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94-423: The team was coached by former Buffalo Bills quarterback–head coach Kay Stephenson . Charlie Sumner was the defensive coordinator and Jim Haslett was a defensive assistant coach. The inaugural 1991 season was disappointing for the seven North American teams as none had a winning season, but 3-7 Sacramento managed to provide the only winning record over a Europe based team, 2-0 versus Frankfurt Galaxy , as this

188-460: A brawl between the teams. The second time was in week 9 of the 2021 season. By now, the "point" of the rivalry, Marrone's feud with the Bills organization, and the personal drama between Bills and Jaguars players no longer applied as Marrone had been fired and replaced by Urban Meyer and all the players from the 2017 Jaguars team have since moved on to other teams or retired. Regardless, this game

282-591: A charter member of the American Football League led by head coach Buster Ramsey and joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. In the first two seasons, the Bills went 5–8–1 and 6–8 under Ramsey. The Bills won two consecutive American Football League titles in 1964 and 1965 with quarterback Jack Kemp and coach Lou Saban , but the club has yet to win a league championship since. Once

376-480: A competitive rivalry in the 1980s and 1990s, the Bills became dominant in the 1990s. Things have since cooled down after the retirements of Kelly and Marino and the rise of the New England Patriots , but Miami remains a fierce rival of the Bills, coming in second place in a recent poll of Buffalo's primary rival, and the two teams have typically been close to each other in win–loss records. Miami leads

470-723: A core of talent including Allen, Stefon Diggs , Matt Milano , and Tre'Davious White . In the 2020 season, the Bills reached the AFC Championship for the first time since the 1993 season. However, their run ended with a 38–24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills won the AFC East with a 11–6 record in the 2021 season. The Bills defeated the Patriots 47–17 in the Wild Card Round before falling to

564-414: A dark blue shoulder yoke and royal blue numbers. The helmet remained primarily red with one navy blue, two nickel, two royal blue, two white stripes, and a white face mask. A new logo, a stylized "B" consisting of two bullets and a more detailed buffalo head on top, was proposed and had been released (it can be seen on a few baseball caps that were released for sale), but fan backlash led to the team retaining

658-408: A distinctive stripe pattern on the sleeves consisting of four stripes, two thicker inner stripes and two thinner outer stripes all bordered by red piping. By 1965 , red and blue center stripes were put on the helmets. The Bills introduced blue pants worn with the white jerseys in 1973 , the last year of the standing buffalo helmet. The blue pants remained through 1985 . The face mask on the helmet

752-479: A groundbreaking ceremony on June 5, 2023. The same day the Bills announced an extension to its existing stadium naming rights deal with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield , with the Highmark Stadium name to be used for the new venue; it will be referred to as "New Highmark Stadium" during construction to distinguish it from the Bills' current home. The Buffalo Bills' lease included a provision allowing for

846-469: A handful of competitive moments. The series heated up recently when former Jets head coach Rex Ryan became the Bills' head coach for two seasons and had become notable again as Bills quarterback Josh Allen and former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold , both drafted in the same year, maintained a friendly rivalry with one another. Buffalo leads the series 69–58 as of 2023, including a playoff win in 1981. The Kansas City Chiefs , another original franchise in

940-503: A new stadium fund, for which $ 500,000 was set aside in 2018 with the same amount earmarked for 2019. The first focus groups were assembled in February 2019. Mark Poloncarz, the current county executive of Erie County, New York , stated in 2012 that a stadium in the city of Buffalo would not be feasible, as too much property in the city remained in private hands, which would trigger an eminent domain lawsuit if it were seized to build

1034-541: A new study board to discuss the feasibility and plans for a new stadium. Later, on March 6, 2014, the County of Erie appointed its seven members to the board, including future New York State governor Kathy Hochul , then with M&T Bank , and Richard Tobe, the Deputy Erie County Executive. Shortly after the death of owner Ralph Wilson , on March 27, 2014, the Bills selected their members for

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1128-718: A professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area . The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York and are building a new stadium which will be completed in 2026. The Bills are the only NFL team to play their home games within

1222-515: A report detailing suggested stadium sites based upon criteria of site size, cost of land, infrastructure and external development, among other factors. The study narrowed the search to four sites. The Pegulas indicated on July 31, 2015, that they had no immediate plans to pursue a new stadium. The situation remained unchanged as of November 2017. By March 2018, the Pegulas had entered the "very early stages" of exploring long-term stadium options for

