2021 Buffalo Bills season

The 2021 season is the Buffalo Bills' 62nd season as a franchise, 52nd in the National Football League, seventh full under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula and their fifth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane. With a Week 11 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Bills failed to improve on their 13–3 record from last season.

2021 Buffalo Bills season
OwnerTerry and Kim Pegula
Head coachSean McDermott
General managerBrandon Beane
Home fieldHighmark Stadium
Results
Record7–6
Division place2nd AFC East
Uniform

On March 29, the Bills sold the naming rights to their stadium to Pittsburgh-based health insurance company Highmark; the stadium is now known as Highmark Stadium.[1]

Draft
Main article: 2021 NFL Draft
2021 Buffalo Bills Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
130 Gregory RousseauDEMiami (FL)Opted out of the 2020 CFB season while at the University of Miami
261 Carlos Basham Jr.DEWake Forest
393 Spencer BrownOTNorthern Iowa
5161 Tommy DoyleOTMiami (OH)from Las Vegas
6203 Marquez StevensonWRHoustonfrom Washington via Las Vegas and Miami and Houston
212 Damar HamlinSPittsburghfrom New Orleans via Houston
213 Rachad WildgooseCBWisconsin
7236 Jack AndersonOGTexas Techfrom Carolina

Notes

  1. Scott, Jelani (October 7, 2019). "Bills deal WR Zay Jones to Raiders for 2021 pick". NFL.com. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  2. Strickland, Bryan (September 25, 2018). "Panthers trade for OT Marshall Newhouse". Panthers.com.

Staff
Buffalo Bills staff
Front office
  • Owner/CEO – Terry Pegula
  • Owner/President – Kim Pegula
  • General Manager – Brandon Beane
  • Assistant General Manager – Joe Schoen
  • Director of College Scouting – Terrance Gray
  • Senior VP of Football Administration – Jim Overdorf
  • Assistant Director of College Scouting – Lake Dawson
  • Director of Pro Personnel – Malik Boyd
  • Director of Football Administration – Kevin Meganck
  • Director of Football Operations – Brendan Rowe
Head coach
Offensive coaches
  
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
  • Special Teams Coordinator – Heath Farwell
  • Assistant Special Teams – Matt Smiley
Strength and conditioning
  • Head Strength and Conditioning – Eric Ciano
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Hal Luther
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Will Greenberg
  • Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Jason Oszvart
  • Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Mark Loecher

→ Coaching staff
→ Management
→ More NFL staffs

AFC East
BUF
MIA
NE
NYJ
North
BAL
CIN
CLE
PIT
South
HOU
IND
JAX
TEN
West
DEN
KC
LV
LAC
NFC East
DAL
NYG
PHI
WAS
North
CHI
DET
GB
MIN
South
ATL
CAR
NO
TB
West
ARI
LAR
SF
SEA

Current roster
Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists

Practice squad


Rookies in italics

Roster updated December 15, 2021

52 active, 4 inactive, 16 practice squad

→ AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Preseason

The Bills preseason schedule was announced on May 12. They opened the preseason with a 16-15 road win against the Detroit Lions.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 13 at Detroit Lions W 16–15 1–0 Ford Field Recap
2 August 21 at Chicago Bears W 41–15 2–0 Soldier Field Recap
3 August 28 Green Bay Packers W 19–0 3–0 Highmark Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

The Bills 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.

