2003 Buffalo Bills season

The 2003 Buffalo Bills season was their 44th in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 8–8, and finished at 6–10.[1] The team missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

2003 Buffalo Bills season
OwnerRalph Wilson
General managerTom Donahoe
Head coachGregg Williams
Home fieldRalph Wilson Stadium
Results
Record6–10
Division place3rd AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersG Ruben Brown
OLB Takeo Spikes
Quarterback Drew Bledsoe meets families of deceased soldiers, September 7, 2003

The Bills started the season strong, opening the season with a dominating 31–0 blowout of the New England Patriots (They would not win another game against the Patriots until 2011). This was a revenge game for newly-signed safety Lawyer Milloy, who had been cut by New England a few days earlier. It was their largest margin of victory in a season opener since 1992, and their first regular-season shutout in four years.[2] The Bills' second game was a convincing three-touchdown win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. But Buffalo lost seven of their next nine games and finished the season with three consecutive losses. The Bills' final game of the season was a 31–0 shutout loss to the New England Patriots – the complete reverse of the score by which the Bills beat New England in Week One.

Head coach Gregg Williams' contract was not renewed after the 2003 season.[3]

Van Miller, the team's longtime play-by-play announcer, announced his retirement after week 2 of the season; his retirement took effect at the end of the season.

Offseason

Free Agency

The Bills bolstered their defense by signing former Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Sam Adams, former Denver Broncos safety Izell Reese, former Houston Texans linebacker Jeff Posey and former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Takeo Spikes during the offseason.

The Bills also traded for tight end Mark Campbell and signed kicker Rian Lindell during the offseason.

During the preseason, the Bills signed Lawyer Milloy after he was released by the New England Patriots.

NFL Draft
Main article: 2003 NFL Draft

The Bills traded away their first pick in the 2003 draft (#14 overall) to the New England Patriots for Drew Bledsoe in the previous draft. They obtained their first pick (#23 overall) from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Peerless Price.

2003 Buffalo Bills draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 23 Willis McGahee *  RB Miami (FL) Pick from ATL
2 48 Chris Kelsay  DE Nebraska
3 94 Angelo Crowell  LB Virginia
4 111 Terrence McGee *  CB Northwestern State
4 127 Sam Aiken  WR North Carolina
5 151 Ben Sobieski  OG Iowa
6 187 Lauvale Sape  DT Utah
7 228 Mario Haggan  LB Mississippi State
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster
2003 Buffalo Bills final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 5 inactive, 5 practice squad

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result TV Time Attendance Record
1 September 7, 2003 New England Patriots W 31–0 CBS 1:00et 73,262 1–0
2 September 14, 2003 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 38–17 CBS 1:00et 58,613 2–0
3 September 21, 2003 at Miami Dolphins L 7–17 ESPN 8:30et 73,458 2–1
4 September 28, 2003 Philadelphia Eagles L 13–23 FOX 1:00et 73,305 2–2
5 October 5, 2003 Cincinnati Bengals W 22–16 (OT) CBS 1:00et 72,615 3–2
6 October 12, 2003 at New York Jets L 3–30 CBS 4:15et 77,740 3–3
7 October 19, 2003 Washington Redskins W 24–7 FOX 4:15et 73,149 4–3
8 October 26, 2003 at Kansas City Chiefs L 5–38 ESPN 8:30et 78,689 4–4
9 Bye
10 November 9, 2003 at Dallas Cowboys L 6–10 CBS 4:15et 63,770 4–5
11 November 16, 2003 Houston Texans L 10–12 CBS 1:00et 72,677 4–6
12 November 23, 2003 Indianapolis Colts L 14–17 CBS 1:00et 73,004 4–7
13 November 30, 2003 at New York Giants W 24–7 CBS 1:00et 78,481 5–7
14 December 7, 2003 New York Jets W 17–6 CBS 4:15et 72,791 6–7
15 December 14, 2003 at Tennessee Titans L 26–28 CBS 1:00et 68,809 6–8
16 December 21, 2003 Miami Dolphins L 3–20 CBS 1:00et 73,319 6–9
17 December 27, 2003 at New England Patriots L 0–31 CBS 1:30et 68,436 6–10

Season summary

Week 1
1 234Total
Patriots 0 000 0
• Bills 7 14010 31
Scoring summary
1BillsTravis Henry 1 yard run (Rian Lindell kick)Bills 7–0
2BillsDave Moore 7 yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Rian Lindell kick)Bills 14–0
2BillsSam Adams 37 yard interception return (Rian Lindell kick)Bills 21–0
4BillsTravis Henry 9 yard run (Rian Lindell kick)Bills 28–0
4BillsRian Lindell 44 yard field goalBills 31–0

Week 2
1 234Total
• Bills 14 7143 38
Jaguars 0 737 17
  • Date: September 14
  • Location: Alltel Stadium
  • Game start: 1:03 p.m. EST
  • Elapsed time: 3:06
  • Game attendance: 58,613
  • Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C); Humidity 62% wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h) Heat Index 92°
  • Referee: Terry McAulay
  • TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui, Steve Tasker
Scoring summary
Q111:17BUFHenry 1 yard run (Lindell kick)BUF 7–0
Q14:50BUFHenry 6 yard run (Lindell kick)BUF 14–0
Q29:29JAXBrunell 1 yard run (Marler kick)BUF 14–7
Q21:37BUFShaw 54 yard pass from Bledsoe (Lindell kick)BUF 21–7
Q312:54JAXMarler 44 yard field goalBUF 21–10
Q38:03BUFMoulds 36 yard pass from Bledsoe (Lindell kick)BUF 28–10
Q30:59BUFHenry 4 yard run (Lindell kick)BUF 35–10
Q45:11BUFLindell 27 yard field goalBUF 38–10
Q41:53JAXWrighster 5 yard pass from Leftwich (Marler kick)BUF 38–17

[4]

Standings
AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) New England Patriots 14 2 0 .875 5–1 11–1 348 238 W12
Miami Dolphins 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 311 261 W2
Buffalo Bills 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 243 279 L3
New York Jets 6 10 0 .375 1–5 6–6 283 299 L2

References
  1. 2003 Buffalo Bills
  2. SI.com: Sweet revenge – Bills' Milloy, Bledsoe revel in 31–0 rout of Patriots
  3. Williams was replaced by Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey in 2004.
  4. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-Nov-04.
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