Coming off a 1-13 record the previous season, the Bills had the first overall pick in the draft, which they used to select Notre Dame defensive end
Walt Patulski. This came after the Bills allowed 394 points the previous season. The 1972 season marked the return of former Bills coach
Lou Saban, who had previously led the team to two
AFL Championships. Saban had a new offensive philosophy for Buffalo in 1972. In his first three seasons, former number one overall pick
O. J. Simpson had only carried the ball an average of 161 times per season. Saban rushed Simpson 292 times in 1972, the second-most in the league behind
the Giants'
Ron Johnson. Despite losing two starting offensive lineman –
center Bruce Jarvis and
guard Jim Reilly—in the season opener, O. J. Simpson still
led the league in rushing with 1,251 yards. This would be was Simpson’s first of four rushing titles over the next five seasons. Although the Bills had a potent, yard-gaining rushing attack, they could not put enough points on the scoreboard, scoring only 257 points (18.3 per game) all season, nineteenth in the league out of 26 teams. Furthermore, Buffalo's defense gave up 377 points (23.5 per game), the third-most in the NFL in 1972. As of
2023, this season was the most recent in which the Bills recorded a tie game. ==Offseason==