Week Date Time (ET) Opponent Result Record Venue TV Recap
1 September 12 1:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Steelers L 16–23 0–1 Highmark Stadium CBS Recap
2 September 19 1:00 p.m. at Miami Dolphins W 35–0 1–1 Hard Rock Stadium Fox Recap
3 September 26 1:00 p.m. Washington Football Team W 43–21 2–1 Highmark Stadium Fox Recap
4 October 3 1:00 p.m. Houston Texans W 40–0 3–1 Highmark Stadium CBS Recap
5 October 10 8:20 p.m. at Kansas City Chiefs W 38–20 4–1 Arrowhead Stadium NBC Recap
6 October 18 8:15 p.m. at Tennessee Titans L 31–34 4–2 Nissan Stadium ESPN Recap
7 Bye
8 October 31 1:00 p.m. Miami Dolphins W 26–11 5–2 Highmark Stadium CBS Recap
9 November 7 1:00 p.m. at Jacksonville Jaguars L 6–9 5–3 TIAA Bank Field CBS Recap
10 November 14 1:00 p.m. at New York Jets W 45–17 6–3 MetLife Stadium CBS Recap
11 November 21 1:00 p.m. Indianapolis Colts L 15–41 6–4 Highmark Stadium CBS Recap
12 November 25 8:20 p.m. at New Orleans Saints W 31–6 7–4 Caesars Superdome NBC Recap
13 December 6 8:15 p.m. New England Patriots L 10–14 7–5 Highmark Stadium ESPN Recap
14 December 12 4:25 p.m. at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 27–33 (OT) 7–6 Raymond James Stadium CBS Recap
15 December 19 1:00 p.m. Carolina Panthers Highmark Stadium Fox
16 December 26 1:00 p.m. at New England Patriots Gillette Stadium CBS
17 January 2 1:00 p.m. Atlanta Falcons Highmark Stadium Fox
18 January 9 1:00 p.m. New York Jets Highmark Stadium CBS

Notes:

  • Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
  • Networks and times from Weeks 16–18 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.
  • Week 18 is subject to being flexed to Saturday, January 8.

Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 0 61723
Bills 3 7 0616

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Despite a 10–0 halftime lead and a strong performance from the Buffalo defense, the Bills' hopes for a third straight Week 1 victory were dashed after Pittsburgh scored 20 unanswered points in the second half, including a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. The Bills were also hurt by several penalties throughout the game. With the loss, Buffalo began the season 0–1 for the first time since 2018.[2]

Week 2: at Miami Dolphins
Week 2: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bills 14 0 71435
Dolphins 0 0 000

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Buffalo rebounded from its loss the prior week with the most dominant win over division rival Miami in franchise history. Despite another mediocre performance by quarterback Josh Allen, a strong performance from running backs Devin Singletary and Zack Moss, as well as the defense, allowed the Bills to win 35–0. Dolphins quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Jacoby Brissett were sacked six times, with Tagovailoa leaving the game in the first quarter after a rib injury.[3]

Week 3: vs. Washington Football Team
Week 3: Washington Football Team at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Washington 0 14 0721
Bills 7 20 9743

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Josh Allen and the Bills' passing game enjoyed a strong performance, as Allen accounted for five total touchdowns and surpassed 300 passing yards for the first time in the season. Aside from a 73-yard scoring reception by running back Antonio Gibson and two scores from quarterback Taylor Heinicke set up by a Buffalo special teams gaffe and garbage time, respectively, Washington's offense struggled against the Bills defense. With another win, Buffalo improved to 2–1.[4]

Week 4: vs. Houston Texans
Week 4: Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 0 000
Bills 7 9 32140

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Buffalo faced Houston for the first time since a 22–19 overtime loss in the 2019–20 NFL playoffs. Despite an early interception, Allen completed two touchdown passes to tight end Dawson Knox and led the Bills to 33 points before backup Mitchell Trubisky was substituted on in the fourth quarter. The Bills defense limited the Texans' rookie quarterback Davis Mills, filling in for former Bills starter Tyrod Taylor, to just 87 passing yards and intercepted him four times. The Texans finished with just 109 total offensive yards. With the 40–0 victory, their second shutout win of the season, the Bills improved to 3–1.[5]

Week 5: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 5: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bills 7 17 7738
Chiefs 3 10 0720

