Sean McDermott Show, Week 1

the Bills, Sean McDermott. Shaan's great to see you back for another season. I'm looking forward to this one. We are too. We've had a good preseason and we're off to a good start. A lot of energy about our football team inside of our building as well as outside, and we're anxious to get going. I gotta tell you the congratulations on the four and o preseason. I know that the record doesn't mean much, but it had to tell you some things about your team, Well it did it.

I mean, you know, it's it's better to be four and oh than oh and four and have some concerns, but we still have concerns. Right, It's early in the season. There's some unknowns. There's unknowns about our opponent this week, and I think that's natural for every season. But how do we handle those unknowns. Is we get back to being who we are and being a good, fundamentally strong

football team. Yeah, and you got a little vote of I don't know, confidence or a vote of encouragement by a lot of your players who couldn't make your team. We're playing for other teams. I mean, you almost led the league and guys who were claimed off the waiver wire because of your depth. And it really does say some good things about the roster you guys have put together. Yeah,

it does. And that's what you want. I mean, going into our third season now, you want people looking at our roster and how we do things and whether it be on the field or off the field, and saying, hey, that guy can help us. And that may not have been necessarily the case in the early years, in the first two years, but each and every year you want people looking at not only are personnel, but also what we're doing schematically on the field and then off the

field as well. When you turn things over. You've got new faces. And one of the things you've always said from the very beginning is you guys got to play like a group, like a family, got to be pulled in the same direction. But with a lot of new faces, that's always a huge, you know, hurdle to overcome. How

is that going? And continuity was a challenge UM, and it's and it remains a challenge with some guys hurt, with some of the guys we had hurt in the spring, and and it's mostly been on the offensive side of the ball. But I like what we were able to experience together as a team this this preseason, with the with the trip to Carolina and how good that was for us, and and the challenge that that that posed

to us as a football team. Then we were on the road again the next week UM in Detroit and a nationally televised game, and we were down early in the game. It was it was not the way we designed it, but we but we made it through. We pushed through it, and at half we were up. And so there are some really good situations we experienced as

a team. And then to play the way we did UM with the back end of our roster against the Vikings in the fourth preseason game, and to win at home and the way we won just I think brings a lot of energy to our team and to this community. You've done some revamping of the of the roster, particularly on the offensive side of the ball in particular. I'm going to get the offensive line in a minute. But your running backs are all new faces. Frank Gore the

oldest of the old running backs. T J. Yelden, a proven veteran who's brings something to the tables, a five year guy. And then you've got a brand a newbie in Devin Singletary. You've got the spectrum of age covered in the running back room. But they're all new to your team, they are, and they all bring something just a little bit different one from the other. But Frank

brings veteran presence, veteran leadership. He's hard to tackle, but he's also hard on himself, which is I don't want to say good to see, but it's it's it's no surprise when you get to know Frank why he's been so successful and has played as long as he's played, And to use that as an example to our young players in this case, Devin singletary, who's in the same position, meeting room, who watches Frank Frank's every move just about that builds well for Devon's development as well. And then TJ.

You know, he had the early fumble in preseason. He paid the price for it. Didn't see the field after that that first preseason game, but what a great way he handled that. He came back in games two, in games three and really really played well. Yeah, you talk about the running backs playing well, but the offensive line has been a big part of It's been a big part of the focus in the offseason. Seven of ten guys that you kept them big number of offensive linemen,

seven of them are brand new to the team. Four news starters. What are the traits that you were looking for in those guys? Certainly big, strong, physical athletes, but what about the the intangible side of it. Yeah, I mean guys that you know, not afraid to work hard. That they really, to me define what an offensive line should look like. Work ethic, blue collar, tough. Hey you hit me in the mouth, I'm gonna come back and hit you in the mouth. That type of mentality, that

type of personality, and you saw some of that. I think at moments in the preseason. We saw it through the spring and through training camp on the practice field, but it came out in some games as well during the preseason game. So still a lot of work to do, but I like the direction we're headed up front. Okay, So last year one of the strengths of your team was your defense number two overall in the yards, giving up really a strong unit for you. You get ten

of eleven starters back. How do you improve on that group? What's your plan for getting even more out of it? Yeah, I think I think the key right now is, well, really, back when we started training camp, Steves, don't get comfortable just because we have the continuity. Don't get comfortable with that. I thought there were some moments where where we got the ball driven on us a little bit. And so it's still a lot of work to do, but again, I like the way that we're doing things on defense.

