NFL game summary for 12/02/1973:
Atlanta was eliminated from the NFC West race but remained alive in the wild card competition when Buffalo snapped the Falcons' seven-game winning streak on the rushing of O. J. Simpson and Jim Braxton. Simpson gained 137 yards in 24 carries, increasing his season total to 1,584 yards while Braxton scored both touchdowns and gained 80 yards. The Bills sacked Bob Lee four times.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 204.7 (1) | 72.8 (26) | 277.5 (15) | 25 |
| DEFENSE | 139.5 (12) | 135.9 (13) | 275.5 (12) | 26 | |
 | OFFENSE | 152.3 (10) | 152.3 (9) | 304.5 (11) | 23 |
| DEFENSE | 140.2 (13) | 112.4 (3) | 252.5 (5) | 32 |
Line: Falcons by 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills (7-5-0) | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Atlanta Falcons (8-4-0) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
( 7- 0) BUF Jim Braxton 1 yard rush (John Leypoldt kick) ( 7- 3) ATL Nick Mike-Mayer 26 yard field goal ( 7- 6) ATL Nick Mike-Mayer 16 yard field goal (10- 6) BUF John Leypoldt 20 yard field goal (17- 6) BUF Jim Braxton 1 yard rush (John Leypoldt kick)
BUF ATL
First Downs: 17 12
Rushes-yards: 54-239 32-125
Yards/rush: 4.4 3.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 7-12-95-1 9-22-195-0
Sacked-yards: 0-0 4-48
Net pass yards: 95 147
Net yards/pass: 7.9 5.7
Total net yards: 334 272
Total plays: 66 (81% run) 58 (55% run)
Yards/play: 5.1 4.7
Fumbles-lost: 1-0 3-3
Turnovers: 1 3
Penalties-yards: 3-41 4-20
Attendance: 54,607
Passing:
BUF: Joe Ferguson, 7 of 12 for 95 yards (1 int) ATL: Bob Lee, 9 of 22 for 195 yards
Rushing:
BUF: O.J. Simpson, 24 for 137 yards; Jim Braxton, 23 for 80 yards and 2 TDs; Joe Ferguson, 7 for 22 yards ATL: Dave Hampton, 16 for 49 yards; Eddie Ray, 13 for 61 yards; Bob Lee, 3 for 15 yards
Receiving:
BUF: Bob Chandler, 4 for 41 yards; J.D. Hill, 3 for 54 yards ATL: Jim Mitchell, 4 for 71 yards; Eddie Ray, 3 for 28 yards; Louis Neal, 1 for 50 yards; Tom Geredine, 1 for 46 yards
Kick returns:
BUF: Wallace Francis, 2 for 35 yards; Ray Jarvis, 1 for 24 yards ATL: Tom Geredine, 2 for 47 yards; Joe Washington, 1 for 22 yards; Duane Benson, 1 for 8 yards
Punt returns:
BUF: Donnie Walker, 2 for 23 yards ATL: Ray Brown, 5 for 24 yards
Interceptions:
ATL: Claude Humphrey, 1 for 6 yards
Punting:
BUF: Spike Jones, 7 for 287 yards ATL: John James, 5 for 244 yards
Field Goals:
BUF: John Leypoldt, 1/2 ATL: Nick Mike-Mayer, 2/2
BUF: Joe Ferguson, 7 of 12 for 95 yards (1 int) ATL: Bob Lee, 9 of 22 for 195 yards
Rushing:
BUF: O.J. Simpson, 24 for 137 yards; Jim Braxton, 23 for 80 yards and 2 TDs; Joe Ferguson, 7 for 22 yards ATL: Dave Hampton, 16 for 49 yards; Eddie Ray, 13 for 61 yards; Bob Lee, 3 for 15 yards
Receiving:
BUF: Bob Chandler, 4 for 41 yards; J.D. Hill, 3 for 54 yards ATL: Jim Mitchell, 4 for 71 yards; Eddie Ray, 3 for 28 yards; Louis Neal, 1 for 50 yards; Tom Geredine, 1 for 46 yards
Kick returns:
BUF: Wallace Francis, 2 for 35 yards; Ray Jarvis, 1 for 24 yards ATL: Tom Geredine, 2 for 47 yards; Joe Washington, 1 for 22 yards; Duane Benson, 1 for 8 yards
Punt returns:
BUF: Donnie Walker, 2 for 23 yards ATL: Ray Brown, 5 for 24 yards
Interceptions:
ATL: Claude Humphrey, 1 for 6 yards
Punting:
BUF: Spike Jones, 7 for 287 yards ATL: John James, 5 for 244 yards
Field Goals:
BUF: John Leypoldt, 1/2 ATL: Nick Mike-Mayer, 2/2