The 2006 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 47th season as a football team, 37th in the
National Football League (NFL) and first under both
general managerMarv Levy and
head coachDick Jauron. Levy, who previously coached the team from
1986 to
1997, leading them to four straight AFC Championships and four straight Super Bowl appearances from
1990 to
1993, replaced
Tom Donahoe, who was fired shortly after the end of the
2005 season, with hopes that his 11 full seasons as Bills head coach would improve a franchise that failed to make the playoffs during Donahoe's tenure. Jauron, who previously coached the
Chicago Bears from
1999 to
2003, replaced
Mike Mularkey, who resigned shortly after Donahoe's firing, citing family reasons and disagreement over the direction of the organization.
The Bills hoped to improve on their 5–11 record from
2005, while also hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since
1999, but a 30–29 loss to the
Tennessee Titans eliminated the team from playoff contention, extending their playoff drought to seven straight seasons, tying a record set from
1967–
1973. For the second consecutive season, the Bills' opening day starting quarterback was
J. P. Losman.
The Bills acquired an additional first-round selection (26th overall), later revealed to be
John McCargo, as part of a draft-day trade that sent their second-round pick (42nd overall), later revealed to be
Danieal Manning, to the
Chicago Bears.
The Bills opened the regular season on the road against the first of their three divisional rivals, the
New England Patriots and got off to a fast start, as on the very first play,
Takeo Spikes sacked
Tom Brady, causing a fumble recovered by
London Fletcher-Baker for a 5-yard TD. The Patriots tied the game up at 7–7 on a 9-yard pass from Brady to
Troy Brown. The Bills would regain the lead on a 53-yard FG by
Rian Lindell. In the second quarter,
Anthony Thomas would make the score 17–7 at halftime with an 18-yard run. However, the Bills continued their late-game struggles from
2005, as they gave up 12 unanswered points in the second half (a 17-yard pass from Brady to
Kevin Faulk, a
32-yard FG by
Stephen Gostkowski and a safety by
Ty Warren with 8:33 remaining in the fourth quarter), dropping the Bills to 0–1 to start the season.
Week 2: at Miami Dolphins
Week Two: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
For Week 2, the Bills traveled to
Dolphin Stadium to take on the second of their three divisional rivals, the
Miami Dolphins. The Bills managed to get the only score of the first half, a 33-yard field goal by kicker
Rian Lindell in the first quarter. It wasn't until the third quarter that the Bills were to score again when quarterback
J. P. Losman threw a 4-yard pass to
Josh Reed, while Lindell kicked a pair of FGs, a 45-yarder and a 43-yarder. Even though the Dolphins did manage to score in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard pass from
Daunte Culpepper to
Chris Chambers (with a failed 2-point conversion), the Bills defense dominated the game, sacking Culpepper seven times (along with two forced fumbles) and blocking a punt, improving the Bills to 1–1.
Week 3: vs. New York Jets
Week Three: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Dressed up in their 1960s throwback jerseys, the Bills played their Week 3 home-opener against their last divisional rival, the
New York Jets. Buffalo started off with
J. P. Losman throwing a 51-yard pass to
Roscoe Parrish for the only score in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Jets tied the game up with a
3-yard run by
Kevan Barlow. The Bills managed to get a 36-yard FG by
Rian Lindell, but the Jets managed to take the lead, as
Chad Pennington completed a 1-yard TD pass to
Chris Baker within the closing seconds of the half. In the second half, the Bills fell behind as
Victor Hobson returned a Buffalo fumble 32 yards for a touchdown, which would be the only score of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Bills tried to close the gap, as Lindell kicked a 28-yard field goal. However, the Jets increased their lead with
Cedric Houston getting a 5-yard run. The Bills would get another score, though—a 12-yard Losman run. Even though the Bills recovered their onside kick, they went three-and-out to end any more scoring threats, dropping to 1–2.
