 5 receptions, 109 yards, TD BUF – Walt Powell – 3 receptions, 59 yards
Week 9: at Seattle Seahawks Game information First quarter
Second quarter
SEA – Jimmy Graham 17-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:54. Tied 14–14. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:27. BUF – Dan Carpenter 31-yard field goal, 9:32. Bills 17–14. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:22. SEA – Christine Michael 3-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 4:29. Seahawks 21–17. Drive: 3 plays, 40 yards, 1:42. SEA – Jimmy Graham 18-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 1:00. Seahawks 28–17. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 1:19. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
BUF – Mike Gillislee 1-yard run (Tyrod Taylor run), 14:26. Seahawks 28–25. Drive: 13 plays, 82 yards, 6:49. SEA – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 9:49. Seahawks 31–25. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:37. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the loss, not only did the Bills drop to 4–5, but they also lost center Eric Wood for the season.
Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals Game information First quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 7-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 8:52. Bills 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:23. CIN – Andy Dalton 2-yard run (kick failed, hit right upright), 2:34. Bills 7–6. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:18. Second quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 26-yard field goal, 9:03. Bills 10–6. Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 2:05. CIN – Tyler Boyd 1-yard pass from Andy Dalton (kick failed, hit right upright), 3:10. Bengals 12–10. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 5:53. Third quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 54-yard field goal, 10:25. Bills 13–12. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 4:35. Fourth quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 20-yard field goal, 12:05. Bills 16–12. Drive: 15 plays, 88 yards, 8:12. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the win, the Bills improved to 5–5, but running back LeSean McCoy , wide receiver Robert Woods and safety Robert Blanton left the game with injuries.
Week 12: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Week Twelve: Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills
Period 1 2 3 4 Total Jaguars 7 0 7 7 21 Bills 0 6 14 8 28
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 7-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 0:20. Jaguars 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 1:04. Third quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 75-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 14:47. Bills 7–13. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:13. JAX – Marqise Lee 20-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick), 9:26. Jaguars 14–13. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:21. BUF – Tyrod Taylor 7-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 3:00. Bills 20–14. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:34. Fourth quarter
JAX – Allen Hurns 12-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick), 14:52. Jaguars 21–20. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:08. BUF – Justin Hunter 16-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (LeSean McCoy run), 10:46. Bills 28–21. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:06. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the win, the Bills improved to 6–5, but defensive tackle Corbin Bryant and wide receiver Walt Powell had to miss the rest of the season.
Week 13: at Oakland Raiders Week Thirteen: Buffalo Bills at Oakland Raiders
Period 1 2 3 4 Total Bills 3 7 14 0 24 Raiders 3 6 14 15 38
at Oakland Alameda Coliseum , Oakland, California
Date : December 4Game time : 4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PTGame weather : 59 °F (15 °C), partly cloudyGame attendance : 54,759Referee : Bill Vinovich TV announcers (CBS) : Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan WashburnRecap , Game book
Game information First quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 27-yard field goal, 8:02. Bills 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:10. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 47-yard field goal, 4:35. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:27. Second quarter
BUF – Mike Gillislee 1-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 13:28. Bills 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:07. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 41-yard field goal, 2:56. Bills 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 38 yards, 4:24. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 47-yard field goal, 0:00. Bills 10–9. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 0:30. Third quarter
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 12-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 14:03. Bills 17–9. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:57. BUF – Mike Gillislee 2-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 9:01. Bills 24–9. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:10. OAK – Michael Crabtree 3-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:17. Bills 24–16. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:44. OAK – Latavius Murray 1-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:57. Bills 24–23. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 3:03. Fourth quarter
OAK – Amari Cooper 37-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 14:08. Raiders 30–24. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 0:40. OAK – Latavius Murray 1-yard run (Derek Carr–Seth Roberts pass), 8:34. Raiders 38–24. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 2:11. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the loss, the Bills dropped to 6–6.
Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Week Fourteen: Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
Period 1 2 3 4 Total Steelers 7 7 7 6 27 Bills 0 7 0 13 20
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
Date : December 11Game time : 1:00 p.m. ETGame weather : 27 °F (−3 °C), snow showersGame attendance : 69,657Referee : Pete MorelliTV announcers (CBS) : Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy WolfsonRecap , Game book
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 7-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 12:00. Steelers 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:14. BUF – Sammy Watkins 8-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 7:07. Steelers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, 1:27. Third quarter
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 5-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 5:28. Steelers 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 6:33. Fourth quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 37-yard field goal, 9:57. Steelers 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:34. BUF – Charles Clay 40-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (kick failed, hit left upright), 7:27. Steelers 24–13. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:30. PIT – Chris Boswell 39-yard field goal, 3:38. Steelers 27–13. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 3:49. BUF – LeSean McCoy 3-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 1:25. Steelers 27–20. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:13. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 15: vs. Cleveland Browns Week Fifteen: Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills
Period 1 2 3 4 Total Browns 3 0 10 0 13 Bills 10 7 7 9 33
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
Date : December 18Game time : 1:00 p.m. ETGame weather : 25 °F (−4 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 66,529Referee : Clete Blakeman TV announcers (CBS) : Tom McCarthy and Adam ArchuletaRecap , Game book
Game information First quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 21-yard field goal, 10:14. Bills 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:06. CLE – Cody Parkey 35-yard field goal, 3:50. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:24. BUF – Mike Gillislee 3-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:00. Bills 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:50. Second quarter
BUF – Charles Clay 19-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:34. Bills 17–3. Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 7:29. Third quarter
CLE – Robert Griffin III 18-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 8:58. Bills 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:54. BUF – LeSean McCoy 3-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 5:50. Bills 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:08. CLE – Cody Parkey 40-yard field goal, 1:32. Bills 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:18. Fourth quarter
BUF – LeSean McCoy 8-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 12:38. Bills 30–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:54. BUF – Dan Carpenter 34-yard field goal, 7:21. Bills 33–13. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 4:00. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the win, the Bills improved to 7–7 and keep their slim playoff chances alive. The team set a new franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a season (27) with LeSean McCoy 's second rushing score of the game. This was also the 400th regular-season win in franchise history.
Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
MIA – DeVante Parker 56-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 12:05. Dolphins 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:55. BUF – LeSean McCoy 19-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 6:46. Dolphins 21–14. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 5:19. MIA – Kenny Stills 6-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 3:14. Dolphins 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:32. BUF – Charles Clay 18-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 2:02. Dolphins 28–21. Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 2:02. Fourth quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 28-yard field goal, 5:51. Dolphins 28–24. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 4:24. BUF – Charles Clay 7-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 1:20. Bills 31–28. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 2:40. MIA – Andrew Franks 55-yard field goal, 0:06. Tied 31–31. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 1:14. Overtime
MIA – Andrew Franks 27-yard field goal, 0:47. Dolphins 34–31. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:13. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
After the Bills took the lead with a touchdown inside the two-minute warning at the end of the fourth quarter, the Dolphins took the game to overtime with a 55-yard field goal with six seconds on the clock. They then secured the win with 47 seconds left in the extra period with another field goal from 27 yards. The loss for the Bills meant they were eliminated from playoff contention for the 17th consecutive season. Two days later, the Bills fired head coach Rex Ryan and assistant head coach Rob Ryan .
Week 17: at New York Jets Week Seventeen: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
Period 1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 3 0 7 10 Jets 0 10 10 10 30
at MetLife Stadium , East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date : January 1, 2017Game time : 1:00 p.m. ETGame weather : 42 °F (6 °C), sunnyGame attendance : 78,160Referee : Jeff Triplette TV announcers (CBS) : Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve TaskerRecap , Game book
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
NYJ – Bilal Powell 2-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Nick Folk kick), 9:28. Jets 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:34. BUF – Dan Carpenter 34-yard field goal, 1:45. Jets 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 4:12. NYJ – Nick Folk 30-yard field goal, 0:00. Jets 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 1:45. Third quarter
NYJ – Jalin Marshall 6-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Nick Folk kick), 4:03. Jets 17–3. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 1:28. NYJ – Nick Folk 36-yard field goal, 0:01. Jets 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 25-yard field goal, 3:21. Jets 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, −4 yards, 1:42. NYJ – Doug Middleton kickoff recovery in the end zone (Nick Folk kick), 3:21. Jets 30–3. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00. BUF – Mike Gillislee 1-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:39. Jets 30–10. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:42. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Anthony Lynn served as interim head coach, and EJ Manuel made his first start of the season, though he was benched in the 4th quarter as Cardale Jones took over. With the loss, Buffalo ended the season 7–9. This game included a notable flaw on Bills' special teams during a botched kickoff play. Jets' kicker Nick Folk made the ball bounce inside the field, over the heads of Bills' special teamers and into the endzone, only to see the surrounding Bills' players miscommunicate and fail to secure the live ball; Jets' specialist Doug Middleton then fell on the ball inside the endzone, giving New York their last touchdown of the game.
Standings
References 
