Sean McDermott Show, Week 12

bye week at seven and three. You're in first place in the AFC East after taking some time to reflect during the week off, how do you feel about where your team is at six games left in the season. Well, I feel pretty good about where we are, honestly, Steve. You know, we've done some good things. You know, we

wish we were ten and oh obviously we're not. And so like many teams, like most teams out there, I would say, and I'll speak for our team where we're not perfect, haven't been perfect, but we've done a lot of good things with certainly room for improvement, and that's what the next six games are all about. Yeah, well, you lost a heartbreaker before the bye to the Cardinals on a Hail Mary, but you still control your own

destiny to make the playoffs. And what did you do during the bye week to put that loss behind you and turn your focus onto the playoff push. Well, you know, we needed to look at that game and give it its due, and then we also had to look at other areas of our team and performance where they haven't been up to our standard. And so we put a lot of work in the early part of the week as a coaching staff and have the plan more than anything going forward how we're going to improve in those areas.

So we've got basically a six game season left and whatever else happens after that, nothing's guaranteed, and so we're in a good position, but we're anxious to get rolling here again, what was your process during the week off? And I know you said you look back and you kind of diagnosis to how you were going to improve and different parts of your team. But which areas of the team were you most focused on? Well, all three phases, honestly, you know, we looked at certainly things we were doing

well so we can replicate that and understand why. And then move forward with that in mind, but also the areas of our offense where we haven't been performing up to par, and our run game in particular, and then the run defense on the other side of the ball, and then some of the areas and opportunities we've had on special teams as well, whether it's in the return game or the coverage game. Just to continue to try

and again grow as a football team. You've always been a defensive coach during your time in the NFL, and even when you came here, your team identity was always built around your defense. This year seems to have shifted a bit to where you've developed more of an offensive identity. Was that a goal headed into this season or has it just unfolded that way as the season has rolled on well? Number one, I think it's somewhat of the theme around the league at this point for some reason.

The scorings up, all the offensive stats are up pretty much. But going back to your questions, specifically to defense, every year is different. I'm not a defensive head coach that you know goes and tries to just load up on only defensive players. I believe in a balanced approach and a balance football team and you've got to be able to score points, and yet you've got to be able to stop people as well. So I'm really looking forward to our football team growing as we move forward into

the back half and back third or so of the season. Here, as you look back at the Cardinals game before the bye week, your offense went down and scored that go ahead touchdown with thirty four seconds left. If the results would have held, your team would have been six and oh this season in one possession games. How much confidence do you have in your office to go out there and win it for you at the end of these games. Yeah,

great amount. You watched You've seen that this year, and we've come back, whether it be the Rams game, the Cardinals game, just the latest example. We've got a lot of confidence in our offense and yet we have a lot of confidence in our defense. When you look at it, give the credit again to what happened in the play that was made, but we didn't play up to our potential and it took a Hail Mary, if you will

to beat us. So there's a lot that we can learn from that game, both on the positive side and the negative side that we can take out of that game. As we move forward, and it's important that we play our best football over the next six weeks, starting this week with the Chargers. Yeah, and when you talk about that go ahead score, Josh Allen found Stefon Diggs. It was diggs seventy third reception of the year on that play. And even after the bye week, Diggs is still second

in the National Football League and catches and yards. How has his performance this year lined up with the expectations had for him when the team traded for him back in March, Well, again, I thought Brandon did a great job of having a good field for the market, having a good field for the pool of talent that was going to be out there in free agency and the draft a couple of months later, and you know, found the right person, the right player for our situation, and

that's all that matters. You Know, Stefan has done a great job. Our players have done a great job welcoming Stefan into our family here at the BI, and he just continues to inspire us with his energy, his competitive fire, and his love and passion for the game. Well, along with a huge season from Diggs, you've also seen a breakout year from Josh Allen but in your estimation, who has been your unsung hero this season, who hasn't been

getting enough attention through the first ten games. Well, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna kind of just flip flip it on you here. I'm gonna go over the special teams and the things, Steve and I know that's near and dear to your heart, and I'm gonna go with Tyler Madikevich on our core special teams units. He's been a

great addition to our football team. A real gritty football player, instinctive football player, and just he loves to work, he takes He's a blue collar kid that takes that lunch pale approach every day and we really appreciate what he's added to our football team this season. That's good to hear, Coach, thank you for that. We're gonna catch up with you later in this show to get your final thoughts on

your upcoming match up with the Chargers. Shopping Wood is presented by Saint Bonaventure Unversity, the official education provider of the Buffalo Bills. Welcome back to the Sean McDermott Show, and it's time now to break down the tape with our good Buddy eric Wood eight. Josh Allen had an uneven performance against the Cardinals in Week ten, but he did show up when it mattered the most in the fourth quarter and on that final drive he connected with

