Buffalo Rumblings
Will the 2024 vintage continue the trend?
The Buffalo Bills have started a season with at least a 6-2 record for just the 14th time in franchise history. Given that the Bills have existed since 1960, that illustrates just how long some of the franchise’s periods of ineptitude (to put it politely) lasted. While that 6-2 mark might not seem like a huge milestone, it turns out that, historically speaking, it’s a good omen for Buffalo’s playoff chances.
According to Rich Eisen, every Buffalo Bills team to begin a season with a 6-2 record has made the playoffs. Buffalo has been a perfect 13-for-13 so far, and while the team’s playoff fortunes have varied wildly throughout those seasons, they’ve at least punched a ticket to the dance each time.
If you’re a nerd like I am, you might have wondered which years the Bills started at least 6-2. If you’re exceptionally nerdy, you may also have been able to guess most, if not all, of the seasons where they won their sixth game before taking on a third loss. Regardless of whether you tried to guess or not, we did the legwork for you.
The first team to qualify for this list actually started 9-0 before rampaging to a 12-2 regular season. The Bills led the AFL in points scored (400) and points against (242) en route to their first of two AFL Championships. Running back Cookie Gilchrist led the way, with a quarterback tandem of Jack Kemp and Daryle Lamonica finding Elbert Dubenion for 42 receptions, 1,139 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
Back-to-back AFL titles came with back-to-back hot starts. This time, Buffalo started 6-1 before losing 19-17 to the Houston Oilers. The Bills wouldn’t lose again until the regular-season finale against the New York Jets. They defeated the Chargers again in the AFL title game, winning 23-0 to claim the crown in head coach Lou Saban’s last game in his first stint with the team.
Oddly enough, the next time the Bills started at least 6-2 was with Saban as the head coach again. After Saban left the Bills, he coached the University of Maryland in 1966 and the Denver Broncos from 1967-1971. He returned to Buffalo and built a winner around an offense that featured O.J. Simpson leading a ground-and-pound attack.
Buffalo started the 1974 season with a 7-1 record before finishing at 9-5. They qualified for the playoffs as a wild card, but they were pummeled by the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 32-14 defeat at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl champs.
For the first time, a coach other than Lou Saban led the Bills to a 6-2 start. This time, it was Chuck Knox coaching the team that would eventually win its first AFC East Divisional title. Buffalo began the year 5-0, but then went 1-3 over the next four games. A...
