1967 Buffalo Bills Outlook

"Last year, people were writing obits to the Bills. This year, the same people are singing their praises and openly predicting a fourth consecutive Eastern Division title - and maybe more.
How can they miss? Of course, questions like this preceded such disastrous flops as the Edsel and the Titanic, but the Bills have something going for them the others didn't - they are proven winners. More than that, the 1967 model is a vast improvement over the 1966 team. Off-season trades have improved their passing and running attacks, and they added points when they acquired place kicker Mike Mercer from Kansas City.
One of Buffalo's many constants is its quarterback, Jack Kemp. He may not rank as the best in the league, but he keeps on winning. That's enough. Jack tore a muscle in his right elbow last season, but he spent the summer throwing the ball in California and reported that the arm felt fine. Tom Flores, acquired in the big trade with Oakland, switches places with the departed Daryle Lamonica as the No. 2 man. His edge over Lamonica is that he's a better passer, and was good enough to guide the Raiders to a winning record.
The 1966 Bills completed 15 touchdown passes; only Denver with 12 had fewer. To end this drought the Bills acquired All-Pro split end Art Powell, who was the key man in the deal with Oakland. Powell will give the passing game some much needed legs, as well as allow Bobby Crockett to develop at his own pace. Crockett caught 31 passes for 533 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie last year. On the other side of the field, flanker Elbert Dubenion should be twice as effective with another old pro in the lineup, and Paul Costa, who caught 27 passes for 400 yards last year, is solid at tight end. The holdovers at end are Ed Rutkowski, Charley Warner and Charley Ferguson; the new men are John Pitts, the Bills No. 1 draft choice from Arizona State, and Jerry Seither, the No. 9 pick from Kent State.
A year ago, the Bills were operating with unknown factors in the backfield; not anymore. Bobby Burnett came so fast at halfback that he was voted the league's Rookie of the Year, and fullback Wray Carlton enjoyed his finest season. Now the Bills have added Keith Lincoln, the ex-San Diego great, to their backfield as swing man; Keith can be used at either halfback or fullback and give the ground game extra drive. Then there's Allen Smith, who looked promising at halfback as a rookie, and veteran fullback Jack Spikes to round things out. This year's batch of recruits includes Randy Wheeler (Georgia), Vern Moore (Central State) and Allen's brother Grover Smith (Ft. Valley State).
Up front, the momentum for the attack is provided by the best offensive line in the East. Stew Barber and Dick Hudson are the tackles, Billy Shaw and Joe O'Donnell are the guards and Al Bemiller is the center. The Bills seem to have more depth here than they did last year. Wayne Desutter and rookies George Gaiser (SMU) and Jim LeMoine (Utah State) are the extra tackles, ex-taxi squader Charley Turner and rookie Gary Bugenhagen (Syracuse) are the new guards, and Bob Schmidt is the backup center if he doesn't retire. Otherwise, Jim Baffico, who has been up before, will move in. If young Gaiser makes it at tackle, the Bills will shift DeSutter to defense.
There wasn't a tougher defense to run against last than Buffalo's front four. It should be the same story this season, even though the Bills lost end Tom Day to San Diego in the trade for Lincoln. Ron McDole will be back at the other end, and Tom Sestak and Jim Dunaway will return at tackle. Often in the past, this was the threesome that did the rushing, leaving Day back to work with the linebackers. To fill the other end, the Bills have Remi Prudhomme, a 6-4, 245-pound strongman who worked as a guard in his rookie season. The Bills are seeking depth on this line and have as candidates Don Thiesen and Ernie Lashutka, who are being brought up from the taxi squad, and rookies Malcolm Williams (Parsons College), Ernie Ames (Kent State) and Bob Bonner (Southern U.).
The quality and ferocity of the pass rush allows the Bills' topflight corps of linebackers to lay back and protect against the pass. Mike Stratton, Harry Jacobs and John Tracey form one of the ablest units around. If they need help, there are experienced reserves like Paul McGuire, Marty Schottenheimer and Paul Guidry.
Behind them is the brilliant secondary composed of Tommy Janik and George Byrd at the corners and Hagood Clarke and George Saimes at the safeties. But nobody's job is safe. There's bound to be a tough battle waged at left corner by second-year man Charley King, who is rated as speedier than Janik; and Booker Edgerson, recovered from knee surgery, will try to win back the other job at right corner. The other job-seekers are Charley King's brother, Tony, who taxied last year, and rookies Tommy Croft (Louisiana Tech), Grant Martinson (Utah State), Tommy Luke (Mississippi) and Mike Irwin (Penn State)."

