BUFFALO BILLS Weekly Game Information REGULAR SEASON GAME #1 BILLS @ PATRIOTS Monday, September 14, 2009 7:00 PM (ET) – Gillette Stadium www.buffalobills.com/media BUFFALO BILLS GAME RELEASE - Week #1 Buffalo Bills (0-0) at New England Patriots (0-0) Monday, September 14 - 7:00 PM ET - Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, MA BILLS FACE PATRIOTS ON KICKOFF WEEKEND BROADCAST INFO The Buffalo Bills will travel to Foxborough, TELEVISION: ESPN / WKBW-TV (Ch. 7 BUF) MA this week to open PLAY-BY-PLAY: Mike Tirico its 2009 regular season COLOR ANALYSTS: Jon Gruden & Ron Jaworski schedule against the New England Patriots on Monday SIDELINE REPORTER: Suzy Kolber PRODUCER: Jay Rothman Night Football with a kickoff slot of 7:00 PM ET. DIRECTOR: Chip Dean With a win this week, the Bills will: BILLS RADIO NETWORK • Win consecutive Kickoff Weekend games for the fi rst FLAGSHIP: Buffalo – 97 Rock (96.9 FM) and The Edge (103.3 time since the 1992 and 1993 seasons FM); Rochester – WHAM (1180 AM); Toronto - FAN (590 AM) • Win its fi rst MNF game since 1999 (10/4/99 at MIA 23-18) PLAY-BY-PLAY: John Murphy (23rd year, 6th as play-by-play) • Clinchits fi rst win against New England since 2003 COLOR ANALYST: Mark Kelso (4th year) SIDELINE REPORTER: Rich Gaenzler (10th year; 1st year as sideline) This week’s game will mark only the second road game on Kickoff Weekend in the past 10 seasons for Buf- falo, which last occurred in 2006 against New England UPCOMING WEEK’S SCHEDULE (9/10/06, L, 17-19). Buffalo will open its regular season schedule on Mon- AT ONE BILLS DRIVE - Orchard Park, NY day Night Football for the third time in team history. The Monday, September 7 - Practice - 10:45 am - 1:10 pm Bills and Patriots have met once before on the national Open to media (10:55 am - 11:15 am) broadcast (10/23/1995, L 14-17 in New England). Open Locker Room - 1:10 pm - 2:10 pm Next week, the Bills will return home and welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Ralph Wilson Stadium for Tuesday, September 8 - PLAYERS DAY OFF the fi rst time in series history on Sunday, September 20 at Wednesday, September 9 - Practice - 11:20 am - 1:50 pm 4:05 PM ET. Open to media (11:35 am - 11:45 am) Open Locker Room - 1:50 pm - 2:45 pm Fieldhouse - Edwards, Evans Owens BILLS ON SEPTEMBER 14TH OffensiveCoaches available upon request QB Tom Brady Conference Call - 3:15 pm Bill Belichick Conference Call - 11:15 am This week’s game will mark the seventh time the Coach Dick Jauron in Media Room - 2:30 pm Bills have played on September 14th and the second year in a row. Buffalo has played on the road on September Thursday, September 10 - Practice - 11:20 am - 1:40 pm 14th in their last four games played on that date. In the last Open to media (11:35 am - 11:45 am) Open Locker Room (1:40 pm - 2:45 pm) game on the 14th, the Bills defeated Jacksonville 20-16 in Defensive Coaches available upon request 2008. The Bills have a 3-3 record on this date. Below is a Friday, September 11 - Practice - 10:15 am - 12 noon Open to media (10:25 am - 10:35 am) list of the team’s results on September 14th: Open Locker Room 12 noon - 1:00 pm SEPTEMBER 14th OVERALL RECORD - 3-3 • 2008, @ Jacksonville – W 20-16 Saturday, September 12 - Practice - 10:45 am - 12:30 pm • 2003, @ Jacksonville – W 38-17 Open to media (11:00 am - 11:10 am) • 1997, @ Kansas City – L 16-22 Open Locker Room 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm • 1986, @ Cincinnati – L 33-36 (OT) Sunday, September 13 - Walk-Thru - CLOSED TO MEDIA • 1980, vs. NY Jets – W, 20-10 • 1969, vs. NY Jets – L 19-33 Monday, September 14 - Bills at Patriots - 7:00 PM ****All dates and times are subject to change.**** Scott Berchtold Matt Heidt Dominick Rinelli Vice President/Communications Media Relations Assistant Media Relations Assistant/Research Analyst [email protected]fl .net [email protected]fl .net [email protected]fl .net 716-312-8701 716-312-8704 716-312-8707 Chris Jenkins Dawn Dotzler Director of Media Relations Administrative Assistant [email protected]fl .net [email protected]fl .net 716-312-8702 716-312-8700 1 50 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP 2009 LEGACY GAMES On October 28, 1959, Ralph Wilson, Jr., a member The Buffalo Bills unveiled of Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2009 class, was awarded their throwback jerseys after a the seventh franchise by the American Football League. July 30 training camp practice in The 2009 season of Buffalo Bills football will mark Pittsford, NY which will be worn the 50th year of football for the franchise and 50 years of in four games during the 2009 ownership by Ralph Wilson, Jr. season - including the Hall of The Buffalo Bills are the only