Week 4: Minnesota Vikings
Week Four: Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Looking to bounce back from a tough home-opening loss to the
New York Jets, the Bills took on the first of their four NFC North rivals, the
Minnesota Vikings. In the first quarter, Buffalo got a small deficit as kicker
Ryan Longwell kicked a 37-yard FG for the only score of the quarter. In the second quarter, the Bills scored on a
Willis McGahee 1-yard run. Afterwards, Minnesota got a last-second FG by Longwell, this one from 49 yards out. In the third quarter, Buffalo pulled ahead as
J. P. Losman completed an 8-yard pass to
Peerless Price for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter,
Rian Lindell kicked a 28-yard FG. However,
Brad Johnson completed a 29-yard pass to
Marcus Robinson, but Buffalo prevented the two-point conversion and ran the clock out, giving the Bills their first home victory of the year and improving to 2–2.
Week 5: at Chicago Bears
Week Five: Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Looking for their second road victory of the season, the Bills traveled to
Soldier Field to take on the second of their four NFC North rivals, the
Chicago Bears, in
Dick Jauron's first return to Chicago since being fired at the end of the
2003Chicago Bearsseason. From the start, Buffalo was in trouble, as
Robbie Gould kicked two FGs in the first quarter—a 42-yarder and a 43-yarder. Then, in the second quarter, three straight scores came from the Bears—an 8-yard pass from
Rex Grossman to
Bernard Berrian, a 1-yard run from
Cedric Benson and a 15-yard pass from Grossman to
Rashied Davis—that put the Bills in a deep hole. In the third quarter, Gould put up another FG for Chicago, this time from 32 yards out, while in the fourth quarter, Gould would kick a 41-yard FG and Benson would get another 1-yard run. The Bills would finally get on the board, as
J. P. Losman completed a 5-yard strike to
Lee Evans, ending the Bears' 11-quarter streak of not allowing their opponents to score a TD going back to the fourth quarter of the Bears' 34–7 victory against the
Detroit Lions in Week 2, but the damage was already done, as the loss dropped the Bills to 2–3.
Week 6: at Detroit Lions
Week Six: Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions – Game summary
The Bills flew to
Ford Field to take on the third of their four NFC North rivals, the
Detroit Lions. From the start, the winless Lions were dominated the first quarter, as kicker
Jason Hanson kicked a 43-yard FG, while
Kevin Jones got a 7-yard run. In the second quarter, Buffalo got into the game, as
J. P. Losman completed a 44-yard pass to
Roscoe Parrish. However, Detroit responded, as
Jon Kitna completed a 28-yard TD pass to
Roy Williams. The Bills would get kicker
Rian Lindell to get a 53-yard field goal to end the half. After a scoreless third quarter, Lions kicker Hanson got a 29-yard field goal, putting Detroit up 20–10. The Bills tried to catch-up, as Losman completed a 4-yard pass to
Ryan Neufeld, but the deficit proved to be a little too much, as the Lions ended up getting their first win of the season at the Bills' expense, dropping the Bills to 2–4.
Week 7: vs. New England Patriots
Week Seven: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Coming off two straight road losses to an NFC North team, the Bills returned home for a rematch with the
New England Patriots. In the first meeting in Week 1, New England came back to win, thanks to late-game struggles by the Bills. This time, however, it wasn't even close. In the first quarter, the Patriots took an early lead with the first of
Corey Dillon's two runs, an 8-yarder. Kicker
Rian Lindell would get a 40-yard field goal, but the Patriots wouldn't allow Buffalo to score, as Dillon got his second of the game, a 12-yarder. After a scoreless second quarter, the Patriots continued to make the game difficult for the Bills as in the third quarter,
Tom Brady threw a 35-yard pass to
Chad Jackson for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Lindell would get another field goal, this one from 46 yards out, but the damage was already done, as Brady put the icing on the game with his second pass, this one a 5-yarder to
Doug Gabriel, sweeping the Bills for a third-straight year and dropping them to 2–5 heading into the bye week.