-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1967

IN BRIEF
Probable 1967 Finish: 1st
Strengths:  an improved offense, aided by the additions of Keith Lincoln and Art Powell, and the best overall defense in the league.
Biggest Needs: depth in the defensive line and another running back.
1966 finish:  1st

-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1967


ADD POWELL, MERCER AND LINCOLN TO THE BILLS AND WHAT DO YOU GET? A VERY CLOSE GAME IN THIS SEASON'S SUPER BOWL.
"The rich get richer; they really do. The Bills, who have won three consecutive Eastern Division titles, should be the most improved team in the AFL- mainly because of three off-season trades. From the league champion Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo re-acquired Mike Mercer, the most accurate field goal man in pro football last year(21 out of 30), who had been loaned to Kansas City for the '66 season. From the San Diego Chargers, the Bills got Keith Lincoln, an outstanding runner who can play either halfback or fullback. And from the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo got All-AFL split end Art Powell and quarterback Tom Flores. The personnel price paid for these four players was not exorbitant: defensive end Tom Day to San Diego, quarterback Daryle Lamonica and split end Glenn Bass to Oakland. Buffalo also gave up draft picks but, on the pre-season balance at least, coach Joe Collier seems to have gotten the best of it.
Basically, Collier traded in order to 'turn on' his offense. Consider the offensive backfield, for example. Last year Buffalo had only two good set backs- 225-fullback Wray  Carlton and 197-pound rookie halfback Bobby Burnett, and Burnett had little background as a blocker or outside runner. But by season's end, Bobby was the AFL's Rookie-of-the-Year- and its fourth-ranking rusher, with 766 yards gained on 187 carries. Good as he is, however, Burnett may find himself displaced by Lincoln, who is bigger (at 215 pounds), just as fast and more experienced (seven years as a pro). It's a delicious problem for Collier, who also will pick from among veteran Jack Spikes and young backs Allen and Grover Smith (they're brothers), Vern Moore, Randy Wheeler, Bill Bailey and Doug Goodwin.
Despite that division championship, quarterback Jack Kemp did not have a good '66 season, unless you consider a .427 completion average good- which Kemp doesn't. Now, however, Jack has even better receivers to shoot at: Powell, flanker Elbert Dubenion and tight end Paul Costa, all of whom can go long. Powell, with those great hands and moves, will probably push last year's rookie spread end, Bobby Crockett, onto the bench. Charley Warner has been moved from defensive cornerback to play behind Dubenion at flanker, and the Bills think they have a top prospect in John Pitts, a 6-5, 212-pound pass-catcher from Arizona State.
Buffalo has only one weakness in its defensive line- at right end, where Tom Day played. Day was a terrifying pass rusher who'd just as soon garrot a quarterback as look at him (ask Joe Namath). Remi Prudhomme, a 259-pounder in his second pro season, will replace Day- unless a trade is swung. Over on the other end, the Bills are well satisfied with 278-pound Ron McDole, while the defensive tackles, 270-pound Tom Sestak and 297-pound Jim Dunaway, are as good as any tandem in the game.
Buffalo's linebackers know each other as well as they know their wives; it's eight-year pro Harry  Jacobs in the middle, with Mike Stratton (six pro years) at outside right and John Tracey (nine years) at outside left. But the Bills would not be shocked if Marty Schottenheimer, in his third season, came on to take Jacobs' job. The secondary is set, with All-League Butch Byrd and Tom Janik at the corners, and All-League George Saimes and Hagood Clarke at safety.
The Bills have their complete interior line back on offense: tackles Dick Hudson and Stew Barber, guards Billy Shaw and Joe O'Donnell, and center Al Bemiller. Coach Collier calls the 262-pound Hudson 'a match for any man he plays opposite,' while Shaw, 258-pounds, is perhaps the best blocking guard in the league. Rookie Dick Cunningham of Arkansas, 220 pounds, will be worked at guard, behind O'Donnell, while 240-pound Gary Bugenhagen of Syracuse will be tried at both guard and tackle. Veteran Bob Schmidt will support Bemiller at center, although Schmidt, a nine-year pro, has been talking about retirement.
Mercer and last year's placekicker, Booth Lusteg, are both available- but only one will stick. Bet on Mercer, since he also can punt- and since Lusteg disturbed the Bills by blowing some key field goals last season. In general, this is a highly experienced team. There are some good new faces- offensive lineman Jim LeMoine of Utah State and defensive end Tom Rhoads of Notre Dame, to mention just two- but it will be tough for a rookie to crack the Buffalo lineup. The Bills backed into their division title when New York beat Boston for them. This year, though, there will be no backing and filling. The Buffalo Bills will win it, easily."

