1972 Buffalo Bills -A Year to Cheer

[Chandler#81]

Lou Saban returns and puts an emphasis on running the ball with OJ & Jim Braxton. But serious OLine injuries plagued the team.  JD Hill emerged as a PB WR and ‘the venerable one’ USC’s Bobby Chandler began to make a name for himself. Another long season  gave a brighter vision to the future as we’d win 9 games the following season and make the playoffs in ‘74.

2 parts.

 

Part 1 

 

 

Part 2 

 

[Chandler#81]

Against the years’ Super Bowl teams, we lost by 1 point to the undefeated Dolphins and whooped the Over the Hill Gang Redskins.  This was the 1st year Channel 7 (WKBW) won the broadcasting rights, moving Van Miller out for a few years. Al Meltzer & the late Rick Azar called the games. 

[WotAGuy]

I remember OJ winning the rushing title in the last game against the Redskins. Larry Brown was out for the game and lost the crown because of it. 

[GRHater69]

I think you meant WKBW radio got the rights from WBEN. I remember those broadcasts, Al Meltzer did a nice job with PBP and Ed Rutkowski was his main analyst with Rick Azar as the third person in the booth. 

 

The '72 season was a big step forward and reversed a bad trend that started under John Rauch and continued with Harvey Johnson. Saban came back and made them into a team again, he just never had a good defense when he was here the 2nd time around.

 

[BuffaloBill]

I thought this was the year that OJ just ran over Detroit on T-Giving - wrong year as the game I was trying to remember was in 1975. Jim Braxton was a wrecking machine for the Juice.

[Charles Romes]

On 4/16/2021 at 8:35 PM, Chandler#81 said:

Against the years’ Super Bowl teams, we lost by 1 point to the undefeated Dolphins and whooped the Over the Hill Gang Redskins.  This was the 1st year Channel 7 (WKBW) won the broadcasting rights, moving Van Miller out for a few years. Al Meltzer & the late Rick Azar called the games. 

Not to be a buzzkill but the Washington game was the last game of the season. 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Charles Romes

[BobbyC81]

On 4/16/2021 at 5:22 PM, Chandler#81 said:

Lou Saban returns and puts an emphasis on running the ball with OJ & Jim Braxton. But serious OLine injuries plagued the team.  JD Hill emerged as a PB WR and ‘the venerable one’ USC’s Bobby Chandler began to make a name for himself. Another long season  gave a brighter vision to the future as we’d win 9 games the following season and make the playoffs in ‘74.

Thanks for sharing.  It was great to reminisce, especially seeing Bobby C.    Last season at the Rockpile.

 

 I don’t remember MLB Ken Lee at all.

[Gugny]

On 4/16/2021 at 8:35 PM, Chandler#81 said:

Against the years’ Super Bowl teams, we lost by 1 point to the undefeated Dolphins and whooped the Over the Hill Gang Redskins.  This was the 1st year Channel 7 (WKBW) won the broadcasting rights, moving Van Miller out for a few years. Al Meltzer & the late Rick Azar called the games. 

 

I was one year old.

[Playoff Win]

I could be wrong about this, but I think there might be some Dolphins fans who also see 1972 as a “year to cheer.” Just a guess. 😶

[freddyjj]

Believe the bumper sticker that year was " the Bills are due in 72"

 

[Ned Flanders]

On 4/17/2021 at 8:46 AM, BuffaloBill said:

I thought this was the year that OJ just ran over Detroit on T-Giving - wrong year as the game I was trying to remember was in 1975. Jim Braxton was a wrecking machine for the Juice.

1976

On 4/16/2021 at 8:35 PM, Chandler#81 said:

Against the years’ Super Bowl teams, we lost by 1 point to the undefeated Dolphins and whooped the Over the Hill Gang Redskins.  This was the 1st year Channel 7 (WKBW) won the broadcasting rights, moving Van Miller out for a few years. Al Meltzer & the late Rick Azar called the games. 

Don't forget Ed Rutkowski