1316-584: A series of highly drafted players such as Jim Kelly (who initially played for the USFL instead of the Bills), Thurman Thomas , Bruce Smith and Darryl Talley allowed the Bills to rebuild into a perennial contender in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s under head coach Marv Levy, a period in which the team won four consecutive AFC Championships ; the team nevertheless lost all four subsequent Super Bowls , records in both categories that still stand. The rise of

1410-544: Is also noted for several players being a members of both teams during their careers, including Drew Bledsoe , Doug Flutie , Lawyer Milloy , Brandon Spikes , Scott Chandler , Chris Hogan , Mike Gillislee , and Stephon Gilmore . The Bills and Jets were both original AFL teams, and both represent the state of New York , though the Jets have played their home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey since 1984. While

1504-469: Is being designed by Populous , who previously designed Sahlen Field in downtown Buffalo and twelve other active NFL stadiums, with which the new Orchard Park stadium will share numerous design elements and features. The stadium is estimated to cost $ 1.7 billion. Under an agreement with the state of New York, taxpayers will pay $ 850 million of the construction cost (with $ 600 million coming from New York State and $ 250 million coming from Erie County). With

1598-508: Is notable as it was the first Bills playoff appearance in 17 seasons. Prior to this, Jacksonville had handed Buffalo its first playoff loss in Bills Stadium in 1996. Following the 2017 wild card game the Bills and Jaguars have met three additional times. The first was a "rematch" game in week 12 of the 2018 season, which saw the Bills win 24–21. During this game, trash talk from former Jaguars players such as Jalen Ramsey resulted in

1692-401: Is under construction in Orchard Park, New York . It will replace the Bills' existing stadium of the same name and is expected to open in time for the 2026 NFL season . The 62,000-seat stadium is being built adjacent to Erie Community College ’s south campus across the street from the existing Highmark Stadium, which will be demolished following the completion of the new stadium. The stadium

1786-580: The AFC South , and in 2019 the New York Jets have since switched back to green-colored helmets, after playing 20 years with white ones.) In 2002 , under the direction of general manager Tom Donahoe , the Bills' uniforms went through radical changes. A darker shade of blue was introduced as the primary jersey color, and nickel gray was introduced as an accent color. Both the blue and white jerseys featured red side panels. The white jerseys included

1880-588: The AFL–NFL merger took effect, the Bills became the second NFL team to represent the city; they followed the Buffalo All-Americans , a charter member of the league. Buffalo had been left out of the league since the All-Americans (by that point renamed the Bisons) folded in 1929; the Bills were no less than the third professional non-NFL team to compete in the city before the merger, following

1974-663: The Baltimore Colts , the Miami Dolphins , and the New England Patriots , who all also wore white helmets at that point. Ferguson said, "Everyone we played had white helmets at that time. Our new head coach Kay Stephenson just wanted to get more of a contrast on the field that may help spot a receiver down the field." (The Patriots have worn silver helmets since 1993, the Colts have since been realigned to

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2068-569: The Detroit Lions at the time. Ralph Wilson had been a minority owner of the Lions before founding the Bills, and the Bills' predecessors in the AAFC had also worn blue and silver uniforms. The team's original colors were Honolulu blue, silver, and white, and the helmets were silver with no striping. There was no logo on the helmet, which displayed the players' numbers on each side. In 1962 ,

2162-607: The Detroit Lions . The Cleveland Browns once shared a rivalry with the Bills' predecessors in the All-America Football Conference . The current teams have a more friendly relationship and have played sporadically since the AFL–NFL merger . This is often considered Buffalo's most famous rivalry. Though the Bills and Dolphins both originated in the American Football League , the Dolphins did not start playing until 1966 as an expansion team, while

2256-739: The Frank Reich -led Bills overcame a 35–3 deficit to stun the Oilers 41–38 in 1992, and the Music City Miracle , in which the now-Titans scored on a near-last-minute kickoff return with a controversial lateral pass ruling to beat the Bills 22–16 in 1999. The Music City Miracle was notable for being Buffalo's last playoff appearance until 2017. The Titans currently lead the series 30–20. The Buffalo Bills have retired three numbers in franchise history: No. 12 for Jim Kelly , No. 34 for Thurman Thomas , and No. 78 for Bruce Smith . Although