I like the direction we were heading in and it all starts up front on the defensive line as well as the offensive line, as we talked about, and we've got to have a good defensive front to have a good defense. Okay, As a result, you got a new roster a bunch of new guys. Twenty five of the guys only your fifty three are their first two years in the National Football League. What's that say about your team? Is that a philosophical choice or did you just find

twenty five guys you really like? Well, you know with young guys, there's a risk with young guys, right, or inexperience and that Look, it's true for all of us. There was a first time for me, and there's a first time for you, and and so there's no substitute for experience. But with youth comes energy, and with youth comes determination and a freshness to our football team. And

I think that's good. Within that, though, we've got to have a kind of a layer of older, veteran, experienced players that have been around and because that's most of the time where your leaders come from and where the direction of the team and the ownership and the buying really comes from. Sean, thanks for taking a couple of minutes in a hectic week one of the regular season. Congratulations on a nice preseason. We're looking forward to a lot of weeks of wins and ups and downs, and

we'll get through them all together. It's kind to be fun it will be fun. Thanks Steve. All right. Coming up, quarterback Matt Barkley asks his teammates about their opening weekend memories on Chill with the Bill. But next, Eric would helps me break down our Week one matchup with the Jets in the film room. Chopping Wood is presented by Saint Bonaventure University, the official education provider of the Buffalo Bills.

Welcome back, everybody to the Sean McDermott Show. Now the regular season is finally upon us, and we're gonna be here every week breaking down some game tape. And to help us do that is going to be a pro Bowl Center, Eric Wood. We're gonna call this segment chopping Wood. Eric, thanks so much for taking some time to be with us. This is my pleasure as a former player. I feel like I can give a little bit better perspective on these plays than maybe coach can because he's not trying

to reveal schemes. He's not trying to reveal concepts, game plans and all that. I'm not sitting in meetings anymore, so I'm not spoiling the action. I'm not spoiling game plans. This is purely me and my knowledge of football, trying to get the fans some insights. Well, let's kick things off with some Josh Allen table. Take a look at him here. He's been working on his touch last year. We know he's got he showed off the big arm. One of his criticisms was how he handled touch passes.

This corner route to Tommy Sweeney really shows that off. Tommy Sweeney, the rookie seventh round draft pick out of Boston College. He really showed his playmaking ability in the preseason, known more for his hands than necessary his playmaking ability as far as getting open, but he seemed to have found a knack for finding space. And Josh Allen releases this ball just as he's breaking out, puts perfect touch

under it. And these types of plays with the way the Bills should be able to run the football this year, with their offensive line and the talent they have at tailback, Like right here, they have to Honor Singletary in the background on the play action. Well, then these throws, if Josh Allen can continue to progress and put touch on it like this, these will be very, very tough to stop as the year goes on. One more play on

Josh Allen eric This time. He does show off the big arm that he has, but he also shows off his accuracy, which has always been a bugget who people say he can't put it in a tight window. This is a pretty tight window. It is a tight window. And the Carolina Panthers show a double a gap mugged look. This is something that Sean McDermott ran when he was at Carolina. It's four defensive linemen and the two linebackers

sitting right in the a gap. The Bills run a three by one formation with three wide receivers up towards the top of the screen you see here, and just Tommy Sweeney down on the bottom side of the screen. And Josh Allen knows that if that linebacker fails out of that a gap on that side, depending on where he goes, that's where he's going with the football, and that guy fifty seven he goes towards the running back, and Josh Allen knows that Tommy Sweeney at that point

has leverage on the defensive back to that side. These windows get tight as you get down towards the red zone towards this side of the field, these windows get tight. And this is great development from Josh Allen in year two. Let's transition to Sam Darnold. Let's explore some place he made in his loan start against the Buffalo Bills last season. Here's the first one. Yeah, Sam Darnold. He channels in