Week 9: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week Nine: Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Coming off their bye week, the Bills stayed home for a Week 9 matchup with their final NFC North rival, the
Green Bay Packers. In the first quarter, even though
Willis McGahee left with injured ribs, kicker
Rian Lindell kicked a 28-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, Buffalo's defense joined in the scoring party as
London Fletcher-Baker returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown for the only score of the period. In the third quarter,
Brett Favre hooked up with
Donald Driver on a 1-yard pass for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Packers kicker
Dave Rayner kicked a 49-yard FG to tie the game up 10–10. The Bills increased their margin as
J. P. Losman completed a 43-yard pass to
Lee Evans. Afterwards, a 76-yard interception return by
Ko Simpson set up a 14-yard run by
Anthony Thomas, improving the Bills to 3–5.
Week 10: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Ten: Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Fresh off their victory over the Packers, the Bills flew out to the
RCA Dome for a Week 10 matchup with the
Indianapolis Colts. Much like they did in the season-opener against the Patriots, Buffalo got off to a fast start in the first quarter with kicker
Rian Lindell making a 22-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, however, Indianapolis struck back with
Peyton Manning completing a 1-yard pass to
Reggie Wayne. The Colts would follow that up with kicker
Adam Vinatieri kicking a 31-yard FG. The Bills defense did make a stand, though, as
Terrence McGee returned a fumble 68 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Indianapolis regained the lead with
Joseph Addai completing a 5-yard run. Buffalo would respond with Lindell making a 30-yard FG. In the fourth quarter, the Bills drew closer with Lindell's 43-yard FG and had a chance to take the lead late in the game, let alone win, but a 41-yard try went wide right, not only dropping the Bills to 3–6, but last place in the AFC East.
Week 11: at Houston Texans
Week Eleven: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans – Game summary
This Week 11 matchup against the Texans was expected to be a boring affair, but it was anything but. The first quarter saw a dominating offensive performance by
Lee Evans, who caught six passes for 205 yards and a pair of 83-yard touchdowns, falling just five yards short of the NFL mark for most yards receiving in a quarter of 210 set by
Qadry Ismail in 1999. However, Houston was not intimidated and kept the game close going into halftime. In the second half, the Bills' offense slowed down greatly, but Houston kept flying, mostly on the arm of
David Carr, who tied the NFL record for most consecutive completions in a game with 22.
Dunta Robinson intercepted a Losman pass and ran it in for an easy score, giving the Texans a 21–17 edge that held until the final seconds, when Losman led the Bills down the field and hit
Peerless Price for the game-winning 9-yard catch in the back of the end zone with 0:09 remaining (the play was reviewed and upheld) for the 24–21 victory in a game where Losman set a career-high for passing yardage with 340 and Evans set a new franchise record with 265 yards receiving. With the win, the Bills improved to 4–6.
With the momentum of a late-game victory against Houston and the return of
Willis McGahee, who had missed the previous three weeks with rib injuries, the Bills took an early lead and held off the Jaguars at the end. After Jacksonville scored with 0:34 remaining and after a questionable squib kick,
J. P. Losman threw a pass down the sideline to
Roscoe Parrish who kept his toes in just enough to set up a game-winning
Rian Lindell 42-yard FG as time expired. Parrish had earlier made the game's biggest play of the game when he had an 81-yard punt return in the third quarter. With their second straight victory, the Bills improved to 5–6.
Week 13: San Diego Chargers
Week Thirteen: San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Keeping some slim playoff hopes alive, the Bills stayed home, donned their throwback jerseys again and faced a fierce Week 13 challenge against the
San Diego Chargers. In the first quarter, the Chargers struck first with kicker
Nate Kaeding getting a 42-yard FG, while
LaDainian Tomlinson got a 51-yard run. In the second quarter, Buffalo continued to struggle as
Philip Rivers completed an 11-yard pass to
Antonio Gates for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, the Bills scored with
J. P. Losman completing a 6-yard pass to
Robert Royal, while
Willis McGahee got a 2-yard run. However, in the fourth quarter, Tomlinson got his second touchdown run of the day, a 2-yarder. A 6-yard pass from Losman to
Peerless Price closed the gap, but a failed onside kick sealed any chance of a comeback victory. With the loss, the Bills dropped to 5–7.
Week 14: at New York Jets
Week Fifteen: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets – Game summary
Hoping to avoid being swept by their AFC East rival and keep their playoff hopes alive all at the same time, the Bills met the Jets in
The Meadowlands.