2350-666: The Indians/Tigers of the early 1940s and an earlier team named the Bills , originally the Bisons, in the late 1940s in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Following the AFL–NFL merger, the Bills were generally mediocre in the 1970s but featured All-Pro running back O. J. Simpson . After being pushed to the brink of failure in the mid-1980s, the collapse of the United States Football League and

2444-450: The 1970s before becoming perennial postseason contenders from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Their greatest success occurred between 1990 and 1993 when they appeared in a record four consecutive Super Bowls , an accomplishment often overshadowed by the fact they lost all four. From the early 2000s to the mid-2010s, the Bills endured the longest playoff drought of 17 years in the four major North American professional sports , making them

2538-501: The 1980s, including all eight home games in 1984 , but stopped doing so beginning in 1987. On November 6, 2011, against the New York Jets, the Bills wore white at home for the first time since 1986 . Since 2011, the Bills have worn white for home games, either with their primary uniform or a throwback set. The Bills' uniform received minor alterations as part of the league's new uniform contract with Nike . The new Nike uniform

2632-416: The 2000s. However, Brady's arrival in the early 2000s led to the Patriots dominating the AFC East, including the Bills, for two decades. As a result, New England replaced the Dolphins as Buffalo's most hated rival. The Bills have taken a 7–2 edge since Brady's departure in 2020, which included consecutive AFC East titles from 2020 to 2022 and a season sweep of the Patriots in two of the three years. In 2021,

2726-515: The 2004 and 2005 seasons. He went 9–7 but missed the postseason in 2004 and 5–11 in 2005. He resigned from the team following the 2005 season. From 2006 to 2009, the Bills were coached by Dick Jauron. Following three consecutive 7–9 seasons, Jauron was dismissed after a 3–6 start to his fourth season. Perry Fewell finished out the season as interim with a 3–4 mark. From 2010 to 2012, the Bills were coached by Chan Gailey. The team had Ryan Fitzpatrick as their quarterback in those seasons. Gailey

2820-531: The 2020 AFC Championship Game that saw the team advance to its second straight Super Bowl appearance, while Buffalo defeated Kansas City in the 1993 AFC Championship Game to advance to its fourth straight Super Bowl appearance. However, after each victory in the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs or the Bills went on to lose the ensuing Super Bowl. Despite a lull in the series in the 2000s and 2010s,

2914-452: The 31 since he joined the Bills in 2023. Number 32 had been withdrawn from circulation but not retired after O. J. Simpson . Former owner Ralph Wilson insisted on not reissuing the number, even after Simpson's highly publicized murder case and later robbery conviction . The number was placed back into circulation in 2019 with Senorise Perry wearing the number that year; it is currently worn by linebacker Nicholas Morrow . Number 15

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3008-465: The AFL, have a long history against the Bills, despite the two teams never being in the same division. Buffalo currently leads the series 29–24–1, which has included five playoff meetings, three of which were AFL/AFC Championship Games; Kansas City won the 1966 AFL Championship Game that determined the AFL's representative in the first Super Bowl against the NFL champion Green Bay Packers , in addition to

3102-466: The AFL-NFL merger. Match-ups were intense in the 1990s, with quarterback Warren Moon leading the Oilers against Jim Kelly's Bills. After both teams failed to meet the same success in the late 2000s to early 2010s, they have returned to consistent playoff contention since 2017, resulting in several high-profile games as of late. Memorable playoff moments between the teams include The Comeback , in which

3196-425: The Bills are the only NFL team that plays home games in the state of New York. The franchise is owned by Terry and Kim Pegula , who purchased the Bills after the death of the original owner Ralph Wilson in 2014. The Bills won consecutive AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965 , the only major professional sports championships from a team representing Buffalo. After joining the NFL, they struggled heavily during

3290-427: The Bills broke the playoff drought, appearing in the playoffs for six of the next seven seasons. The team drafted Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The team earned its first division championship and playoff wins since 1995 during the 2020 season, aided by Brady's departure to Tampa Bay and out of the AFC East, as well as the Bills' own development of