his enter Fran Tarkenton. Here he is moving around the pocket, but he has his eyes down the field the entire time and Trey White, as you can see if you follow him throughout that play, it ends up being ten seconds from snap to throw, and Trey White stocks the very talented Robbie Anderson the entire time. But at the end ten seconds is way too long to be able to cover a guy. Kyle and Jerry run a stunt at the line of scrimmage and almost get home. They

flush him from the pocket. Kyle ends up taking a huge shot there and Tremaine Emmons almost delivers a huge flow to Darnald, but he keeps his eyes down the field, able to complete this for a touchdown on this final play less than two minutes left in the game. Big time throw from Darnold, and this was huge and giving the Jets a chance to win this game. It was a huge play and it was a huge throw and a huge catch and Trey White does an incredible job.

It's a single high look. So if the Trey White is not going to give beat over the top and he stocks Robbie Anderson stride for stride, and Sam Darnold puts a perfectly placed ball and he gets some protection here you see at left guard there they had Spencer Long and new Buffalo Bills acquired into your offensive lineman. But he does a good job on Kyle and they end up getting enough time and he delivers a perfect pass to the sideline. Virtually uncomparable because Trey White was

in absolute perfect position. If anything, potentially get his head around a touch quicker, maybe get his hand up. But these back shoulder throws right down the field like that away from the safety are extremely tough to defend. Eric, that's great stuff. We'really looking forward to having you. Thanks for being here, and I can't wait to break down

more film with you in the weeks to come. Yeah, it's my pleasure looking forward to the game this weekend and looking forward to breaking down more film in the future with you. Steve. After the break, Chill with the Bills takes us through our players first NFL game experiences later on, Sports Oology examines the science behind some of the most exciting plays of the preseason. Chill with the Bill is presented by fuck Light Game Day's favorite light

locker What's Up Bill fans, quarterback Matt Barkley. Here we have our season opener coming up on September eight at med Lafe against the Jets. Let's take a look around the locker room see what guys had to say about their favorite memory from any season opener from high school, college, pro game. Let's hear what they have to say, favorite, top, best, ultimate, unique season opener. What you got got you? So my freshman year of high school, I had to start a quarterback.

I was scared to death. He started at quarterback, not corn nerterback, quarterback again, and so I'm out there, probably about the third play of the game. They blitz I close my eyes. I throw the ball, touchdown, he catches it, runs about thirty yards. I just closed my eyes and he weren't even supposed to be playing. He tore a touchdown, touched out for drive of the game. And I was

so scared. Close my eyes, man, that's what That's what happens when I'm at quick Please don't close your eyes this season opener and when you go to make a tackle for a loss. Okay, yeah, appreciate it all right here with John Brown aka Smoke because he's so fast, there's just a smoke trail wherever you go. Favorite game day, season opener? What's your favorite memory on? My favorite memory was my rookie year when I was in Arizona, played Monday Night and you know I started, you know, as

a rookie. You know it was a tough game, and you know I ended up scoring the game winner. So you know that's a memory, you know, to always remember. We got we got Trey White imitating Smoke. What do you got? What do you got? This his favorite toughdown celebration. He caught the ball, he gonna it was perfect favorite opening day memory? What you got? I really wouldn't call him my favorite opening day But I remember my first ever time running out of the tunnel at USC or

the coast, is that what it was? It was at cal Berkeley at home in the Memorial Stadium. You've been there, We've beaten you there. Um We're like we're like fifteen yards apart in age, so wow, we're runn running out of the first time a Memorial Stadium, and I was just dad tired for the first whole series because I screamed from one end zone to the other end zone and I was out of breath, just so hyped, just

just hyped. And so now I don't do it anymore. Hey, let's bring that same hype this you'd open all right on the first play, do you. I just told you what happened. That's why I don't do it. So yeah, I won't. I won't be that hype, but I'll be I'll be hyped. Great memory. Thanks friend, Zoe, Thank you, thanks for that look into the locker room, guys. In a new segment to The Sean McDermott Show, we crunch the numbers on some of Buffalo's biggest plays of the

preseason in Sportsology That's Next. When sports fans talk about football, the word physicality usually comes to mind, but fans rarely use the word physics. In our sports Oology segment, we're going to get into the science behind some of the biggest impact plays of the Bill's preseason. Bills. Sportsology is presented by ecmc bringing hope and healing to Western New York. Welcome to this week's sportsology, Let's begin by taking a look at the completion probability of a johns Allen passed