Willis McGahee extended his string of 100-yard rushing games vs. the Jets to five with 125 yards on 16 carries, including a 57-yard run in the first quarter. After allowing a 10-yard pass from
Chad Pennington to
Laveranues Coles and a
Mike Nugent FG, the Bills broke the game open with a 77-yard
J. P. Losman pass to
Lee Evans and a 58-yard interception return by
Nate Clements. The Jets cut their deficit to 21–13 after a Nugent FG on the ensuing possession, but would end up scoreless for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, the Bills defense held the Jets in check as a Pennington fumble in the third quarter set up another J. P. Losman pass, this time to
Robert Royal. The Bills would add a FG of their own in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 31–13. With the win, not only did the Bills improve to 6–7, but they mathematically remained in playoff contention, two games behind current wild card occupants Jacksonville and Cincinnati.
Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week Fifteen: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
In order to remain in contention for the
playoffs, the Bills had to defeat—and sweep—the Dolphins, which they did in convincing and dominating fashion.
J. P. Losman played well with 200 yards passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions. However, his counterpart,
Joey Harrington, was ineffective, throwing for only 98 yards with two interceptions and achieved a 0.0
passer rating. After a scoreless first quarter, Losman threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to
Robert Royal, putting the Bills ahead 7–0 into halftime. In the third quarter, Losman threw a 27-yard pass to
Josh Reed, putting the Bills up by two touchdowns 14–0. In the final quarter, Losman threw another TD pass, this time a 21-yarder to
Lee Evans. Miami had the ball on Buffalo's 1-yard line with 0:06 remaining. Looking for a touchdown,
Cleo Lemon threw a pass intended for
Chris Chambers but was batted down at the
line of scrimmage by
Ryan Denney, keeping the Dolphins scoreless. With the win, the Bills improved to 7–7.
Week 16: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Sixteen: Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
After the victory over Miami, the Bills stayed home for a Week 16 intraconference game with the
Tennessee Titans. The Titans (like the Bills) were 7–7 and also hunting for a wildcard berth. In the first quarter, Buffalo scored first with kicker
Rian Lindell getting a 21-yard FG. Tennessee would respond with
Vince Young completing a 22-yard pass to
Bobby Wade. The Bills came back with
Willis McGahee's 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Titans regained the lead with kicker
Rob Bironas getting a 42-yard and a 20-yard FG. Afterwards, the Bills came back with Lindell kicking a 36-yard and a 45-yard FG. Then, Tennessee went back into the lead with Young's 36-yard run. Buffalo would score with another 21-yard FG from Lindell, this one before halftime. In the third quarter,
J. P. Losman completed a 37-yard pass to
Lee Evans and afterwards Lindell kicked a 24-yard FG. In the fourth quarter, the Titans won the game with Young completing a 29-yard pass to
Brandon Jones and Bironas' fifth FG of the game, a 30-yarder.
J. P. Losman led the Bills on one final drive down to the Titans' 28-yard line, but driving against a wind that was gusting up to 20 mph, the Bills elected not to try a potential game-winning FG, sealing the game for the Titans. With the loss, not only did the Bills fall to 7–8 in their final home game of the season, but they were also eliminated from playoff contention heading into the season finale.
Week 17: at Baltimore Ravens
Week Seventeen: Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
J. P. Losman threw for 237 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, one of which a pick-six.
Willis McGahee rushed for 23 yards on 11 carries.
Lee Evans had seven receptions for 145 yards and the only score for Buffalo, a 44-yard TD. In the first quarter,
Matt Stover made a
26-yard field goal, bringing the Ravens up 3–0 at the end of the first. Just before halftime, Stover made another field goal, this one from 37 yards out, for a 6–0 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Stover made his third field goal of the day, bringing the Ravens up 9–0. After Evans' TD, Losman threw a pass that was intercepted by
Chris McAlister and returned for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Stover made his fourth and final field goal that increased the Ravens' lead to 19–7. With the loss, the Bills finished the season at 7–9, although it was an improvement over last year's 5–11 record.
