5th season in franchise history, first league championship
1964 Buffalo Bills season Owner Ralph Wilson Head coach Lou Saban Home field War Memorial Stadium Record 12–2 Division place 1st AFL Eastern Playoff finish Won AFL Championship (vs. Chargers ) 20–7
The 1964 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s fifth season. Buffalo was 12–2 in the regular season and won the first of two consecutive championships in the American Football League .
The 1964 Bills' defense set an AFL record by giving up the fewest rushing yards in league history, with only 918, or 65.5 yards per game.[1] They also led the league in points allowed (242), total yards allowed (3,878), first downs surrendered (206), and rushing touchdowns allowed (four).[2]
Buffalo's offense also led the AFL in total yards (5,206), passing yards (2,040) and total points (400).[3]
Offseason [ ]
AFL Draft [ ]
Personnel [ ]
Staff [ ]
1964 Buffalo Bills staff
Front Office
President/Team Owner – Ralph Wilson
Vice-President/Minority Owner - Pat McGroder
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
Running Backs/Wide Receivers – John Mazur
Offensive Line – Jerry Smith
Defensive Coaches
Roster [ ]
1964 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks
15 Jack Kemp
12 Daryle Lamonica
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
Note: Rookies in italics
Regular season [ ]
Season schedule [ ]
Week
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Venue
Attendance
Recap
1
September 13
Kansas City Chiefs
W 34–17
1–0
War Memorial Stadium
30,157
Recap
2
September 20
Denver Broncos
W 30–13
2–0
War Memorial Stadium
28,501
Recap
3
September 26
San Diego Chargers
W 30–3
3–0
War Memorial Stadium
40,167
Recap
4
October 3
Oakland Raiders
W 23–20
4–0
War Memorial Stadium
36,461
Recap
5
October 11
at Houston Oilers
W 48–17
5–0
Jeppesen Stadium
26,218
Recap
6
October 18
at Kansas City Chiefs
W 35–22
6–0
Municipal Stadium
20,904
Recap
7
October 24
New York Jets
W 34–24
7–0
War Memorial Stadium
39,621
Recap
8
November 1
Houston Oilers
W 24–10
8–0
War Memorial Stadium
40,119
Recap
9
November 8
at New York Jets
W 20–7
9–0
Shea Stadium
61,929
Recap
10
November 15
Boston Patriots
L 28–36
9–1
War Memorial Stadium
42,308
Recap
11
Bye
12
November 26
at San Diego Chargers
W 27–24
10–1
Balboa Stadium
34,865
Recap
13
December 6
at Oakland Raiders
L 13–16
10–2
Frank Youell Field
18,134
Recap
14
December 13
at Denver Broncos
W 30–19
11–2
Bears Stadium
14,431
Recap
15
December 20
at Boston Patriots
W 24–14
12–2
Fenway Park
38,021
Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries [ ]
Week 1 [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
Chiefs
0
3 14 0
17
• Bills
31
0 0 3
34
Date: September 13Location: War Memorial Stadium , Buffalo, NY Game attendance: 30,157Game weather: 51°F; wind 6
Scoring summary Q1 BUF Gogolak 13 yard field goalBUF 3–0
Q1 BUF Bass 10 yard pass from Kemp (Gogolak kick)BUF 10–0
Q1 BUF Dubenion 6 yard pass from Kemp (Gogolak kick)BUF 17–0
Q1 BUF Bass 17 yard pass from Kemp (Gogolak kick) BUF 24–0
Q1 BUF Sestak 15 yard interception return (Gogolak kick)BUF 31–0
Q2 KC Brooker 12 yard field goalBUF 31–3
Q3 KC Arbanas 5 yard pass from Dawson (Brooker kick)BUF 31–10
Q3 KC Haynes 44 yard pass from Dawson (Brooker kick)BUF 31–17
Q4 BUF Gogolak 13 yard field goal BUF 34–17
[4]
Week 2 [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
Broncos
3
7 3 0
13
• Bills
3
10 7 10
30
Date: September 20Location: War Memorial Stadium , Buffalo, NY Game attendance: 28,501Game weather: 64°F; wind 11
Scoring summary Q1 DEN Mingo 51 yard field goalDEN 3–0
Q1 BUF Gogolak 33 yard field goalTie 3–3
Q2 BUF Gilchrist 15 yard run (Gogolak kick)BUF 10–3
Q2 BUF Gogolak 21 yard field goal BUF 13–3
Q2 DEN Taylor 46 yard pass from Lee (Mingo kick)BUF 13–10
Q3 DEN Mingo 49 yard field goal Tie 13–13
Q3 BUF Gilchrist 1 yard run (Gogolak kick) BUF 20–13
Q4 BUF Gogolak 17 yard field goal BUF 23–13
Q4 BUF Lamonica 8 yard run (Gogolak kick)BUF 30–13
[5]
Week 3 [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