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

The Bills returned to Arrowhead Stadium for a Sunday night rematch of the previous season's AFC Championship game looking to avenge a 38–24 loss; in that same season, the Bills had also lost in the regular season to Kansas City. In a game nationally anticipated as a potential bellwether for AFC contention, the Bills scored 38 points, and they were dominant on both sides of the ball throughout the game. While Allen earned a 139.1 passer rating and threw for 315 yards (averaging 21 yards per pass completion), the Bills defense sacked Patrick Mahomes twice and forced him into three turnovers, with one being returned for a touchdown. The game was affected greatly by weather conditions, as a rain delay extended halftime by over an hour, and by numerous penalties, as the two teams combined for 158 penalty yards.[6]

This was Buffalo's first win over Kansas City since 2017 and their first win with Mahomes as the Chiefs' starting quarterback. The win improved the Bills to 4–1.

Week 6: at Tennessee Titans
Week 6: Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bills 3 17 11031
Titans 0 17 71034

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information

The Bills attempted to avenge a 42–16 loss to the Titans from the previous season, which was rescheduled several times due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Titans organization.[7] In the final moments of a back-and-forth shootout on Monday Night Football, in which the lead changed seven times, the Titans defensive line stopped Josh Allen on a fourth-down quarterback sneak at the Tennessee 3-yard line, and Buffalo narrowly lost 34–31, falling to 4–2 ahead of its bye week.[8]

Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 8: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Dolphins 0 3 0811
Bills 3 0 71626

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

The Dolphins, who entered the game at 1–6, dominated the time of possession in the first half and limited Buffalo's offense to a field goal; however, they also squandered two scoring opportunities in the red zone, culminating in a 3–3 tie at halftime. The Bills would score two unanswered touchdowns to Gabriel Davis and Stefon Diggs after halftime en route to a 26–11 win, their seventh straight over Miami.[9]

Week 9: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 9: Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bills 3 3 006
Jaguars 3 3 039

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 63,110
  • Referee: Land Clark
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Jenny Dell
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Bills entered this game as 14.5-point favorites over the 1–6 Jacksonville Jaguars.[10] Nevertheless, the game was a defensive struggle, with neither team finding the end zone. Despite outgaining Jacksonville by 83 yards, the Bills lost the turnover battle 1–3, with all of their turnovers coming from quarterback Josh Allen (two interceptions and a lost fumble). Allen was sacked four times for 35 yards, and Buffalo was penalized 12 times for 118 yards. After allowing field goals on each of their first two drives, the Jaguars defense had their way with the Bills offensive line, which was missing Jon Feliciano and Spencer Brown due to injury. Notably, Josh Allen's namesake on the Jaguars sacked, intercepted, and recovered a fumble from his Bills counterpart.[11] Jacksonville pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history, defeating the Bills 9–6 and winning their first game in North America since Week 1 of the 2020 season.[12] With the stunning loss, Buffalo fell to 5–3, with their division lead over the New England Patriots shrinking to just half a game.

Week 10: at New York Jets
Week 10: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bills 10 7 21745
Jets 0 3 01417

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Buffalo rebounded against the divisional rival New York Jets, scoring six touchdowns after being held out of the endzone the week prior, with two of those touchdowns accounted for by third string running back Matt Breida. On defense, all five starting defensive backs for the Bills, namely Taron Johnson, Micah Hyde, Tre'Davious White, Levi Wallace, and Jordan Poyer, recorded a turnover off the Jets' offense, stifling quarterback Mike White.[13] With the 45–17 win, Buffalo improved to 6–3.[14]

Week 11: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 11: Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Colts 14 10 14341
Bills 0 7 0815

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

The Bills defense, missing key run-stoppers Star Lotulelei and Tremaine Edmunds, struggled to contain Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, who scored five total touchdowns from scrimmage.[15] To make matters worse, the Buffalo offense and special teams unit committed key turnovers, contributing to a 41–15 blowout loss. Buffalo fell to 6–4, also falling to second place in the AFC East as the Patriots had won earlier that week.[16] This was the first NFL game to ever end in the score of 15-41.[17]