The 2006 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 47th season as a football team, 37th in the
National Football League (NFL) and first under both
general managerMarv Levy and
head coachDick Jauron. Levy, who previously coached the team from
1986 to
1997, leading them to four straight AFC Championships and four straight Super Bowl appearances from
1990 to
1993, replaced
Tom Donahoe, who was fired shortly after the end of the
2005 season, with hopes that his 11 full seasons as Bills head coach would improve a franchise that failed to make the playoffs during Donahoe's tenure. Jauron, who previously coached the
Chicago Bears from
1999 to
2003, replaced
Mike Mularkey, who resigned shortly after Donahoe's firing, citing family reasons and disagreement over the direction of the organization.
The Bills hoped to improve on their 5–11 record from
2005, while also hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since
1999, but a 30–29 loss to the
Tennessee Titans eliminated the team from playoff contention, extending their playoff drought to seven straight seasons, tying a record set from
1967–
1973. For the second consecutive season, the Bills' opening day starting quarterback was
J. P. Losman.
The Bills acquired an additional first-round selection (26th overall), later revealed to be
John McCargo, as part of a draft-day trade that sent their second-round pick (42nd overall), later revealed to be
Danieal Manning, to the
Chicago Bears.
The Bills opened the regular season on the road against the first of their three divisional rivals, the
New England Patriots and got off to a fast start, as on the very first play,
Takeo Spikes sacked
Tom Brady, causing a fumble recovered by
London Fletcher-Baker for a 5-yard TD. The Patriots tied the game up at 7–7 on a 9-yard pass from Brady to
Troy Brown. The Bills would regain the lead on a 53-yard FG by
Rian Lindell. In the second quarter,
Anthony Thomas would make the score 17–7 at halftime with an 18-yard run. However, the Bills continued their late-game struggles from
2005, as they gave up 12 unanswered points in the second half (a 17-yard pass from Brady to
Kevin Faulk, a
32-yard FG by
Stephen Gostkowski and a safety by
Ty Warren with 8:33 remaining in the fourth quarter), dropping the Bills to 0–1 to start the season.
Week 2: at Miami Dolphins
Week Two: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
For Week 2, the Bills traveled to
Dolphin Stadium to take on the second of their three divisional rivals, the
Miami Dolphins. The Bills managed to get the only score of the first half, a 33-yard field goal by kicker
Rian Lindell in the first quarter. It wasn't until the third quarter that the Bills were to score again when quarterback
J. P. Losman threw a 4-yard pass to
Josh Reed, while Lindell kicked a pair of FGs, a 45-yarder and a 43-yarder. Even though the Dolphins did manage to score in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard pass from
Daunte Culpepper to
Chris Chambers (with a failed 2-point conversion), the Bills defense dominated the game, sacking Culpepper seven times (along with two forced fumbles) and blocking a punt, improving the Bills to 1–1.
Week 3: vs. New York Jets
Week Three: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Dressed up in their 1960s throwback jerseys, the Bills played their Week 3 home-opener against their last divisional rival, the
New York Jets. Buffalo started off with
J. P. Losman throwing a 51-yard pass to
Roscoe Parrish for the only score in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Jets tied the game up with a
3-yard run by
Kevan Barlow. The Bills managed to get a 36-yard FG by
Rian Lindell, but the Jets managed to take the lead, as
Chad Pennington completed a 1-yard TD pass to
Chris Baker within the closing seconds of the half. In the second half, the Bills fell behind as
Victor Hobson returned a Buffalo fumble 32 yards for a touchdown, which would be the only score of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Bills tried to close the gap, as Lindell kicked a 28-yard field goal. However, the Jets increased their lead with
Cedric Houston getting a 5-yard run. The Bills would get another score, though—a 12-yard Losman run. Even though the Bills recovered their onside kick, they went three-and-out to end any more scoring threats, dropping to 1–2.