-Dick Kaplan, Pro Football Almanac 1967


1967 BUFFALO BILLS PRESEASON ROSTER
*  Ernie Ames (DT) Kent State
*  Bill Bailey (FB) Cincinnati
77 Stew Barber (T) Penn State
50 Al Bemiller (C) Syracuse
*  Robert Bonner (DT) Southern
*  Gary Bugenhagen (G) Syracuse
21 Bob Burnett (HB) Arkansas
42 Butch Byrd (DB) Boston University
30 Wray Carlton (FB) Duke
*  George Carter (SE) St. Bonaventure
45 Hagood Clarke (DB) Florida
82 Paul Costa (E) Notre Dame
83 Bobby Crockett (E) Arkansas
*  Tom Croft (RS) Louisiana Tech
*  Dick Cunningham (G) Arkansas
71 Wayne DeSutter (T) Western Illinois
44 Elbert Dubenion (FL) Bluffton
78 Jim Dunaway (DT) Mississippi
24 Booker Edgerson (DB) Western Illinois
80 Charley Ferguson (E) Tennessee State
*  Howard Finley (LC)[sic] Tennessee A & I
Tom Flores (QB) Pacific
George Gaiser (T) SMU
35 Doug Goodwin (FB) Maryland State
59 Paul Guidry (LB) McNeese State
79 Dick Hudson (T) Memphis State
*  Mike Irwin (LS) Penn State
64 Harry Jacobs (LB) Bradley
27 Tom Janik (DB) Texas A & I
15 Jack Kemp (QB) Occidental
47 Charley King (DB) Purdue
*  Tony King (LS) Findlay
*  Greg Lashutka (DE) Ohio State
*  Jim LeMoine (T) Utah State
Keith Lincoln (HB) Washington State
*  Tommy Luke (LS) Mississippi
5  Booth Lusteg (K) Connecticut
55 Paul Maguire (LB) The Citadel
*  Grant Martinson (RS) Utah State
72 Ron McDole (DE) Nebraska
Mike Mercer (K) Arizona State
75 Dudley Meredith (DT) Lamar Tech
Vern Moore (HB) Central State
67 Joe O'Donnell (G) Michigan
*  John Pitts (FL) Arizona State
Art Powell (SE) San Jose State
65 Remi Prudhomme (DE) LSU
*  Tom Rhoads (LB) Notre Dame
40 Ed Rutkowski (E) Notre Dame
26 George Saimes (DB) Michigan State
57 Henry Schmidt (C) USC
56 Marty Schottenheimer (LB) Pittsburgh
*  Jerry Seither (TE) Kent State
70 Tom Sestak (DT) McNeese State
66 Billy Shaw (G) Georgia Tech
34 Allen Smith (HB) Fort Valley State
*  Grover Smith (HB) Fort Valley State
32 Jack Spikes (FB) Texas Christian
58 Mike Stratton (LB) Tennessee
*  Don Thiessen (DE) Reedley JC
*  Paul Tomich (T) Drake
51 John Tracey (LB) Texas A & M
*  Charlie Turner (G) Ohio
22 Charley Warner (DB) Prairie View
*  Randy Wheeler (HB) Georgia
*  Bill Wilkerson (DE) Texas Western
*  Malcolm Williams (DE) Parson

* rookie

-Pro Football 1967


1967 BUFFALO BILLS PRESEASON DEPTH CHARTS
OFFENSE
QB - Jack Kemp (Occidental) 15, Tom Flores (Pacific)
HB - Bobby Burnett (Arkansas) 21, Allen Smith (Fort Valley State) 34
FB - Wray Carlton (Duke) 30, Keith Lincoln (Washington State), Jack Spikes (Texas Christian) 32 
SE - Bobby Crockett (Arkansas) 83, Art Powell (San Jose)
T - Stew Barber (Penn State) 77, Jim LeMoine (Utah State)*
G - Billy Shaw (Georgia Tech) 66, Charlie Turner (Ohio)*
C - Al Bemiller (Syracuse) 50
G - Joe O'Donnell (Michigan) 67, Dick Cunningham (Arkansas)*
T - Dick Hudson (Memphis State) 79, Wayne DeSutter (Western Illinois) 71
TE - Paul Costa (Notre Dame) 82, Charley Ferguson (Tennessee State) 80
FL - Elbert Dubenion (Bluffton) 44, Charley Warner (Prarie View) 22, John Pitts (Arizona State)*

DEFENSE
DE - Ron McDole (Nebraska) 72, Greg Lashutka (Ohio State)*
DT - Jim Dunaway (Mississippi) 78, Dudley Meredith (Lamar Tech) 75
DT - Tom Sestak (McNeese State) 70, Ernie Ames  (Kent State)*
DE - Remi Prudhomme (LSU) 65, Dan Thiessen (Reedley JC)*
LB - John Tracey (Texas A & M) 51, Paul Guidry (McNeese State) 59
MLB - Harry Jacobs (Bradley) 64, Marty Schottenheimer (Pittsburgh) 56 
LB - Mike Stratton (Tennessee) 58, Paul Maguire (The Citadel) 55
CB - Tom Janik (Texas A & I) 27, Charley King (Purdue) 47
S - Hagood Clarke (Florida) 45, Tony King (Findlay)*
S - George Saimes (Michigan State) 26, Tom Croft (Louisiana Tech)*
CB - Butch Byrd (Boston University) 42, Booker Edgerson (Western Illinois) 24