3384-569: The Bills contributing $ 350 million, and the National Football League via a G-4 loan $ 200 million. In addition the Bills signed a 30-year lease, with a buyout option after 15 years. The stadium would be owned by New York State, a change from the current stadium which is owned by Erie County. Of that $ 600 million funding, $ 418 million will come from funds seized from the Seneca Nation of New York for funds overdue as part of

3478-414: The Bills dominated in a 47–17 victory against the Patriots in the two teams' first playoff match-up in 59 years, which saw the Bills score a touchdown on every offensive drive throughout the entire game and, as such, is the only "perfect offensive game" in NFL history. Overall, the Patriots lead the series 78–50–1 as of 2023, but trail the Bills by a 47–46–1 margin without Brady on the field. The rivalry

3572-443: The Bills during the NFL owners' meetings, becoming the second ownership group of the team after team founder Ralph Wilson . Prior to the 2015 season, the team hired former Jets' head coach Rex Ryan to become the next head coach of the Bills. The team went 8–8 in 2015 and 7–9 in 2016. Ryan was dismissed with one game remaining in the 2016 season, with Anthony Lynn finishing the season as interim. Under head coach Sean McDermott,

3666-525: The Bills for their current stadium on March 29, 2021. The Bills announced on June 5, 2023, during a groundbreaking ceremony that its naming rights deal with Highmark had been extended, with the "Highmark Stadium" name carrying over the new venue. (To avoid confusion with the current venue, it will be referred to as "New Highmark Stadium" during construction.) Terms of the extended naming agreement were not released, with Bills executive vice president and chief operating officer Ron Raccuia simply referring to it as

3760-412: The Bills have retired only three jersey numbers, other numbers are no longer issued or are in reduced circulation. Since the team's earliest days, the number 31 was not supposed to be issued to any other player. The Bills had stationery and various other team merchandise showing a running player wearing that number, and it was not supposed to represent any specific person but the 'spirit of the team.' In

3854-538: The Bills strongly preferred to build a new stadium and not attempt any further renovations on Highmark Stadium. In early August it was reported that Pegula Sports and Entertainment had made their first offer demanding full taxpayer funding of a new stadium in Orchard Park at a cost of $ 1.1 billion, part of a broader $ 1.5 billion package that would also include renovations to KeyBank Center , Buffalo's indoor sports arena. The Pegulas reportedly threatened to relocate

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3948-455: The Bills were one of the original eight AFL teams. The rivalry first gained prominence when the Dolphins won every match-up against the Bills in the 1970s for an NFL-record 20 straight wins against a single opponent (the Bills defeated the Dolphins in their first match-up of the 1980s). Fortunes changed in the following decades with the rise of Jim Kelly as Buffalo's franchise quarterback. Though Kelly and Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino shared

4042-469: The Bills' uniforms outside of football was in the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships when the United States men's national junior ice hockey team wore Bills-inspired uniforms in their outdoor game against Team Canada on December 29, 2017. This game was also played at the Bills' home stadium, Highmark Stadium. On April 1, 2021, the team announced they would wear white face masks during

4136-568: The Bills. In September 2018, the Pegulas stated that they would begin planning the new stadium, or possibly renovating the current one, after the November 2018 gubernatorial elections , as state funding would likely be required. During the fall of 2018, PS&E hired consultant CAA ICON to handle stadium planning for both the Bills and the Buffalo Sabres , with no constraints on potential locations. Concurrently, Erie County has created

4230-674: The Buffalo area, detailed a plan for a new Bills stadium and retail in downtown Buffalo, immediately to the east of the KeyBank Center . The AECOM report recommended four sites, including along the Buffalo River and Ohio Street, next to the KeyBank Center, at the current site of Highmark Stadium , and across from Sahlen Field . Other potential stadium locations mentioned or rumored, included: On August 26, 2014, it

4324-570: The Divisional Round. In the 2023 season, the Bills won the AFC East for the fourth consecutive season. In the Wild Card Round, they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–17 before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round 27–24. The Buffalo Bills have also announced the plans to build a new stadium to replace Highmark Stadium in 2026. For their first two seasons, the Bills wore uniforms based on those of

4418-600: The GBSEC submitted a $ 500,000 offer to the NFTA for the exclusive right to negotiate the purchase of 150 acres (61 ha) of outer harbor land. On August 26, 2014, it was announced that the Outer Harbor site was no longer being considered, after a study showed that at least four bridges would need to be built to effectively service the increase in traffic. On May 11, 2014, another proposal for an outer harbor sports complex