Week 4: Minnesota Vikings
Week Four: Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Looking to bounce back from a tough home-opening loss to the
New York Jets, the Bills took on the first of their four NFC North rivals, the
Minnesota Vikings. In the first quarter, Buffalo got a small deficit as kicker
Ryan Longwell kicked a 37-yard FG for the only score of the quarter. In the second quarter, the Bills scored on a
Willis McGahee 1-yard run. Afterwards, Minnesota got a last-second FG by Longwell, this one from 49 yards out. In the third quarter, Buffalo pulled ahead as
J. P. Losman completed an 8-yard pass to
Peerless Price for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter,
Rian Lindell kicked a 28-yard FG. However,
Brad Johnson completed a 29-yard pass to
Marcus Robinson, but Buffalo prevented the two-point conversion and ran the clock out, giving the Bills their first home victory of the year and improving to 2–2.
Week 5: at Chicago Bears
Week Five: Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Looking for their second road victory of the season, the Bills traveled to
Soldier Field to take on the second of their four NFC North rivals, the
Chicago Bears, in
Dick Jauron's first return to Chicago since being fired at the end of the
2003Chicago Bearsseason. From the start, Buffalo was in trouble, as
Robbie Gould kicked two FGs in the first quarter—a 42-yarder and a 43-yarder. Then, in the second quarter, three straight scores came from the Bears—an 8-yard pass from
Rex Grossman to
Bernard Berrian, a 1-yard run from
Cedric Benson and a 15-yard pass from Grossman to
Rashied Davis—that put the Bills in a deep hole. In the third quarter, Gould put up another FG for Chicago, this time from 32 yards out, while in the fourth quarter, Gould would kick a 41-yard FG and Benson would get another 1-yard run. The Bills would finally get on the board, as
J. P. Losman completed a 5-yard strike to
Lee Evans, ending the Bears' 11-quarter streak of not allowing their opponents to score a TD going back to the fourth quarter of the Bears' 34–7 victory against the
Detroit Lions in Week 2, but the damage was already done, as the loss dropped the Bills to 2–3.
Week 6: at Detroit Lions
Week Six: Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions – Game summary
The Bills flew to
Ford Field to take on the third of their four NFC North rivals, the
Detroit Lions. From the start, the winless Lions were dominated the first quarter, as kicker
Jason Hanson kicked a 43-yard FG, while
Kevin Jones got a 7-yard run. In the second quarter, Buffalo got into the game, as
J. P. Losman completed a 44-yard pass to
Roscoe Parrish. However, Detroit responded, as
Jon Kitna completed a 28-yard TD pass to
Roy Williams. The Bills would get kicker
Rian Lindell to get a 53-yard field goal to end the half. After a scoreless third quarter, Lions kicker Hanson got a 29-yard field goal, putting Detroit up 20–10. The Bills tried to catch-up, as Losman completed a 4-yard pass to
Ryan Neufeld, but the deficit proved to be a little too much, as the Lions ended up getting their first win of the season at the Bills' expense, dropping the Bills to 2–4.
Week 7: vs. New England Patriots
Week Seven: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Coming off two straight road losses to an NFC North team, the Bills returned home for a rematch with the
New England Patriots. In the first meeting in Week 1, New England came back to win, thanks to late-game struggles by the Bills. This time, however, it wasn't even close. In the first quarter, the Patriots took an early lead with the first of
Corey Dillon's two runs, an 8-yarder. Kicker
Rian Lindell would get a 40-yard field goal, but the Patriots wouldn't allow Buffalo to score, as Dillon got his second of the game, a 12-yarder. After a scoreless second quarter, the Patriots continued to make the game difficult for the Bills as in the third quarter,
Tom Brady threw a 35-yard pass to
Chad Jackson for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Lindell would get another field goal, this one from 46 yards out, but the damage was already done, as Brady put the icing on the game with his second pass, this one a 5-yarder to
Doug Gabriel, sweeping the Bills for a third-straight year and dropping them to 2–5 heading into the bye week.
