Record: 6-10
Playoffs: Missed playoffs
Head coach: Doug Marrone
Notable assistants: Nathaniel Hackett (offensive coordinator), Mike Pettine (defensive coordinator, left to become head coach of Cleveland Browns)
Regular Season Overview
Just another Buffalo Bills-like season. Quarterback E.J. Manuel was supposed to bring some excitement to the offense, but Manuel made fans worried because of a number of injuries sustained throughout the year. Buffalo actually had one of the better defenses in the league, finishing fourth in the NFL in passing defense. Mario Williams was a nice addition on the defensive line and rookie Kiko Alonso showed that this could be one of the top defenses going forward.
But the offensive side of the ball really held the Bills back. Once again, they weren’t really able to put anything together to be a viable playoff team, but they did at least scare some teams.
Biggest Win
By Week 16, the Bills had nothing more to play for than to be a spoiler for someone else’s playoff hopes. Toward the end of December, the Miami Dolphins were still in the mix for the last Wild Card spot in the AFC, but the Bills smashed those dreams, blowing out the Dolphins 19-0. Even without Manuel, Buffalo turned to their rushing game and their defense to pick up the win that effectively ended Miami’s season.
Buffalo’s defense held Ryan Tannehill to only 82 yards, and he was even replaced shortly by Matt Moore at quarterback. Moore threw two interceptions though, and neither quarterback had a touchdown. Thad Lewis wasn’t particularly good, but he did have 193 yards, allowing Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller to do the majority of the work. The Bills finished with 203 total rushing yards and the win.
Toughest Loss
Most of the losses for the Bills this year were pretty “meh,” given that for the second half of the season they were mostly out of every game. But the one that had to hurt the most was during a Thursday night game against the Cleveland Browns. The Bills were sitting at .500 heading into that game, including victories over the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens.
The game was mostly a blowout, with Cleveland winning 37-24. But the worst part was that that the loss came at the hands of Brandon Weeden. The same Brandon Weeden who wasn’t a part of a single win for the rest of the season. Brian Hoyer started the game for the Browns, but left in the first half with a season-ending knee injury. Manuel also left the game with an injury, and Cleveland was able to take advantage of the Bills for a defensive touchdown as well as a punt return for a touchdown. All-in-all, this was an ugly game for the Bills.
Offensive MVP: Fred Jackson
From a fantasy perspective, C.J. Spiller was supposed to be the best offensive player in Buffalo in terms of pure numbers. But as the season progressed, the Bills decided to stick with their proven workhorse Jackson, who just finished up his seven season in the league. Jackson had the most touchdowns in a season in his entire career, and had his fewest fumbles since the 2011 season. Spiller had more rushing yards than Jackson, but it’s hard to see what the Bills would have done on offense without Jackson this season. At 33, it’s not clear how much longer Jackson will be a factor, but at least for 2013 he continued to be the most reliable offensive player in Buffalo.
Defensive MVP: Kiko Alonso
Although he’s just a rookie, Alonso set the stage for what could turn out to be a long and successful career. He finished the season with 159 combined tackles, two sacks, four interceptions and one forced fumble. He played in every game, recording five or more solo tackles in 10 of them, including the team’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals when he had 22 total tackles.
Most Disappointing Player: Steve Johnson
When bringing in a rookie quarterback, he’s going to need someone to throw to. Johnson is supposed to be that someone, but he had a poor year on the field. The three previous seasons, Johnson had broken 1,000 yards and had at least six touchdowns each year. But in 2013, he averaged two less yards per catch than his previous three years, and didn’t even get to 600 yards. Johnson did miss four games, but his per-game numbers dropped off so much that it’s hard to slate him as a No. 1 receiver for next season.
Best Rookie: Robert Woods
Since Kiko Alonso already got the defensive MVP award, let’s give the rookie award to someone else. Woods was the top receiving option for Buffalo most of the season. Coming out of USC, Woods was known for his speed, and while it didn’t happen often, Woods was a deep threat for the Bills. He had 587 yards on 40 receptions, good for 14.7 yards per reception, which was actually good enough to crack the top 30 players in the league in that category. In fantasy terms and realistic terms, Woods could be a long-term receiving option for the Bills.
Statistical Leaders
QB: E.J. Manuel- 58.8 percent completion percentage, 1,972 yards, 11 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
RB: C.J. Spiller- 201 carries, 927 yards, two touchdowns
WR: Steve Johnson- 52 receptions, 597 yards, three touchdowns
TE: Scott Chandler- 53 receptions, 655 yards, two touchdowns
Tackles: Kiko Alonso- 159
Sacks: Kyle Williams- 10.5
INTs: Alonso, Aaron Williams, Jairus Byrd and Jim Leonhard- 4