original American Fame game vs. Tennessee as Football League team to have remained in their originating part of the NFL’s AFL Legacy city with their original owner. Games. Ralph Wilson, Jr. will become the sixth current NFL Coinciding with the celebration of the 50th anni- franchise owner to have owned their respective club for 50 versary of the AFL, the eight original AFL teams will wear or more years. historic uniforms during Legacy Games. Below is a list of current NFL owners with 50 or The Bills are scheduled to wear their throwback uni- more years of ownership: foms which represent the team’s 1965 AFL Championship • The Halas Family, Chicago (1921) season. The helmet is white and will feature a standing red • William V. Bidwell, Arizona (Family, 1933) buffalo. • The Rooney family, Pittsburgh (1933) Buffalo will wear their throwback uniforms for the • K.S. (Bud) Adams, Tennessee (August 3, 1959) following games: • Ralph Wilson, Jr., Buffalo (October 28, 1959) • Sunday, August 9 - Tennessee Titans (White) • Monday, September 14 - at N.E. Patriots (White) THE RALPH • Sunday, November 15 - at Tennessee Titans (White) • Sunday, November 29 - MIAMI DOLPHINS (Blue) Opened on August 17, 1973, the Buffalo Bills wel- comed fans into their new home - Ralph Wilson Stadium. CLOSING IN ON 350 WINS Over the course of its 36-year existence, Ralph Wilson Stadium has played host to some of the NFL’s most The Buffalo Bills are closing in on a milestone in team memorable games and ranks as one of the oldest stadi- history - 350 regular season wins. Buffalo enters the 2009 ums in the NFL. season with 348 wins in 49 years of professional football. Given the nickname ‘The Ralph’, Ralph Wilson With their second win this season, the Bills will Stadium is the seventh oldest stadium in the NFL. become the seventh original AFL football team to post 350 regular season wins or more. Below is a look at the oldest venues in the league: Below is a list of the eight original AFL teams and their regular season win totals: TEAM STADIUM OPENED YRS Chicago Bears Soldier Field 1924 85 TEAM WINS Oakland Raiders 405 Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field 1957 52 Kansas City Chiefs 381 San Francisco 49ers Candlestick Park 1960 49 Denver Broncos 386 Oakland Raiders McAfee Coliseum 1966 43 New England Patriots 377 Tennessee Titans 363 San Diego Chargers Qualcomm Stadium 1967 42 San Diego Chargers 362 Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium 1972 37 Buffalo Bills 348 Buffalo Bills Ralph Wilson Stadium 1973 36 New York Jets 331 New Orleans Saints Louisiana Superdome 1975 34 With 200 regular season home victories, Buffalo ranks *New York Giants Giants Stadium 1976 33 seventh among the eight original AFL franchises. *New York Jets The Meadowlands 1976 33 Below is a list of regular season home wins for each original AFL team: * - Both clubs share the stadium TEAM WINS BILLS 49-YEAR RECORD TOTALS Denver Broncos 235 Kansas City Chiefs 227 W L T PCT. New England Patriots 210 Home Games 200 167 4 .545 Tennessee Titans 210 Road Games 148 217 4 .407 Oakland Raiders 209 Playoff Games - Home 10 3 0 .769 San Diego Chargers 203 Playoff Games - Road 4 8 0 .333 Buffalo Bills 200 Neutral Site Playoff Games 0 4 0 .000 New York Jets 182 TOTALS 362 399 8 .476 2 SCHEDULE & CREDENTIAL DEADLINES STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE All credential requests should be made through the Based on 2008 regular season records, the Buffalo Buffalo Bills media website - www.buffalobills.com/media. Bills opponents for the season accumulated a record of For all credential questions please contact Vice President 146-110-0. The Bills’ strength of schedule is .570 - the of Communications Scott Berchtold (716-312-8701 or sixth highest winning percentage among team opponents [email protected]fl .net) or Dawn Dotzler (716-312- in 2009. Below is a list of the Bills’ 2009 opponents and 8700 or [email protected]fl .net). their 2008 records. 2009 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE OPPONENT 2008 RECORD 2009 RECORD 9/14 at New England Patriots 11-5 Monday, September 14 at New England Patriots 7:00 PM ET 9/20 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 9-7 DEADLINE PASSED 9/27 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 8-8 10/4 at Miami Dolphins 11-5 10/11 CLEVELAND BROWNS 4-12 Sunday, September 20 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 4:05 PM ET 10/18 at New York Jets 9-7 Credential Request Deadline: Tues. Sept. 15 - 12 Noon ET 10/25 at Carolina Panthers 12-4 11/1 HOUSTON TEXANS 8-8 Sunday, September 27 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 4:05 PM ET 11/15 at Tennessee Titans 13-3 Credential Request Deadline: Tues.