Week 9: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week Nine: Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Coming off their bye week, the Bills stayed home for a Week 9 matchup with their final NFC North rival, the
Green Bay Packers. In the first quarter, even though
Willis McGahee left with injured ribs, kicker
Rian Lindell kicked a 28-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, Buffalo's defense joined in the scoring party as
London Fletcher-Baker returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown for the only score of the period. In the third quarter,
Brett Favre hooked up with
Donald Driver on a 1-yard pass for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Packers kicker
Dave Rayner kicked a 49-yard FG to tie the game up 10–10. The Bills increased their margin as
J. P. Losman completed a 43-yard pass to
Lee Evans. Afterwards, a 76-yard interception return by
Ko Simpson set up a 14-yard run by
Anthony Thomas, improving the Bills to 3–5.
Week 10: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Ten: Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Fresh off their victory over the Packers, the Bills flew out to the
RCA Dome for a Week 10 matchup with the
Indianapolis Colts. Much like they did in the season-opener against the Patriots, Buffalo got off to a fast start in the first quarter with kicker
Rian Lindell making a 22-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, however, Indianapolis struck back with
Peyton Manning completing a 1-yard pass to
Reggie Wayne. The Colts would follow that up with kicker
Adam Vinatieri kicking a 31-yard FG. The Bills defense did make a stand, though, as
Terrence McGee returned a fumble 68 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Indianapolis regained the lead with
Joseph Addai completing a 5-yard run. Buffalo would respond with Lindell making a 30-yard FG. In the fourth quarter, the Bills drew closer with Lindell's 43-yard FG and had a chance to take the lead late in the game, let alone win, but a 41-yard try went wide right, not only dropping the Bills to 3–6, but last place in the AFC East.
Week 11: at Houston Texans
Week Eleven: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans – Game summary
This Week 11 matchup against the Texans was expected to be a boring affair, but it was anything but. The first quarter saw a dominating offensive performance by
Lee Evans, who caught six passes for 205 yards and a pair of 83-yard touchdowns, falling just five yards short of the NFL mark for most yards receiving in a quarter of 210 set by
Qadry Ismail in 1999. However, Houston was not intimidated and kept the game close going into halftime. In the second half, the Bills' offense slowed down greatly, but Houston kept flying, mostly on the arm of
David Carr, who tied the NFL record for most consecutive completions in a game with 22.
Dunta Robinson intercepted a Losman pass and ran it in for an easy score, giving the Texans a 21–17 edge that held until the final seconds, when Losman led the Bills down the field and hit
Peerless Price for the game-winning 9-yard catch in the back of the end zone with 0:09 remaining (the play was reviewed and upheld) for the 24–21 victory in a game where Losman set a career-high for passing yardage with 340 and Evans set a new franchise record with 265 yards receiving. With the win, the Bills improved to 4–6.
With the momentum of a late-game victory against Houston and the return of
Willis McGahee, who had missed the previous three weeks with rib injuries, the Bills took an early lead and held off the Jaguars at the end. After Jacksonville scored with 0:34 remaining and after a questionable squib kick,
J. P. Losman threw a pass down the sideline to
Roscoe Parrish who kept his toes in just enough to set up a game-winning
Rian Lindell 42-yard FG as time expired. Parrish had earlier made the game's biggest play of the game when he had an 81-yard punt return in the third quarter. With their second straight victory, the Bills improved to 5–6.
Week 13: San Diego Chargers
Week Thirteen: San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Keeping some slim playoff hopes alive, the Bills stayed home, donned their throwback jerseys again and faced a fierce Week 13 challenge against the
San Diego Chargers. In the first quarter, the Chargers struck first with kicker
Nate Kaeding getting a 42-yard FG, while
LaDainian Tomlinson got a 51-yard run. In the second quarter, Buffalo continued to struggle as
Philip Rivers completed an 11-yard pass to
Antonio Gates for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, the Bills scored with
J. P. Losman completing a 6-yard pass to
Robert Royal, while
Willis McGahee got a 2-yard run. However, in the fourth quarter, Tomlinson got his second touchdown run of the day, a 2-yarder. A 6-yard pass from Losman to
Peerless Price closed the gap, but a failed onside kick sealed any chance of a comeback victory. With the loss, the Bills dropped to 5–7.
Week 14: at New York Jets
Week Fifteen: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets – Game summary
Hoping to avoid being swept by their AFC East rival and keep their playoff hopes alive all at the same time, the Bills met the Jets in
The Meadowlands.