4512-609: The Kansas City Chiefs 42–36 in overtime . In the 2022 season, the Bills won the AFC East with a 13–3 record. The season saw a cancelled game against the Bengals due to a near-fatal medical episode with Damar Hamlin, who eventually recovered and returned to football activities the following season. The team defeated the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card Round 34–31 before falling to the Cincinnati Bengals 27–10 in

4606-554: The Pegulas chose Legends Global Planning to represent ownership, consult on a new stadium and sell sponsorships and premium seats for the venue. In addition, an unnamed source claimed that the Bills were planning to build a new stadium in Orchard Park to replace Highmark Stadium, with two of the television stations in Rochester, New York reporting the unnamed source's claims as fact. A June 19 report from WGRZ in Buffalo, also neither confirmed nor denied by any officials, stated that

4700-504: The Silver Anniversary team to commemorate its 25th anniversary. The Bills have had twenty coaches serve as head coach in franchise history. → Coaching staff → Front office → More NFL staffs Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) New Highmark Stadium Highmark Stadium (also referred to as New Highmark Stadium and colloquially as The Pit ) is an American football stadium that

4794-544: The State of New York also paying for all maintenance and repair costs once the stadium opens, it is the largest taxpayer contribution ever for a National Football League facility. Economics professor Victor Matheson, who studies stadium subsidies, described the deal as "one of the worst stadium deals in recent memory." Groundbreaking for the stadium occurred in June 2023, with major construction starting that same month along with

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4888-454: The WLAF was discontinued after 1992, returning in 1995 as NFL Europe. On this championship team were future professional wrestler Bill Goldberg and investor Pete Najarian . After the WLAF ended its American presence at the end of the 1992 season, Anderson continued Sacramento's presence in professional football by acquiring a Canadian Football League expansion franchise for 1993. The new team

4982-625: The compact to operate the Seneca Niagara Casino , Seneca Allegany Casino and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino . The state will also contribute $ 100 million over a 15-year period for maintenance and $ 6 million per year over the course of the lease for capital improvements, both figures to be adjusted for inflation according to the Consumer Price Index . On August 9, 2023, the Associated Press reported that

5076-426: The costs of the stadium had increased by $ 300 million due to "increased labor and material costs" of which the owners of the Bills are contractually obligated to pickup due to the agreement. Neil deMause, co-author of the book Field of Schemes (2008), has criticized the financing plan for not taking present value of money fully into account. For example, much of the construction money will be paid upfront, whereas

5170-428: The creation of a working group to explore options for either a new stadium for the team, or an extensive retrofit of their current Highmark Stadium . On February 10, 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo 's administration appointed Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown , Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster , Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy , Buffalo Niagara Partnership CEO Dottie Gallagher-Cohen and Empire State Development President Kenneth Adams to

5264-411: The division rival New England Patriots under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady , along with numerous failed attempts at rebuilding in the 2000s and 2010s, helped prevent the Bills from reaching the playoffs in seventeen consecutive seasons between 2000 and 2016, a 17-year drought that was the longest active playoff drought in all major professional sports at the time. Mike Mularkey coached the Bills in

5358-752: The early 1980s as amateur clubs, the Stuttgart fans and members haven chosen to use "Surge" in the EFL, and to continue as Scorpions in the national GFL. Head coaches Offensive coaches Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends Defensive Linemen Defensive Backs Special Teams Rookies in italics Head coaches Offensive coaches Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends Defensive Linemen Defensive Backs Special Teams Rookies in italics Buffalo Bills National Football League ( 1970 –present) The Buffalo Bills are

5452-537: The elements, and thus the stadium would be ineligible to host the Super Bowl ; civic leaders in Buffalo argued that Buffalo lacked the infrastructure to host the Super Bowl, nor any other event large enough to make full use of the venue outside of football, and that the team should not bother trying to build a stadium for such events, nor bid for them. The city's reputation for cold, snowy weather also played into

5546-504: The first three decades of the team's existence, the number 31 was only seen once. In 1969, when reserve running back Preston Ridlehuber damaged his number 36 jersey during a game, equipment manager Tony Marchitte gave him the number 31 jersey to wear while repairing the number 36. The number 31 was not reissued until 1990 when first-round draft choice James Williams wore it for his first two seasons; it has since been returned to general circulation. Cornerback Rasul Douglas currently wears