Week 12: at New Orleans Saints

Thanksgiving Day games

Week 12: Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bills 7 3 14731
Saints 0 0 066

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

In their second Thanksgiving Day game in three years, the Bills traveled south to play the injury-depleted Saints. Josh Allen continued to struggle with interceptions, throwing two in the second quarter, but also threw four touchdown passes, including two to Dawson Knox, as Buffalo routed New Orleans 31–6 to improve to 7–4.[19] Unfortunately, they would also lose Tre'Davious White for the season to a torn ACL suffered during the game.[20]

Week 13: vs. New England Patriots
Week 13: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Patriots 8 3 0314
Bills 7 0 3010

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 36 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 69,694
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In a game affected by winds greater than 40 miles per hour, divisional rival New England ran the ball 46 times and only threw three passes, accumulating over 200 rushing yards and just 19 passing yards. The Bills also tried a run-heavy approach but relied more on the passing game late in the game despite the heavy winds affecting several of Josh Allen's passes. New England never trailed after taking the early lead with a 64-yard rushing touchdown by Damien Harris, and Buffalo finished just 1 for 4 on redzone possessions, leading to a 14–10 loss to the Patriots.[21]

Week 14: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 14: Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Bills 0 3 717027
Buccaneers 7 17 03633

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

The Buccaneers raced to a 24–3 halftime lead under former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, along with a strong first-half performance by running back Leonard Fournette and a furious pass rush that largely shut down Josh Allen and the Bills' offense, which did not hand off the ball to a running back in the first half, the first time an NFL team had not done so since 1991. However, the Bills mounted a comeback, outscoring Tampa Bay 24–3 in the second half, to force overtime. After a three and out on the first series of the extra period, a 63-yard punt from Matt Haack pushed Tampa Bay to its own 6-yard line. A controversial pass interference call on Levi Wallace allowed Tampa Bay to convert a 3rd-and-long, and the Buccaneers sealed the game minutes later with a 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass from Brady to Breshad Perriman, sending Buffalo to a 7–6 record with the loss.[22] Allen became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history with 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game, playing through a sprained ankle suffered in the fourth quarter.[23]

Week 15: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 15: Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 0 000
Bills 0 0 000

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Division
AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
New England Patriots 9 4 0 .692 3–1 7–1 350 200 W7
Buffalo Bills 7 6 0 .538 3–1 5–5 363 229 L2
Miami Dolphins 6 7 0 .462 2–2 4–5 254 288 W5
New York Jets † 3 10 0 .231 0–4 3–6 226 397 L2

