Like any other long-tenured NFL team, Buffalo Bills are no strangers when it comes to having historically great players. Whether it’s the All-Pro quarterback Jim Kelly, the hard-running Thurman Thomas, or even the fearsome Bruce Smith, Buffalo has seen many great players grace the field since the team first started in 1960.
The Bills have their own collection of great receivers over the years, whether they be homegrown or acquired from other teams. The likes of Andre Reed, James Lofton, and Eric Moulds have gone on to have Hall-of-Fame careers (or at least be a Pro Bowler, in Moulds’s case). But when it comes down to which Bills receivers had the best individual season, who exactly comes to mind?
Ranking the best seasons by a Buffalo Bills WR in franchise history
4th best season by a Buffalo Bills WR: Elbert Dubenion -1964
Season Stats: 42 receptions, 1139 yards, 81.4 YPG, 10 touchdowns
As a former AFL star, the late Elbert Dubenion is undoubtedly a familiar name to many football fans of these days. He was overlooked compared to other receivers of his time, such as Lance Alworth, Don Maynard, and Charlie Hannigan.
However, that isn’t to say that he wasn’t a great receiver in his own right. Dubenion’s play style was based on speed and the long ball – two major traits that defined the AFL at the time. It was thanks to his mastery of these traits that Dubenion earned the nickname “Golden Wheels”.
In his lone All-Star season in 1964, Dubenion caught 42 catches for 1,139 yards and ten touchdowns, and his yards per catch was an astonishing 27.1 YPC. His efforts that season helped fuel the Bills to win their first AFL championship, as he received second-team All-AFL honors.