What Is 1978 Buffalo Bills football team

Overview

The 1978 Buffalo Bills were one of the most struggling teams in the NFL, finishing with a dismal 2-14 record. This marked their ninth season in the league and their worst performance since joining the AFL-NFL merger era, placing them last in the AFC East division.

Under head coach Billy Sullivan, the team faced numerous challenges, including offensive inefficiency and defensive breakdowns. Despite playing at Rich Stadium, which opened in 1973, fan attendance dwindled due to the team's poor performance and lack of competitiveness.

• Record: The Bills finished 2-14, the worst record in the NFL for the 1978 season, ahead of only expansion teams in win percentage.
• Head coach: Billy Sullivan was dismissed after the season, having compiled a 10-26 record over two seasons with the team.
• Offense: Buffalo scored only 184 points all season, averaging just 11.5 points per game, the lowest in the league.
• Defense: The defense allowed 388 points (24.3 per game), ranking 25th out of 28 teams in points allowed.
• Home field: All home games were played at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, which had a capacity of over 80,000 fans.

How It Works

The 1978 season reflected systemic issues in team management, player development, and on-field execution. Each component of the team’s operation contributed to the historically poor performance.

• Quarterback play: Joe Ferguson started 14 games but threw only 12 touchdowns compared to 17 interceptions, showing inconsistency and poor decision-making under pressure.
• Running game: Running back Roland Hooks led the team with 453 rushing yards, but no back averaged over 3.5 yards per carry, limiting offensive balance.
• Pass protection: The offensive line allowed 45 sacks, one of the highest totals in the league, disrupting rhythm and increasing turnovers.
• Coaching strategy: Sullivan’s conservative play-calling and lack of adaptability were criticized, especially in close games they lost by narrow margins.
• Injuries: Key players like defensive end Phil Hansen missed significant time, weakening already thin depth across the roster.
• Front office: General manager Jim Ringo oversaw a roster lacking elite talent, with most draft picks failing to make immediate impacts.

Comparison at a Glance

Here’s how the 1978 Bills compared to other struggling teams and league leaders:

The table highlights how far behind the Bills were compared to both similarly poor teams and eventual Super Bowl contenders. While the Saints also struggled, they played fewer games due to a shorter season structure in earlier years, and the Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XIII that January, emphasizing the league’s competitive gap.

Why It Matters

The 1978 season became a turning point for the franchise, prompting major overhauls in coaching, personnel, and drafting philosophy. It underscored the need for long-term rebuilding rather than short-term fixes.

• Coaching change: Sullivan’s firing led to the hiring of Chuck Knox in 1979, who stabilized the team and led them to future playoff appearances.
• Draft focus: The team used high draft picks in 1979 and 1980 to rebuild, selecting future contributors like Joe DeLamielleure.
• Front office shift: Jim Ringo stepped down, leading to more strategic personnel decisions in the following years.
• Legacy: The 2-14 record remains one of the worst in franchise history, often cited in discussions of NFL futility.
• Fan impact: Attendance dropped sharply, but loyal fans remained, laying the foundation for future support during better eras.
• Historical context: The season is remembered as a low point before the Bills’ resurgence in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The 1978 Buffalo Bills season stands as a cautionary tale of mismanagement and underperformance, but also as a catalyst for eventual improvement that would define the franchise’s future success.