NFL game summary for 09/19/1976:

Oiler running back Don Hardeman's 19-yard run gave the Oilers their final margin after Houston's Curley Culp recovered Gary Marangi's fumble with four minutes left in the game. Fred Willis and Ronnie Coleman were the major offensive threats in the game, Willis running for 96 yards, Coleman for 74. Skip Butler kicked a 54-yard field goal for the first score, but Benny Ricardo, who signed with the Bills just three days before, countered with a 27-yarder for a 3-3 halftime tie. Marv Bateman's 78-yard punt was the top in the NFL in 1976.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

	Rush Yds/Gm	Pass Yds/Gm	Tot Yds/Gm	Turnovers
OFFENSE	190.0 (8)	182.0 (13)	372.0 (10)	4
DEFENSE	52.0 (2)	58.0 (2)	110.0 (1)	2
OFFENSE	108.0 (22)	275.0 (4)	383.0 (9)	0
DEFENSE	204.0 (23)	197.0 (18)	401.0 (22)	3

Line: Oilers by 1

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Houston Oilers (2-0-0)	0	3	0	10	13
Buffalo Bills (0-2-0)	0	3	0	0	3

( 3- 0) HOU Skip Butler 54 yard field goal ( 3- 3) BUF Benny Ricardo 27 yard field goal ( 6- 3) HOU Skip Butler 28 yard field goal (13- 3) HOU Don Hardeman 19 yard rush (Skip Butler kick)

                     HOU             BUF
First Downs:         11              13
Rushes-yards:        39-208          33-89
Yards/rush:          5.3             2.7
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     9-24-80-1       11-30-111-0
Sacked-yards:        3-28            3-32
Net pass yards:      52              79
Net yards/pass:      1.9             2.4
Total net yards:     260             168
Total plays:         66 (59% run)    66 (50% run)  
Yards/play:          3.9             2.5
Fumbles-lost:        2-0             3-2
Turnovers:           1               2
Penalties-yards:     8-51            7-58

Attendance: 61,364

Passing:
HOU: Dan Pastorini, 9 of 24 for 80 yards (1 int) BUF: Joe Ferguson, 9 of 24 for 90 yards; Gary Marangi, 2 of 6 for 21 yards
Rushing:
HOU: Fred Willis, 16 for 96 yards; Ronnie Coleman, 16 for 74 yards; Don Hardeman, 2 for 21 yards and 1 TD; Dan Pastorini, 2 for 14 yards; Joe Dawkins, 2 for 5 yards; Billy Johnson, 1 for -2 yards BUF: O.J. Simpson, 16 for 38 yards; Darnell Powell, 9 for 32 yards; Vic Washington, 3 for 9 yards; Joe Ferguson, 3 for 6 yards; Gary Marangi, 1 for 4 yards; Roland Hooks, 1 for 0 yards
Receiving:
HOU: Fred Willis, 3 for 23 yards; Ken Burrough, 3 for 20 yards; Billy Johnson, 2 for 8 yards; Mack Alston, 1 for 29 yards BUF: Paul Seymour, 3 for 38 yards; Bob Chandler, 3 for 34 yards; O.J. Simpson, 3 for 25 yards; Roland Hooks, 1 for 8 yards; Darnell Powell, 1 for 6 yards
Kick returns:
HOU: Billy Johnson, 3 for 42 yards BUF: Keith Moody, 2 for 34 yards; Bob Gaddis, 1 for 16 yards
Punt returns:
HOU: Billy Johnson, 5 for 48 yards; Ronnie Coleman, 1 for 9 yards BUF: Keith Moody, 3 for 24 yards; Roland Hooks, 1 for 12 yards; Bob Gaddis, 1 for 6 yards
Interceptions:
BUF: Dan Jilek, 1 for 5 yards
Punting:
HOU: Dan Pastorini, 9 for 324 yards BUF: Marv Bateman, 9 for 384 yards
Field Goals:
HOU: Skip Butler, 2/3 BUF: Benny Ricardo, 1/3