a rookie tight end Tommy Sweeney against the Panthers. First and ten from midfield, Allan drives back six point seven seven yards. It takes the Bill's quarterback two point eight seconds to throw the ball. When Allan releases the past, there are two point nine eight yards of separation between Sweeney and the Carolina defender. By the time Sweeney makes the catch, the window is narrowed down to just point eight five of a yard. So what was the probability

of completing that pass? Just thirty five point one percent. For our next play, we'll take a look at the top speed Christian Wade reaches in his first ever carry in an NFL game. First and ten from the Buffalo thirty five. Wade takes a handoff at the thirty yard length and immediately cuts to the right. The offensive line did a great job creating a hole that was ten point nine four yards wide for Wade to run through.

He outraces the safety to the end zone, covering seventy eight point fifty four yards on the sixty five yard touchdown run. But what was Wade's peaked speed on the play? Twenty one point one miles per hour. With a look at this week's sports Aology, I'm John Murphy, coach, and I discuss how the team is preparing for its Week one matchup against the New York Jets. That's next on the Sean McDermott Show. Game Preview is presented by Independent Health.

From here every day to your unexpected. That's the Red Shared Treatment. I'm Mattie, Glad you're this week's game preview. The Bills opened the twenty nineteen season on the road with a game against the Jets in Week one. The AFC FOE made several offseason moves in an effort to revamp their team, including hiring new head coach Adam Gaze looking at how the Jets spared last season, They finished fourth in the AFC with a record of four wins

and twelve losses. The biggest addition to their roster has to be the versatile former Pittsburgh Steeler running back lady On Bell. When Bell lasted the field in twenty seventeen, he totaled one two hundred and ninety one yards on the ground and had eighty five receptions for six hundred and fifty five yards. The running back had eleven total touchdowns. The Bills also reworked their team and efforts to help the offense and second year quarterback Josh Allen. That meant

adding targets like Cole Beasley and John Brown. Beasley played in two preseason games, catching all five targets for fifty seven yards. The former Cowboys will be a great asset to the second year QB. On defense, the Bills add first rounder Ed Oliver to their defensive line. Oliver is the third first round rookie to start in Week one in the McDermott era, next to Trey White and Tremaine Edmunds.

When the two teams hit the field on Sunday afternoon, it's safe to say the too will look very different from last season. Steve back to you. Thanks so much, Mattie, appreciate it. Now let's gives a few last minute thoughts from sean coach opening day. You've had a ton of these in your career. Any really memorable opening game of your career? As if you remember, I remember my first

one here as a head coach. I remember kind of the smell in the air coming out of the of the ad Pro Building and heading over to the stadium, and uh, I was I was nervous. I was anxious probably better said, and not knowing how it's going to go. And I think that's true. There's some unknowns every season. This season no different, and so but there is there is value and experience having been there before and and uh, I think that will help us going forward. Well, you

get the Jets right out of the gate. It's an important division rival? Is that Is that a plus? Is that of mind? I mean you got to play him sometime? Well, division in the division, It's it's important right out of the gate. We get a division opponent at their place, and so they'll have the advantage as far as the crowd and the energy and all that type of stuff. And we know that and it's never easy going there. And they're a good opponent with some new pieces that

that they went out and got this offseason. So um, we'll be challenged. This is your third season opener as head coach of the Bills. What's the biggest change. I would say probably the biggest change is our roster compared to that first year. Just a different team overall, and you're starting to see the culture willly come through in

the standard. I think these guys have done. The players and staff have just done a phenomenal job in terms of establishing the standard and how that doesn't change no matter where we play or when we play. All Right, Sean, thanks so much. That's great insight. I can't wait to see you guys play on opening Day, and thank you everybody for joining us on The Sean McDermott Show. We'll be back next week. We'll recap the Jet game and look forward to the Week two matchup with the New

York Giants. Have a great weekend, everybody. The Sean McDermott Show is sponsored by Independent Health from here every Day to your Unexpected. That's the Red Shared Treatment, and by Yancey's Fancy New York's Artists and Cheese, the official cheese of the Buffalo Bills.