1977 - That's.... better?
3-11 record, fifth of five in AFC East, 12 of 14 in AFC, 25 of 28 in NFL
Despite going 0-9 to finish the year Ralph Wilson retained interim coach Jim Ringo to coach the 1977 season. It would prove to me a mistake. In the draft, the Bills picked up fullback Curtis Brown in the third round, and twelfth round pick Charles Romes, who would start opposite '76 first round pick Mario Clark at cornerback for several years.
In 1976, Joe Ferguson was injured. In 1977, O.J. Simpson played in only seven games due to an injury. It was the first year since 1972 he wasn't selected to the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro Team. He had averaged 300+ carries a year for five years with Saban and then Ringo relying heavily on his legs to carry the team. Roland Hooks filled in well rushing for a hair under 500 yards in his 7 starts. The Bills rushing offense could not find the end zone though and the three rushing touchdowns remains the lowest total in team history. In the absence of a running game, Ferguson showed he was ready to lead the team throwing for a then-career high 2803 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led the league in pass yards and attempts and was second in completions.
Despite the efforts of Ferguson, the Bills couldn't overcome the loss of their feature back and scored 20 points just once all season. The Bills were shut out in two games and scored only once in three others. One of the team's wins that year was a 3-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Ferguson's 24 interceptions and the team's 20 fumbles never allowed the Bills to gain momentum offensively and the team averaged a lowly 11 points per game. After a tenure of 3-20, Jim Ringo was fired as head coach of the Bills.
Joe DeLamielleure was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams. Free safety Tony Greene joined DeLamielleure on the AFC Pro Bowl squad.