Head coach Chuck Knox spent his second season with the Bills in 1979, improving on 1978's record by two games.
(Even if Buffalo had won their final three games, they still would have lost the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Miami Dolphins (who finished 10–6) for the division title.)
[2] Three of Buffalo's first four picks made at least one Pro Bowl: wide receiver Jerry Butler, nose tackle Fred Smerlas, and linebacker Jim Haslett.
Cousineau became a star there, becoming the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player in the 1979 season.
Cousineau signed a five-year contract for 2.5 million dollars, the most ever for a Cleveland Brown player at the time.