Chargers
0
3 0 0
3
• Bills
7
7 3 13
30
Date: September 26Location: War Memorial Stadium , Buffalo, NY Game attendance: 40,167Game weather: 59°F; wind 13
Scoring summary Q1 BUF Byrd 85 yard interception return (Gogolak kick)BUF 7–0
Q2 SD Blair 12 yard field goalBUF 7–3
Q2 BUF Clarke 53 yard punt return (Gogolak kick)BUF 14–3
Q3 BUF Gogolak 13 yard field goal BUF 17–3
Q4 BUF Auer 2 yard run (Gogolak kick)BUF 24–3
Q4 BUF Dubenion 40 yard pass from Lamonica (kick failed)BUF 30–3
[6]
Week 4 [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
Raiders
3
0 7 10
20
• Bills
0
7 7 9
23
Date: October 3Location: War Memorial Stadium , Buffalo, NY Game attendance: 36,461Game weather: 58°; wind 17
Scoring summary Q1 OAK Mercer 25 yard field goalOAK 3–0
Q2 BUF Kemp 9 yard run (Gogolak kick)BUF 7–3
Q3 OAK Davidson 6 yard run (Mercer kick)OAK 10–7
Q3 BUF Lamonica 1 yard run (Gogolak kick)BUF 14–10
Q4 OAK Mercer 19 yard field goal BUF 14–13
Q4 BUF Dubenion 44 yard pass from Lamonica (Gogolak kick)BUF 21–13
Q4 BUF Safety, Davidson tackled by McDole in end zone BUF 23–13
Q4 OAK Herock 4 yard pass from Davdison (Mercer kick)BUF 23–20
[7]
Week 5 [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
• Bills
14
17 17 10
58
Oilers
7
3 7 0
17
Date: October 11Location: Jeppesen Stadium , Houston, TX Game weather: 61°F; wind 4
Scoring summary Q1 BUF Gilchrist 1 yard run (Gogolak kick)BUF 7–0
Q1 HOU Blanks 4 yard run (Blanda kick)Tie 7–7
Q1 BUF Bass 9 yard pass from Kemp (Gogolak kick)BUF 14–7
Q2 BUF Dubenion 19 yard pass from Kemp (Gogolak kick)BUF 21–7
Q2 HOU Blanda 47 yard field goal BUF 21–10
Q2 BUF Bass 94 yard pass from Kemp (Gogolak kick) BUF 28–10
Q2 BUF Gogolak 18 yard field goal BUF 31–10
Q3 HOU Hennigan 53 yard pass from Blanda (Blanda kick)BUF 31–17
Q3 BUF Gilchirst 3 yard run (Gogolak kick) BUF 38–17
Q4 BUF Gogolak 26 yard field goal BUF 41–17
Q4 BUF Ross 1 yard run (Gogolak kick) BUF 48–17
[8]
Standings [ ]
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Postseason [ ]
Round
Date
Opponent
Result
Venue
Attendance
Recap
Championship
December 26
San Diego Chargers
W 20–7
40,242
War Memorial Stadium
Recap
AFL Championship Game [ ]
Main article: 1964 American Football League Championship Game
1
2 3 4 Total
Chargers
7
0 0 0
7
• Bills
3
10 0 7
20
Date: December 26Location: War Memorial Stadium , Buffalo, New York Game attendance: 40,242Game weather: 43°F • Wind 13
Scoring summary 1 SD Dave Kocourek 26 yard pass from Tobin Rote (Keith Lincoln kick)Chargers 7–0
1 BUF Pete Gogolak 12 yard field goalChargers 7–3
2 BUF Wray Carlton 4 yard run (Pete Gogolak kick)Bills 10–7
2 BUF Pete Gogolak 17 yard field goal Bills 13–7
4 BUF Jack Kemp 1 yard run (Pete Gogolak kick)Bills 20–7
[9]
Player stats [ ]
Passing [ ]
Player
Comp
Att
Yds
Completion %
TD
INT
Jack Kemp
119
269
2285
44.2
13
26
Daryle Lamonica
55
128
1137
43.0
6
8
Rushing [ ]
Player
Att
Yds
Average
Long
TD
Cookie Gilchrist
230
981
4.3
67
6
B. Smith
62
306
4.9
37
4
Daryle Lamonica
55
289
5.3
18
6
Joe Auer
63
191
3.0
21
2
Jack Kemp
37
124
3.4
14
5
Wray Carlton
39
114
2.9
11
1
Special teams [ ]
Kicking [ ]
Player
FG
Att
XP
XP Att
Pts
Pete Gogolak
19
29
45
46
102
Punting [ ]
Player
No.
Yards
Avg.
Long
Paul Maguire
65
2777
42.7
64
Awards and Records [ ]
Lou Saban, Coach of the Year
See also [ ]
List of American Football League players
References [ ]
Buffalo Bills 1964 AFL champions
Buffalo Bills
Founded in 1960
Based and headquartered in Orchard Park, New York
Franchise Stadiums
War Memorial Stadium
Highmark Stadium
Rogers Centre (Bills Toronto Series )
Future Buffalo Bills stadium (proposed)
Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (11) Conference championships (4) League championships (2) Wall of Fame Media Owners Current league affiliations
League: National Football League (1970–present)
Conference: American Football Conference
Division: East Division
Former league affiliation
League: American Football League (1960–1969)
Early era (1920–1969)
Modern era (1970–present)Italics indicate future seasons