5640-564: The group met with Erie County legislators, their second major appearance since October. During this meeting, the idea of having the Strong Foundation open a sports museum on the $ 1.8 billion premises was also strengthened. Howard Zemsky, chairman of the NFTA said that he was opposed to the project, referring to the idea of granting a nine to twelve month option on the waterfront land, saying simply "we're not doing that." In May 2013

5734-431: The hoped-for increases in economic activity and tax revenues will take place over the next 30 years. Ceremonial groundbreaking for the new stadium took place on June 5, 2023, leading into excavation work over the following months. By March 2024, excavation was nearly complete, with work commencing on concrete pouring and steel beam assembly. By August 2024, the steel had risen noticeably above ground. Observers have noted

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5828-469: The last franchise in the four leagues to qualify for the postseason in the 21st century. They returned to consistent postseason contention by the late 2010s, although the Bills have not returned to the Super Bowl. Alongside the Minnesota Vikings , their four Super Bowl appearances are the most among NFL franchises that have not won the Super Bowl. The Bills began competitive play in 1960 as

5922-512: The lowest capacity stadium currently used in the NFL (and whose main tenant the Chicago Bears are also exploring a new stadium ). Unusually for an American sports venue, the stadium would not be an all-seater : a 5,000-person standing room only deck would also be included in the venue, potentially increasing capacity to 68,000. The new venue will not include a roof, but it would be designed so that about 65% of seats would be protected from

6016-522: The newly established " European League of Football " which sees itself as a continuation of WLAF and NFL Europe, having an agreement with the NFL to use "old" franchise names, logos and colors. With the Sacramento Surge having both a 3-0 all-time winning record against the "old" Frankfurt Galaxy name that was revived, and Surge being in line with the S alliteration of team names Stuttgart Scorpions and "Stuttgart Stallions" that were established in

6110-497: The overall series 62–58–1 as of 2023, but Buffalo has the advantage in the playoffs at 4–1, including a win in the 1992 AFC Championship Game . The rivalry with the New England Patriots began when both teams were original franchises in the American Football League (AFL) prior to the NFL–AFL merger , but did not gain notability until the emergence of New England quarterback Tom Brady in 2001. The teams were very competitive prior to

6204-401: The panel, including U.S. Senator Charles Schumer , Bills CEO and President Russ Brandon , local developer Louis Ciminelli, Bills CFO Jeff Littman, New Era Cap Co. CEO Christopher Koch among others. The group's first meeting was held on April 1. On November 5, 2014, Terry and Kim Pegula joined the working group. In mid-January 2015, AECOM , retained by the State of New York, released

6298-400: The rivalry gained attention as the Bills and Chiefs met in nine of ten years from 2008 to 2017. After a two-year hiatus in the series, four high-profile match-ups occurred between the Bills and Chiefs in 2020 and 2021, including the aforementioned 2020 Championship Game and the 2021 Divisional round game , the latter of which is now considered one of the greatest playoff games of all time, but

6392-490: The rivalry represents the differences between New York City and Western New York , it has historically not been as intense as Buffalo's rivalries with the Dolphins and Patriots. When not playing one another, the teams' fan bases either have grudging respect or low-key annoyance for each other (stemming more from the broader upstate-downstate tensions than the teams or sport). The Bills-Jets rivalry has often become characterized by ugly games and shared mediocrity, but it has had

6486-452: The running bison logo. The helmet logo adopted in 1974—a charging royal blue bison with a red streak, white horn, and eyeball—remained unchanged. In 2005 , the Bills revived the standing bison helmet and uniform of the mid-1960s as a throwback uniform. The Bills usually wore the all-blue combination at home and the all-white combination on the road when not wearing the throwback uniforms. They stopped wearing blue-on-white after 2006 , while

6580-643: The semifinals. Two days later, the 9-0 London Monarchs dropped their home match against the Barcelona Dragons which made the Dragons clinch the play-offs instead. After winning the semifinals on US soil, both European franchises met again in Wembley for the World Bowl and a Monarchs shut-out over the Dragons. The Surge won the World Bowl in 1992, the only United States based team to do so, as

