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JOe Ferguson backup


jwws9999

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a buddy and I were trying to figure out who played backup for Fergie. anyone remember?

Gary Marangi was one. James Harris was another. I think Dennis Shaw might have for just a year (Shaw was a starter in his rookie year and won rookie of the year but got seriously hurt the next year after which Fergy took the job and Shaw, I think, recovered enough to back him up for one year). I don't recall us having a long term back up during the Fergy years, just a parade of guys. Harris went on to bigger things and was the first black starter in the NFL, I think for the Rams. I recall a guy named Dan Darragh but I think he backed up Kemp. Marlin Briscoe, the WR, was the 3rd string QB at one point before we lost him to another team.

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Okay, here is the run down:

 

1973: Dennis Shaw

1974: Gary Marangi and Scott Hunter

1975: Gary Marangi

1976: Gary Marangi

1977: No other QB listed on the roster

1978: Bill Munson and David Mays

1979: Bill Munson and Dan Manucci

1980: Dan Manucci and David Hum

1981: Matt Robinson

1982: Matt Kofler

1983: Kofler and Joe Dufek

1984: Kofler and Dufek

 

Marangi was the only guy to ever generate much talk that he could replace Fergy. He came off the bench a few times early in his career and played like gangbusters but whenever he got a start, he was worse than awful.

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Okay, here is the run down:

 

1973: Dennis Shaw

1974: Gary Marangi and Scott Hunter

1975: Gary Marangi

1976: Gary Marangi

1977: No other QB listed on the roster

1978: Bill Munson and David Mays

1979: Bill Munson and Dan Manucci

1980: Dan Manucci and David Hum

1981: Matt Robinson

1982: Matt Kofler

1983: Kofler and Joe Dufek

1984: Kofler and Dufek

 

Marangi was the only guy to ever generate much talk that he could replace Fergy. He came off the bench a few times early in his career and played like gangbusters but whenever he got a start, he was worse than awful.

 

 

thanks guys, it was so much fun watching ferguson play

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It was? He did a great job of handing off to O.J. The story goes the reason the Bills went to the red helmets was so that Ferguson knew who to throw the ball to.

 

Wasn't he color blind? Plus Every other AFC East had white helmets, right?

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Okay, here is the run down:

 

1973: Dennis Shaw

1974: Gary Marangi and Scott Hunter

1975: Gary Marangi

1976: Gary Marangi

1977: No other QB listed on the roster

1978: Bill Munson and David Mays

1979: Bill Munson and Dan Manucci

1980: Dan Manucci and David Hum

1981: Matt Robinson

1982: Matt Kofler

1983: Kofler and Joe Dufek

1984: Kofler and Dufek

 

Marangi was the only guy to ever generate much talk that he could replace Fergy. He came off the bench a few times early in his career and played like gangbusters but whenever he got a start, he was worse than awful.

Someone has to find out who the backup was in 1977. He never played and therefore is not listed on the rosters that are on the Internet. Anyone have an old program?

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Ken Johnson was the backup QB in 1977. He had started his career in the World Football League in 1974, then signed with the Bills in June 1977. He then went on to play a few years in the CFL after the Bills released him in August 1978. He also played in the USFL. The USFL Guide and Register says "Active for 14 games with Buffalo Bills in 1977; did not play".

Fred Besana was the Bills 5th round pick in 1977. He is listed in the Bills media guide as being with the team in 1977. The USFL Guide and Register says "Active for 2 games with Buffalo Bills in 1977; did not play". Besana went on to be the starting QB of the USFL's Oakland Invaders.

So there were 3 QBs on the 1977 roster:

1-Joe Ferguson

2-Ken Johnson

3-Fred Besana

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Fred Besana was the Bills 5th round pick in 1977. He is listed in the Bills media guide as being with the team in 1977. The USFL Guide and Register says "Active for 2 games with Buffalo Bills in 1977; did not play". Besana went on to be the starting QB of the USFL's Oakland Invaders.

I'm still searching the media guide for another 1977 QB & will edit this if I find one.

I think it was a guy from Army, Captain Tenile I think was his name and rank.

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Ken Johnson was the backup QB in 1977. He had started his career in the World Football League in 1974, then signed with the Bills in June 1977. He then went on to play a few years in the CFL after the Bills released him in August 1978. He also played in thw USFL. The USFL Guide and Register says "Active for 14 games with Buffalo Bills in 1977; did not play".

Fred Besana was the Bills 5th round pick in 1977. He is listed in the Bills media guide as being with the team in 1977. The USFL Guide and Register says "Active for 2 games with Buffalo Bills in 1977; did not play". Besana went on to be the starting QB of the USFL's Oakland Invaders.

So there were 3 QBs on the 1977 roster:

1-Joe Ferguson

2-Ken Johnson

3-Fred Besana

Excellent Research. Thanks

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It was? He did a great job of handing off to O.J. The story goes the reason the Bills went to the red helmets was so that Ferguson knew who to throw the ball to.

 

 

Come on...doesn't Fergie hold the record for lowest INT % in a season?

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Come on...doesn't Fergie hold the record for lowest INT % in a season?

 

He did.. in 1976... one interception in 151 attempts.

 

People who think Fergy just handed off to OJ need to look at his stats in the years 1979-1983. He developed into a fine QB, even if he did have a problem with consistency.

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Come on...doesn't Fergie hold the record for lowest INT % in a season?

 

Yeah, those were some memorable years to be a Bills fan. Almost as exciting as now. 77-86 won-loss record, 196 TDs to 209 INTs, passer rating of 68.9, three post season games in 12 years. Boy that was a fun ride wasn't it.

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Wasn't he color blind? Plus Every other AFC East had white helmets, right?

 

 

That is one of those Buffalo Bills "suburban legends"....you know, somebody said it as a joke, at the time, to disparig Fergusons' play, and it has been repeated so many times, ad nausium, that it has become fact, although that was never given as a reason for changing team colors...

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Okay, here is the run down:

 

1973: Dennis Shaw

1974: Gary Marangi and Scott Hunter

1975: Gary Marangi

1976: Gary Marangi

1977: No other QB listed on the roster

1978: Bill Munson and David Mays

1979: Bill Munson and Dan Manucci

1980: Dan Manucci and David Hum

1981: Matt Robinson

1982: Matt Kofler

1983: Kofler and Joe Dufek

1984: Kofler and Dufek

 

Marangi was the only guy to ever generate much talk that he could replace Fergy. He came off the bench a few times early in his career and played like gangbusters but whenever he got a start, he was worse than awful.

 

Not to drag out an old post, but I recall more than a few people thinking Kofler would be Fergy's eventual replacement (which, of course, is different from saying that Marangi would actually flat-out win the job from Fergy). Thank god they were wrong.

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