* rookie

-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1967

OFFENSE
QB - Jack Kemp (Occidental) 15, Tom Flores (Pacific) 16, Ed Rutkowski (Notre Dame) 40
HB - Bobby Burnett (Arkansas) 21, Keith Lincoln (Washington State) 20, Allen Smith (Fort Valley State) 34
FB - Wray Carlton (Duke) 30, Jack Spikes (Texas Christian) 32     
SE - Art Powell (San Jose) 84, Billy Masters (LSU) 87, Bobby Crockett (Arkansas) 83
T - Stew Barber (Penn State) 77, Dick Cunningham (Arkansas) 62
G - Billy Shaw (Georgia Tech) 66, Jim LeMoine (Utah State)*   
C - Al Bemiller (Syracuse) 50, Bob Schmidt (Minnesota) 57
G - Joe O'Donnell (Michigan) 67, Gary Bugenhagen  (Syracuse)*
T - Dick Hudson (Memphis State) 79, Wayne DeSutter (Western Illinois) 71
TE - Paul Costa (Notre Dame) 82, Charley Ferguson (Tennessee State) 80
FL - Elbert Dubenion (Bluffton) 44, Charley Warner (Prairie View) 22, John Pitts (Arizona State)*

DEFENSE
DE - Ron McDole (Nebraska) 72, Greg Lashutka (Ohio State)*
DT - Jim Dunaway (Mississippi) 78, Dudley Meredith (Lamar Tech) 75
DT - Tom Sestak (McNeese State) 70
DE - Remi Prudhomme (LSU) 65, Tom Rhoads (Notre Dame)*
LB - John Tracey (Texas A & M) 51, Paul Guidry (McNeese State) 59
MLB - Harry Jacobs (Bradley) 64, Marty Schottenheimer (Pittsburgh) 56 
LB - Mike Stratton (Tennessee) 58, Paul Maguire (The Citadel) 55
CB - Tom Janik (Texas A & I) 27, Charlie King (Purdue) 47
S - Hagood Clarke (Florida) 45, John Pitts (Arizona State)*
S - George Saimes (Michigan State) 26, Charley Warner (Prairie View) 22
CB - Butch Byrd (Boston University) 42, Booker Edgerson (Western Illinois) 24

SPECIALISTS
K - Mike Mercer (Arizona State) 7, Booth Lusteg (Connecticut) 5
P - Paul Maguire (The Citadel) 55
KR - Charlie King (Purdue) 47, Charley Warner (Prairie View) 22
PR - Butch Byrd (Boston University) 42

* rookie


1967 Buffalo Bills Profile Summary
Head Coach - Joe Collier

QB - Jack Kemp (Occidental) 15
QB - Tom Flores (Pacific) 16
HB - Bobby Burnett (Arkansas) 21
HB - Keith Lincoln (Washington State) 20
FB - Wray Carlton (Duke) 30
FL - Elbert Dubenion (Bluffton) 44
FL - Ed Rutkowski (Notre Dame) 40
FL - Charley Warner (Prairie View) 22
SE - Art Powell (San Jose) 84
TE - Paul Costa (Notre Dame) 82
C - Al Bemiller (Syracuse) 50
G - Billy Shaw (Georgia Tech) 66
G - Joe O'Donnell (Michigan) 67
T - Stew Barber (Penn State) 77
T - Dick Hudson (Memphis State) 79

DT - Tom Sestak (McNeese State) 70
DT - Jim Dunaway (Mississippi) 78
DE - Ron McDole (Nebraska) 72
DE - Howard Kindig (Los Angeles State) 73
DE - Tom Rhoads (Notre Dame) 86
MLB - Harry Jacobs (Bradley) 64
LB - Mike Stratton (Tennessee) 58
LB - John Tracey (Texas A & M) 51
LB - Paul Maguire (The Citadel) 55
CB - Butch Byrd (Boston University) 42
CB - Tom Janik (Texas A & I) 27
CB - Charley Warner (Prairie View) 22
S - George Saimes (Michigan State) 26
S - Hagood Clarke (Florida) 45

K - Mike Mercer (Arizona State) 7
P -  Paul Maguire (The Citadel) 55
KR - Charley Warner (Prairie View) 22
KR - Ed Rutkowski (Notre Dame) 40
PR - Butch Byrd (Boston University) 42