6674-549: The similarity of the new stadium's design to that of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. During the excavation phase in September 2023, a fan jumped over a fence guarding the construction site and fell into a hole 30-40 feet. He was found "covered in human excrement" and under the influence of drugs and alcohol before being removed from the site. Throughout the remainder of the Bills' 2023 season, fans continued jumping into

6768-540: The stadium site, later nicknamed "The Pit", with a superstition ongoing that "Feeding the Pit" would lead to a Bills win, as the Bills' 6-game win streak going into the playoffs coincided with someone falling into the stadium site before each game during that stretch. The Bills and the Erie County Sheriff's Office have increased security around the site in response. The first major Buffalo Bills stadium proposal

6862-543: The stadium. He reiterated those concerns in 2019, though in that case he stopped short of ruling out a stadium within the city so as not to disrupt negotiations. During the January 2020 State of the League address, commissioner Roger Goodell stated in regard to the Bills' stadium plans: “Those are things that the group has to settle collectively and to address over the next several months, if not sooner.” On June 18, 2021,

6956-490: The standing red bison was designated as the logo and took its place on a white helmet. In 1962, the team's colors also changed to red, white, and blue. The team switched to blue jerseys with red and white shoulder stripes, similar to the Buffalo Bisons AHL hockey team of the same era. The helmets were white with a red center stripe. The jerseys again saw a change in 1964 when the shoulder stripes were replaced by

7050-411: The state of New York. Founded in 1959 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), they joined the NFL in 1970 following the AFL–NFL merger . The Bills' name is derived from an All-America Football Conference (AAFC) franchise from Buffalo that was in turn named after western frontiersman Buffalo Bill . Drawing much of its fanbase from Western New York and Southern Ontario ,

7144-528: The team after the 2014 season, was hired as a coaching assistant for Jacksonville and eventually rose to become the Jaguars' head coach. The first game between the Marrone-led Jaguars was a London game in week 7 of the 2015 season, which saw the Jaguars' win 34–31. The most important game of this series was an ugly, low-scoring Wild Card game in 2017 that saw the Jaguars win 10–3. This game

7238-481: The team to Austin, Texas if their demands were not met, though they had not contacted anybody in Austin prior to suggesting the idea. On August 31, 2021, the Bills submitted their plans for a $ 1.4 billion, 60,000-seat stadium in Orchard Park to representatives of the state and Erie County to be completed by 2027. The proposed capacity is 12,000 seats less than Highmark Stadium and 1,500 seats less than Soldier Field ,

7332-439: The team's decision to make the new stadium open-air, as the snowy conditions often make for compelling television and formed a part of the team's identity. On March 28, 2022, it was announced that a deal had been reached between New York State, Erie County and the Bills for the 63,000 seat, $ 1.4 billion dollar stadium in Orchard Park. New York State will contribute $ 600 million in funding with Erie County contributing $ 250 million,

7426-490: The team's regular season roster. Number 1 has also rarely been used for reasons yet to be explained. While there is no proper explanation, Tommy Hughitt was a player-coach for the early Buffalo teams in the New York Pro Football League and NFL from 1918 to 1924 and was both a major on-field success and a fixture in Buffalo culture after his retirement as a politician and auto salesman. Hughitt

7520-497: The upcoming season and beyond. The Bills have rivalries with their three AFC East opponents (the Miami Dolphins , New England Patriots , and New York Jets ) and also have rivalries with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (a former divisional opponent), Kansas City Chiefs , Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans , Jacksonville Jaguars , and Dallas Cowboys . They also play an annual preseason game against

7614-509: The white-on-blue was not worn after 2007 . For the 2011 season , the Bills unveiled a new uniform design, an updated rendition of the 1975–83 design. This change includes a return to the white helmets with "charging buffalo" logo, and a return to royal blue instead of navy . The set initially featured striped socks, but by 2021, the Bills gradually reduced its usage and began wearing either all-white or all-blue hosiery without stripes in most games. Buffalo sporadically wore white at home in

7708-496: Was also controversial due to the league's overtime rules. A rivalry between Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has also developed, drawing comparisons to Jim Kelly's rivalry with Dan Marino as well as the rivalry between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning . A new rivalry emerged between the Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars after former Bills head coach Doug Marrone , who had quit