Conference
AFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Kansas City Chiefs West 10 4 0 .714 4–1 5–4 .549 .527 W7
2[lower-alpha 1] New England Patriots East 9 4 0 .692 3–1 7–1 .476 .424 W7
3[lower-alpha 1] Tennessee Titans South 9 4 0 .692 4–1 6–3 .465 .466 W1
4 Baltimore Ravens North 8 5 0 .615 1–3 5–5 .485 .476 L2
Wild cards
5 Los Angeles Chargers West 8 6 0 .571 2–2 5–4 .552 .500 L1
6[lower-alpha 2] Indianapolis Colts South 7 6 0 .538 3–2 6–3 .467 .319 W1
7[lower-alpha 2] Buffalo Bills East 7 6 0 .538 3–1 5–5 .485 .424 L1
In the hunt
8[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] Cleveland Browns North 7 6 0 .538 2–2 4–5 .509 .390 W1
9[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] Cincinnati Bengals North 7 6 0 .538 3–1 5–3 .444 .401 L2
10[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 5] Denver Broncos West 7 6 0 .538 1–2 3–5 .450 .364 W1
11 Pittsburgh Steelers North 6 6 1 .500 2–2 4–4 .491 .487 L1
12[lower-alpha 6] Las Vegas Raiders West 6 7 0 .462 1–3 4–4 .532 .545 L2
13[lower-alpha 6] Miami Dolphins East 6 7 0 .462 2–2 4–5 .450 .397 W5
Eliminated from postseason contention
14 New York Jets East 3 10 0 .231 0–4 3–6 .509 .462 L1
15[lower-alpha 7] Houston Texans South 2 11 0 .154 2–2 2–7 .509 .423 L3
16[lower-alpha 7] Jacksonville Jaguars South 2 11 0 .154 0–4 2–6 .538 .500 L5
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 8]
  1. New England wins tiebreaker over Tennessee based on head-to-head win percentage.
  2. Indianapolis, Buffalo, Cleveland and Denver are rank based on conference record. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Cincinnati (see below).
  3. Cleveland win tiebreaker over Denver based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Cincinnati (see below).
  4. Cleveland win tiebreaker over Cincinnati based on head-to-head victory.
  5. Cincinnati win tiebreaker over Denver based on conference record.
  6. Las Vegas wins tiebreaker over Miami based on head-to-head victory.
  7. Houston wins tiebreaker over Jacksonville based on head-to-head victory.
  8. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

References
  1. Williams, Charean (2021-03-29). "Bills rename stadium to Highmark Stadium after naming-rights deal". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  2. Parrino, Matt (2021-09-12). "Bills' high-powered offense humbled by Steelers; Josh Allen: 'We're going to learn from this'". syracuse. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  3. "Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills bounce back with big win against Miami Dolphins". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
  4. "Washington gets routed by Buffalo with a crumbling defense and a turnover-prone offense". Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  5. Fierro, Nick. "Buffalo Bills outclass Houston Texans with dominating defense". Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  6. "Allen, Bills beat Chiefs 38-20 in AFC title game rematch". AP NEWS. 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  7. Middlehurst-Schwartz, Michael (October 8, 2020). "Titans' game against Bills delayed to Tuesday amid COVID-19 outbreak". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  8. "Sean McDermott absolutely made the right call on the failed Josh Allen 4th down run". For The Win. 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  9. "Bills wake up in second half to beat Dolphins 26-11". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  10. Skrive, Data. "Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Week 9 Odds, Plays and Insights for November 7, 2021". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  11. "Jaguars LB Josh Allen sacks, intercepts Bills QB Josh Allen to make NFL history". NFL.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  12. "Jaguars pull off seventh-largest upset since 1990, beat Bills despite closing as 15.5-point underdogs". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  13. "Bills starting secondary all record turnovers in blowout win over Jets (Encouraged/worried)". syracuse. 2021-11-14. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  14. Wolf, Jason (2021-11-14). "Bills beat Jets 45-17: How it happened, stars of the game, key plays". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  15. Gastelum, Andrew. "Jonathan Taylor Nears NFL Records With Five TDs vs. Bills". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  16. "Buffalo Bills looking like 'big disappointment' following loss to Colts (Post-Week 11 power rankings)". syracuse. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  17. "All Games in Pro Football History with a 41 to 15 score". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  18. "Mike Tirico & Drew Brees to call Bills-Saints Thanksgiving Night on NBC & Peacock". NBC Sports Pressbox. NBC. November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  19. "Buffalo Bills vs. New Orleans Saints Live Score and Stats - November 25, 2021 Gametracker". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  20. "Bills CB Tre'Davious White out for season with torn ACL". NFL.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  21. "Analysis: Patriots, with just three pass attempts, grind out a big win over the Bills". Washington Post. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  22. "Bills doomed vs. Buccaneers by pass interference that was... and wasn't". Touchdown Wire. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  23. Talbot, Ryan (2021-12-13). "Josh Allen leads Buffalo back in superhuman effort vs. Bucs; Bills fall short in OT (Week 14 report card)". syracuse. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
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