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1970’s

—1970′s
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979

1970

  1970 Buffalo Bills – A Fallen Hero by Bill Choinski    The worst news of all came after the beginning of the 1970season. The team’s best young offensive line prospect, G Bob Kalsu, would not return home from his military commitment in Vietnam. Bob Kalsu had been an All-America tackle at the University of …

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1971

1971 Buffalo Bills – Worst Team Ever by Bill Choinski   1971 was a disaster from the get go. Johnny Rauch resigned under severe pressure. Owner Ralph Wilson was watching his best player misused as a decoy, a misfired attempt to convert him into a WR, and wasted on punt and kickoff returns. In 3 …

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1972

1972 Buffalo Bills – Turning on the Juice by Bill Choinski   Lou Saban was brought in for one reason- to return the franchise to respectability- something that had eluded the club since his departure six seasons prior. In his first stint as Bills coach, he put together 4 winning seasons and 2 championships. He …

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1973

1973 Buffalo Bills – The Birth of the Electric Company by Bill Choinski The Buffalo Bills went into 1973 a completely remodeled team. After 13 seasons, the Bills finally were moving into a state of the art facility, and one of the largest stadiums in the league. Rich Stadium on Orchard Park, with 80,000 seats, …

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1974

1974 Buffalo Bills – Balance and a Return to the Playoffs by Bill Choinski In 1973, the Buffalo Bills were forced by a number of conditions to go with a one-dimensional attack. OJ left, OJ right, OJ up the middle. A porous defense, a rookie QB, and 2 young WR’s didn’t give Head Coach Lou …

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1975

1975 Buffalo Bills – OJ Paves the Way by Bill Choinski   After two consecutive 9-5 seasons and a return to the playoffs, Bills Head Coach Lou Saban just could not get the his team to turn that final corner. He had built an explosive and exiting offense- one of the best in the league- …

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1976

1976 Buffalo Bills – What could have been by Bill Choinski  The 1976 season started out on a real sour note for Buffalo when star running back OJ Simpson held out and demanded a trade. Going into the season fourth on the all time rushing list with 8,123 yards. Pulling down $300,000 a season for …

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1977

1977 Buffalo Bills – End of an Era by Bill Choinski 1977 saw the end of a “Golden Age” in Buffalo sports history. From 1972 through 1976, Buffalo was front and center in the sports world. The French Connection, with Rick Martin, Rene Robert, and Gil Perrault, was the dominating scoring line in hockey. It …

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1978

1978 Buffalo Bills – Ground Chuck by Bill Choinski Chuck Knox was released by the Los Angeles Rams after 5 straight NFC West division titles, and a stellar 54-15-1 record. While posting double digit victories in each of his 5 seasons, he could never get his team out of the playoffs, losing 3 straight NFC …

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1979

1979 Buffalo Bills – Back on Track by Bill Choinski   Knox took the talent he had in 1978 and pushed it as far as he could. While finishing with a mediocre 5-11 record, his version of the Bills showed the ability to hang close with the toughest of opponents. Heading into the 1979 NFL …

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