Willis McGahee extended his string of 100-yard rushing games vs. the Jets to five with 125 yards on 16 carries, including a 57-yard run in the first quarter. After allowing a 10-yard pass from
Chad Pennington to
Laveranues Coles and a
Mike Nugent FG, the Bills broke the game open with a 77-yard
J. P. Losman pass to
Lee Evans and a 58-yard interception return by
Nate Clements. The Jets cut their deficit to 21–13 after a Nugent FG on the ensuing possession, but would end up scoreless for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, the Bills defense held the Jets in check as a Pennington fumble in the third quarter set up another J. P. Losman pass, this time to
Robert Royal. The Bills would add a FG of their own in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 31–13. With the win, not only did the Bills improve to 6–7, but they mathematically remained in playoff contention, two games behind current wild card occupants Jacksonville and Cincinnati.
Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week Fifteen: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
In order to remain in contention for the
playoffs, the Bills had to defeat—and sweep—the Dolphins, which they did in convincing and dominating fashion.
J. P. Losman played well with 200 yards passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions. However, his counterpart,
Joey Harrington, was ineffective, throwing for only 98 yards with two interceptions and achieved a 0.0
passer rating. After a scoreless first quarter, Losman threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to
Robert Royal, putting the Bills ahead 7–0 into halftime. In the third quarter, Losman threw a 27-yard pass to
Josh Reed, putting the Bills up by two touchdowns 14–0. In the final quarter, Losman threw another TD pass, this time a 21-yarder to
Lee Evans. Miami had the ball on Buffalo's 1-yard line with 0:06 remaining. Looking for a touchdown,
Cleo Lemon threw a pass intended for
Chris Chambers but was batted down at the
line of scrimmage by
Ryan Denney, keeping the Dolphins scoreless. With the win, the Bills improved to 7–7.
Week 16: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Sixteen: Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
After the victory over Miami, the Bills stayed home for a Week 16 intraconference game with the
Tennessee Titans. The Titans (like the Bills) were 7–7 and also hunting for a wildcard berth. In the first quarter, Buffalo scored first with kicker
Rian Lindell getting a 21-yard FG. Tennessee would respond with
Vince Young completing a 22-yard pass to
Bobby Wade. The Bills came back with
Willis McGahee's 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Titans regained the lead with kicker
Rob Bironas getting a 42-yard and a 20-yard FG. Afterwards, the Bills came back with Lindell kicking a 36-yard and a 45-yard FG. Then, Tennessee went back into the lead with Young's 36-yard run. Buffalo would score with another 21-yard FG from Lindell, this one before halftime. In the third quarter,
J. P. Losman completed a 37-yard pass to
Lee Evans and afterwards Lindell kicked a 24-yard FG. In the fourth quarter, the Titans won the game with Young completing a 29-yard pass to
Brandon Jones and Bironas' fifth FG of the game, a 30-yarder.
J. P. Losman led the Bills on one final drive down to the Titans' 28-yard line, but driving against a wind that was gusting up to 20 mph, the Bills elected not to try a potential game-winning FG, sealing the game for the Titans. With the loss, not only did the Bills fall to 7–8 in their final home game of the season, but they were also eliminated from playoff contention heading into the season finale.
Week 17: at Baltimore Ravens
Week Seventeen: Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
J. P. Losman threw for 237 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, one of which a pick-six.
Willis McGahee rushed for 23 yards on 11 carries.
Lee Evans had seven receptions for 145 yards and the only score for Buffalo, a 44-yard TD. In the first quarter,
Matt Stover made a
26-yard field goal, bringing the Ravens up 3–0 at the end of the first. Just before halftime, Stover made another field goal, this one from 37 yards out, for a 6–0 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Stover made his third field goal of the day, bringing the Ravens up 9–0. After Evans' TD, Losman threw a pass that was intercepted by
Chris McAlister and returned for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Stover made his fourth and final field goal that increased the Ravens' lead to 19–7. With the loss, the Bills finished the season at 7–9, although it was an improvement over last year's 5–11 record.