The 1995 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 26th season in the National Football League and the 36th overall. This was the last time the Bills won the division or won a playoff game until 2020.
After suffering a losing season the previous season, the 1995 Bills won the AFC East, and made the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons. They defeated the Miami Dolphins 37–22 in the Wild Card Game in Don Shula's final game as an NFL head coach. The following week they lost to the eventual AFC Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers 40–21.
In his first season with the team, defensive end Bryce Paup was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Paup led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, the fourth-highest single-season total of the 1990s. During the season, head coach Marv Levy underwent successful treatment for prostate cancer; assistant Elijah Pitts filled in as interim coach until Levy returned after a three-game absence.
Offseason Additions SubtractionsLB Bryce Paup (Packers) WR Don Beebe (Panthers)NT Ted Washington (Broncos) TE Pete Metzelaars (Panthers)DE Jim Jeffcoat (Cowboys) DE Oliver Barnett (49ers) S Mike Dumas (Jaguars) LB Darryl Talley (Falcons) LB Marvcus Patton (Redskins) NT Jeff Wright (retirement) NT Mike Lodish (Broncos)
1995 expansion draft
+ Buffalo Bills selected during the expansion draft Round Overall Name Position Expansion team59Keith GoganiousLinebackerJacksonville Jaguars2346Vince MarrowTight EndCarolina Panthers
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents + 1995 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeJason AndersonWide receiverEastern WashingtonCarey BenderRunning backCoe CollegeTravis ColquittPunterMarshallEric CountsDefensive tackleNC StateHerve DamasLinebackerHofstraRandall EvansWide receiverSt. Augustine's (NC)Che FosterFullbackMichiganMyron GlassCornerbackNorthern IowaSteve HarveyLinebackerKansasMichael HendricksLinebackerTexas A&MAdrian HillWide ReceiverNC StateTerry QuinnSafetyLouisvilleMike SheldonGuardGrand Valley State
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 3 at Denver Broncos L 7–22 0–1 Mile High Stadium 75,157 2 September 10 Carolina Panthers W 31–9 1–1 Rich Stadium 79,190 3 September 17 Indianapolis Colts W 20–14 2–1 Rich Stadium 62,499 4 Bye 5 October 2 at Cleveland Browns W 22–19 3–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 76,211 6 October 8 New York Jets W 29–10 4–1 Rich Stadium 79,485 7 October 15 Seattle Seahawks W 27–21 5–1 Rich Stadium 74,362 8 October 23 at New England Patriots L 14–27 5–2 Foxboro Stadium 60,203 9 October 29 at Miami Dolphins L 6–23 5–3 Joe Robbie Stadium 71,060 10 November 5 at Indianapolis Colts W 16–10 6–3 RCA Dome 59,612 11 November 12 Atlanta Falcons W 23–17 7–3 Rich Stadium 62,690 12 November 19 at New York Jets W 28–26 8–3 Giants Stadium 54,436 13 November 26 New England Patriots L 25–35 8–4 Rich Stadium 69,384 14 December 3 at San Francisco 49ers L 17–27 8–5 Candlestick Park 65,568 15 December 10 at St. Louis Rams W 45–27 9–5 Trans World Dome 64,623 16 December 17 Miami Dolphins W 23–20 10–5 Rich Stadium 79,531 17 December 24 Houston Oilers L 17–28 10–6 Rich Stadium 45,253
Season summary
Week 1 at Broncos
The Bills first game in Denver since 1977
Week 5
Week 6 Starting QBs -> New York Jets: Boomer Esiason / Buffalo Bills: Jim Kelly
Vegas Line: Buffalo Bills −9.5 /// Over/Under: 38.0 (over)
Thurman Thomas becomes the 11th player all-time to go over the 9,000 career rushing yard mark in this game.
Boomer Esiason was knocked out in the second quarter by Bruce Smith, thus putting Bubby Brister into the game. On his first snap in the game, he fumbled the ball and turned it over to Buffalo.
Week 10 Elijah Pitts was the Buffalo Bills head coach for this game as Marv Levy was recovering from illness.
Starting QBs: Buffalo Bills: Jim Kelly vs Indianapolis Colts: Jim Harbaugh.
In this game, Jim Harbaugh started, but midway through the first quarter Paul Justin was put in by coach Ted Marchibroda as Harbaugh was injured. This wasn't the end for the Colts QB situation, as Justin was hit by Bryce Paup knocking him out of the game. Harbaugh came in briefly after Justin was knocked out, however, Craig Erickson came into the game to finish it out.
Vegas Line: Indianapolis Colts −4.0
Week 11
Week 12 Starting QBs -> New York Jets: Boomer Esiason / Buffalo Bills: Jim Kelly
Vegas Line: Buffalo Bills −6.5 /// Over/Under: 37.0 (over)
Boomer Esiason throws a last second hail mary TD pass to Adrian Murrell, however, failed on the 2-pt conversion to send the game into OT.
Week 15
Standings
NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, , p. 291
Playoffs
AFC Wild Card Game
In Buffalo's first playoff game since losing Super Bowl XXVIII two seasons earlier, the Bills handled Miami easily by a score of 37–22 at Rich Stadium. Although Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino completed 33 out of 64 passes for 422 yards and two touchdowns, the Bills jumped to a 27–0 lead going into the fourth quarter, and rushed for an NFL playoff-record 341 yards, led by Thurman Thomas's 25 carries for 158 yards. The Bills forced four turnovers, including intercepting Marino three times, in the victory. It was the final game of Don Shula's coaching career with the Dolphins, but the only Bills game ever attended by brothers John & Steve Gorczyca.
AFC Divisional Playoff
In the third all-time postseason meeting between the two teams, running back Bam Morris scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Steelers stopped the Bills from pulling off a comeback. Pittsburgh jumped to a 20–0 lead by the second quarter with running back John L. Williams's 1-yard touchdown, quarterback Neil O'Donnell's 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ernie Mills, and two field goals by Norm Johnson. However, Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas scored a 1-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds left in the first half. But Johnson made a 34-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give the Steelers a 23–7 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Johnson added a 39-yard field goal before Bills tight end Tony Cline caught a 2-yard touchdown reception. With 11:23 left in the game, Thomas scored on a 9-yard touchdown reception to cut the lead to 26–21. In response, Pittsburgh drove 76 yards to score on Morris' 13-yard touchdown run. Linebacker Levon Kirkland then intercepted a pass to set up Morris' 2-yard score with 1:58 remaining to clinch the victory. Bruce Smith was inactive for the game because he had the flu.
Awards and honors Bryce Paup, NFL Defensive Player of the Year Bryce Paup, AFC Pro Bowl selection
References
External links Season summary at Pro Football Reference Bills on jt-sw.com Bills Stats on jt-sw.com