7802-517: Was announced by Buffalo Sportz Complex, known as "Olympia Sports Park." This complex would have been located slightly south of the GBSEC proposed site. Thomas Dee, President of the Erie County Harbor Development Corporation, acknowledged the proposal but also noted that similar projects, including the GBSEC proposal, also existed for competition. The August 7, 2014, issue of Artvoice , a local magazine for

7896-557: Was announced that the Niagara Falls (which may have used a large plot being held by Howard Milstein ) and Buffalo Outer Harbor sites had been ruled out based on similar issues with infrastructure related to the two sites. New Era Cap Company held right of first refusal for the naming rights to the proposed venue; they surrendered that right in 2020. The stadium's naming rights will be held by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, which entered into an initial 10-year agreement with

7990-499: Was blue from 1974 through 1986 before changing to white. The standing bison logo was replaced by a blue charging one with a red slanting stripe streaming from its horn. The newer emblem, still the primary one used by the franchise, was designed by aerospace designer Stevens Wright in 1974. In 1984 , the helmet's shell color was changed from white to red, primarily to help Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson distinguish them more readily from three of their division rivals at that time,

8084-402: Was fired after three consecutive last place finishes in the AFC East. Doug Marrone was hired to be the Bills' head coach prior to the 2013 season. The Bills went 6–10 in the 2013 season and improved to 9–7 in the 2014 season. Marrone decided to step down as head coach following the season. On October 8, 2014, Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula received unanimous approval to acquire

8178-486: Was historically only issued sparingly after the retirement of Jack Kemp . It was last worn by wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling in 2024, before he was released on October 15, 2024. Other numbers that have been historically issued only on rare circumstances included the 44 of Elbert Dubenion (worn as of 2024 by Joe Andreessen ) and the 66 of Billy Shaw (worn since 2023 by Connor J. McGovern ), each of which were typically only issued to players not expected to make

8272-421: Was met with some cynicism, in particular because of the feasibility of the project. On December 11, the company met with local AFL-CIO members to discuss the number of jobs created by the proposed project, which was said to be 10,000. Stracick also disclosed that there are "15 private, secret sponsors" willing to fund the project. He also stated that no tax money would be used to fund a stadium. In January 2013,

8366-718: Was named the Sacramento Gold Miners ; Stephenson and several Surge players were retained in the change, as were the team colors of aqua and yellow. After 1994, with new US-based CFL expansions, the franchise moved to Texas into the Alamodome. After the 1995 season the CFL presence in the US ended, and so did the San Antonio Texans . Since 2021, the "Surge" name is used in a franchise for the " Stuttgart Surge " in

8460-566: Was presented in 2012. On October 23, George Hasiotis and Nicholas Stracick of Greater Buffalo Sports and Entertainment Complex, a Delaware-based LLC , presented a rendered plan created by architect firm HKS, Inc. to the Buffalo Common Council. The plan included a $ 1.4 billion, 72,000-seat retractable roof stadium , convention center, hotel and sports museum plan for the Buffalo Outer Harbor. At first this plan

8554-405: Was reported to wear number 1 during this time. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel currently wears the number; prior to Emmanuel Sanders 's one-year stint with the Bills in 2021, it had been 19 years since it had been worn in the regular season when kicker Mike Hollis wore it in 2002. Number 95 has not been reissued since the retirement of Kyle Williams in 2019. On April 27, 1984, Bills announced

8648-519: Was the seventh largest upset at the time in NFL history, which saw the 15.5-point favorite Bills lose 9–6. The next time the teams would play would be a monday-night game in 2024 where the bills "annihilated" the Jaguars 47-10. The series is currently tied at 10–10. The Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers ) share an extended history with the Bills, both teams being original AFL clubs and rivals in that league's East Division before

8742-570: Was the team they played twice, with the second win at the end of the regular season helping to eliminate Frankfurt Galaxy from the play-offs. Considered the WLAF's second best team, and having just won in Barcelona to secure the tie breaker, all 7-2 Frankfurt had to do was to beat the Surge at home in front of a sell-out crowd of 51,653. Yet, both the clouds and the Surge rained on the Galaxy parade into

8836-424: Was unveiled on April 3, 2012. On November 12, 2015, the Bills and the New York Jets became the first two teams to participate in the NFL's Color Rush uniform initiative, with Buffalo wearing an all-red combination for the first time in team history. Like the primary uniforms, the set initially had red socks with white and blue stripes, but in 2020, it was replaced with red socks without stripes. A notable use of

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