11th season in franchise history, first in the National Football League
The 1970 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 1st season in the National Football League, and the 11th overall. The team looked to improve on its 4–10 record from 1969 and make the playoffs for the first time since 1966. However, the Bills started out on the wrong foot, losing 4 of its first 5 games. After winning 2 straight road games against the Patriots and Jets and suffering a blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bills and Colts played to a 17–17 draw in week 9, Buffalo's first tie since 1968. The Bills would then lose 5 straight to end the season and finish the season 3-10-1, in fourth place in the AFC East. Their week 5 game against the Miami Dolphins would start a stage of futility in which the Bills would lose 20 straight games to the Dolphins. The Bills would not beat the Dolphins at any point during the 70s and would not beat Miami again until 1980. This would become known as "The Streak".
Regular season
Schedule
| Week
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Result
|
Record
|
Venue
|
Attendance
|
| 1
|
September 20
|
Denver Broncos
|
L 10–25
|
0–1
|
War Memorial Stadium
|
34,882
|
| 2
|
September 27
|
Los Angeles Rams
|
L 0–19
|
0–2
|
War Memorial Stadium
|
46,206
|
| 3
|
October 4
|
New York Jets
|
W 34–31
|
1–2
|
War Memorial Stadium
|
46,206
|
| 4
|
October 11
|
at Pittsburgh Steelers
|
L 10–23
|
1–3
|
Three Rivers Stadium
|
42,140
|
| 5
|
October 18
|
Miami Dolphins
|
L 14–33
|
1–4
|
War Memorial Stadium
|
41,312
|
| 6
|
October 25
|
at New York Jets
|
W 10–6
|
2–4
|
Shea Stadium
|
62,712
|
| 7
|
November 1
|
at Boston Patriots
|
W 45–10
|
3–4
|
Harvard Stadium
|
31,148
|
| 8
|
November 8
|
Cincinnati Bengals
|
L 14–43
|
3–5
|
War Memorial Stadium
|
43,587
|
| 9
|
November 15
|
at Baltimore Colts
|
T 17–17
|
3–5–1
|
Memorial Stadium
|
60,240
|
| 10
|
November 22
|
at Chicago Bears
|
L 13–31
|
3–6–1
|
Wrigley Field
|
41,015
|
| 11
|
November 29
|
Boston Patriots
|
L 10–14
|
3–7–1
|
War Memorial Stadium
|
31,427
|
| 12
|
December 6
|
at New York Giants
|
L 6–20
|
3–8–1
|
Yankee Stadium
|
62,870
|
| 13
|
December 13
|
Baltimore Colts
|
L 14–20
|
3–9–1
|
War Memorial Stadium
|
34,346
|
| 14
|
December 20
|
at Miami Dolphins
|
L 7–45
|
3–10–1
|
Miami Orange Bowl
|
70,990
|
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
|
Season summary
Week 1
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Broncos |
0 |
5 | 7 | 13 |
25 |
| Bills |
7 |
3 | 0 | 0 |
10 |
|
Week 2
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Rams |
3 |
13 | 0 | 3 |
19 |
| Bills |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
- Date: September 27
- Location: War Memorial Stadium
|
Week 3
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets |
17 |
7 | 7 | 0 |
31 |
| • Bills |
7 |
6 | 7 | 14 |
34 |
- Date: October 4
- Location: War Memorial Stadium
|
Week 4
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
3 |
0 | 7 | 0 |
10 |
| • Steelers |
3 |
7 | 3 | 10 |
23 |
|
Week 5
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Dolphins |
10 |
3 | 7 | 13 |
33 |
| Bills |
0 |
7 | 7 | 0 |
14 |
- Date: October 18
- Location: War Memorial Stadium
|
Week 6
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bills |
0 |
3 | 0 | 7 |
10 |
| Jets |
0 |
0 | 6 | 0 |
6 |
|
Week 7
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bills |
10 |
21 | 0 | 14 |
45 |
| Patriots |
0 |
0 | 3 | 7 |
10 |
|
Week 8
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bengals |
3 |
20 | 13 | 7 |
43 |
| Bills |
7 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
14 |
- Date: November 8
- Location: War Memorial Stadium
|
Week 9
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
7 |
7 | 0 | 3 |
17 |
| Colts |
0 |
7 | 7 | 3 |
17 |
|
Week 10
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
6 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
13 |
| • Bears |
0 |
14 | 7 | 10 |
31 |
|
Week 11
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Patriots |
0 |
7 | 7 | 0 |
14 |
| Bills |
0 |
3 | 0 | 7 |
10 |
- Date: November 29
- Location: War Memorial Stadium
|
Week 12
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
0 |
6 | 0 | 0 |
6 |
| • Giants |
0 |
3 | 3 | 14 |
20 |
|
Week 13
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Colts |
10 |
0 | 7 | 3 |
20 |
| Bills |
7 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
14 |
- Date: December 13
- Location: War Memorial Stadium
|
Week 14
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
7 |
| • Dolphins |
21 |
10 | 7 | 7 |
45 |
|
Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Awards and honors
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adding to it. (July 2010)
