Buffalo Bills

2005 Stats

2005 Season Summary

The Buffalo Bills entered the 2005 campaign full of optimism and good feelings after a strong second half finish to the 2004 season that saw them rise from the dead after a 1-5 straight up start to a near playoff berth as they went 8-2 both straight up and against the spread down the stretch. The Bills finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs with a bizarre 24-29 home loss to a Pittsburgh team that was playing its backups as they had already clinched a playoff berth. The Bills' resurgence was due to a defense that finished second ranked in the NFL and helped overcome Buffalo 's 25 th ranked offense.

The Off season proved to be the undoing of the Bills

The off-season was to prove to be the undoing of the Bills, however, for 2005. Quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who engineered the Bills' strong second half comeback of 2004, was let go as the Bills wanted to go in a younger direction with their roster. The Bills' plan was to go with 2004 number one draft pick J.P. Losman. This would prove to be a catastrophic mistake by Buffalo that would make them a mere shadow of the 2004 team and undermine the entire season.

The Bills had proven to be a solid preseason play the previous two seasons going 5-2-1 against the spread and were to open up the 2005 exhibition campaign at Indianapolis against a loaded Colts team that was simply trying to escape serious injury before their Super Bowl run began. Buffalo was installed as a 2.5-point dog and won the game straight up 17-10.

The preseason home opener came next against the Green Bay Packers, who had covered just four of ten preseason road games in the previous 5 years. Buffalo won and covered easily 27-7 as 6-point chalks. Up next was the preseason home opener of the Chicago Bears who were installed as 3-point dogs, winning the game 16-12.

Buffalo returned home for the preseason finale against a reeling Detroit team that was 0-3 both straight up and against the spread and looking bad in the process. The Bills were made a hefty 6.5-point chalk, which bordered on an absurd line, as Detroit proved in their 21-7 win and cover. Buffalo finished exhibition play 2-2 both straight up and against the spread.

Buffalo was to open the regular season at home versus the Houston Texans, who were touted as having a team capable of achieving the franchise's first ever .500 or better record and possibly of even clinching a wild card playoff berth. Buffalo was installed as 6-point home chalks and, resplendent in their classic throwback uniforms, they prevailed 22-7.

While there are no “off” weeks in the NFL, Buffalo was to learn that in the most extreme sense as they traveled to Tampa Bay to face a rebuilt Buccaneer team that was coming off an opening day win and cover at Minnesota and was determined to have a playoff season. The Bills were handled easily 19-3 as 3-point dogs.

Buffalo returned home to face the 1-1 Atlanta Falcons, a favorite to take the NFC crown. The Bills were not a profitable play in the previous five seasons as either a host or when coming off a straight up loss and this trend continued as Atlanta prevailed 24-16 as 3-point dogs. Losman was starting to feel the heat as the young Bills' signal caller was struggling through his first three games.

Up next for Buffalo was a trip to San Antonio to face the displaced New Orleans Saints in their “home opener” at their temporary home in the Alamodome. Buffalo was a 1.5-point dog in this unique set of circumstances and lost 7-19, going under the total for the third time in four games. Losman was pulled midway through the third quarter, as his ineffective play continued.

The Bills climb to .500 after changing quarterbacks

Up next was a home game against Miami . Despite saying after the New Orleans loss that Losman was still the starting quarterback, head coach Mike Mularkey went back on his word and started Kelly Holcomb in the hopes of salvaging the season. The rebuilding Dolphins under new head coach Nick Saban were coming off a bye and stood at 2-1 both straight up and against the spread. Buffalo won this do-or-die affair 20-14 as 3-point chalks and had a chance to get to .500 in their next game against the struggling New York Jets. The Bills were installed as a 3-point home chalk and responded with a 27-17 win to even their record at 3-3 both straight up and against the spread.

The beginning of the end

Buffalo next traveled to Oakland to face another struggling team in the 1-4 Raiders. Buffalo 's defense proved to be helpless against Oakland as the 3-home chalk prevailed 38-17. This weak effort was to prove to be the beginning of the end. Another road game at New England followed and the Bills were installed as a whopping 10-point dog against the Patriots, losing 16-21 but getting the cash. Buffalo entered the bye week standing at 3-5 straight up and 4-4 against the spread. Their offense was ineffective without Bledsoe and the defense slipped in its performance compared to 2004.

A win after the bye would prove to be a false hope

The Bills began the season's second half at home against the playoff contending Kansas City Chiefs, who had won and covered three of their previous four games to stand at 5-3 both straight up and against the spread. Buffalo was a 2.5-point chalk, which seemed odd, but proved to be a trap that sucked in some KC money, as the Bills won 14-3. This win would prove to be a false hope, however, for the Bills.

Blown away for good

Next for Buffalo was a road trip to San Diego to face the desperate Chargers, who had covered five of their previous seven games and were back in the AFC playoff hunt. San Diego , coming off a bye, was installed as an 11.5-point chalk and blew the Bills away for good 48-10.

Bills proved that you can take nothing for granted in the NFL

The Bills never recovered from their loss at San Diego , which was the start of a five-game straight up losing streak in which only one game was covered against the betting boards. Incredibly enough, however, Buffalo ended the losing streak at Cincinnati against the AFC North champion Bengals, who needed the game to ensure home field for the playoffs. Buffalo took a 37-27 straight up win and cover as whopping 13.5-point dogs as the Bills proved to gamblers that you can take nothing for granted in the NFL. The Bills lost at the Jets to end the season and Mularkey resigned afterwards.