Stefan Diggs and Cole Beasley each four times. What did you see from the Bills receivers against the Cardinals and throughout this entire season? Josh has been spreading the football around to his receivers a ton. Now Stefan Diggs gets a majority of it, but he spreads the ball around

so much. And what I've seen from them is they move these receivers around as well, put them in different spots on the field in their formations to allow them to get releases that are advantageous for whatever route they want to put them on. Let's start by looking at the touchdown by Cole Beasley. This isn't happen until the third quarter, and this put the Bills up twenty three to nine, And really you can see the mindset that

was behind this point. Yeah, the Bills used a three by one formation a lot in this game, and Cole Beasley is able to work across the formation. Again, Really tough for that guy across room to get a jam on him. Dawson Knox clears out the zone and this is an easy completion for a touchdown. And we've talked to many times in the pasteve these red zone windows get super tight, and that's a great play designed by

Brian dave Wall. It certainly was. And Alice fast forward to the fourth quarter that drive where the Bills scores the go ahead touchdown. Cole Beasley made some critical catches, including this one hander on third and four. Cole Beasley has been phenomenal since he got to the Bills catching the football and in this one defeat man coverage, released to the outside, make a one handed catch, get both feet down and get across the sticks. Was absolutely unbelievable.

And it seems like Cole Beasley and crunch time in these third down situations, whether it's a man or zone, Josh has got a lot of trust in him that he can convert for him. Yeah, and on that scene drive a few plays later, the Bills are in a second and thirteen and Joshed again comes back to Beasley. This play all starts with the protection they were able

to give Josh a ton of time. Cole Beasley here is lined up in the two spots in this three by one set again, and the old line gives him enough time to run a deep dig route, which is extremely tough of the defensive back to cover, as we see Cole Beasley make even a little extra move at the top of that route. And this was another play that was crucial in this drive to take the lead late in the game. Yeah, this all sets up, of course, to go ahead score from Stefan Diggs. What did you

see on this play? Throughout the game? Patrick Peterson had almost been the nemesis to Josh Allen. He drops two interceptions, he was able to intercept him once and this was a Manda man defense. Josh Allen has Stefan Diggs lined up in the first spot in the three by one set and he just runs a corner route and he uses a combination of speed in a sharp round to get a little bit of separation and Josh throws an absolute dime on the money. It's a great catch, holding

the ball through contact with the ground. It's great execution. Yeah, that was a great drive and it really should have been the game winner. But let's rewind to another great drive that got some other weapons involved. This was the Bill's first scoring drive and it was set up by this thirty one yard screen to John Brown. Yeah, like how they set this play up and Josh Allen recognizes that it's going to be all out blitz. They motioned

them across. So we've seen this play to John Brown, this wide receiver screen out of a three by ones that we've seen this multiple times this year. Well, now they bring Cole Beasley across the formation, so it's not as easy for the Cardinals to recognize. They can't pick up their eyes on it as much. And again the Bills make the defense pay if you're going to run

all out blitz against them. They now have answers. That seemed to be something that held them back a ton in twenty nineteen was facing all out pressure, and this year it seems like they have answers. Yeah. Plays later, Brian Daball draws up a trick play for the Bills to get their first touchdown of the game. Brian dave Ball likes to have some fun, and we see him having some fun here. The jet SUITEP is something the

Bills use a lot. To Isaiah McKenzie, I actually thought it was kind of funny because generally it's a lot sharper right at that the mesh point, you know, it's it's the snap, the handoff. This one, they truly let the Cardinals see it with their eyes, like here it comes, and then it's it's a great play design. It's actually a really good catch by Josh Allen. It's a good throw about McKenzie, but it's a little out in front of Josh, and Josh actually makes a good catch. The

lineman get out in front. And it's stuff like this that makes playing offense a ton of fun in this league. Yeah, the Bill's offense really looked strong and hopefully they can keep that rolling against the Chargers this week. Eric, thanks allot. We appreciate you coming in and spending some time with us. Yep, my pleasure. Steve Mattie glib here with this week's game preview. The seven and three Bills are coming off there by, rested and ready to take on three and seven Chargers.

Sean mc dan is undefeated following a buy since becoming the Bill's head coach. Buffalo will face a Chargers team who is better than their record. Reads LA has been in several close games and all seven of their losses have come by an average of four point six points. Their offense ranks third in total yards, averaging four hundred point nine yards per game. That's thanks to rookie quarterback

Justin Herbert's arm. Herbert is averaging the third most passing yards per game with two hundred ninety nine point nine. He also ties for sixth with twenty two passing touchdowns. One of the rookie's favorite targets is receiver Keenan Allen, who leads the NFL with eighty one catches and one hundred and twelve targets with eight hundred and thirty five receiving yards, LA's defense is eleventh in total yards, allowing three hundred and forty four yards per game, and ties

for twenty ninth with only nine takeaways. The Bill's offense is averaging twenty seven point two points per game and three hundred and seventy six point five total yards per game, which is good for eleven. They have the fourth best passing offense in the NFL, averaging two hundred and seventy eight point nine passing yards per game. Receiver Stefan Dix has seventy three catches for nine hundred and six receiving yards, good for second most in the NFL. That's this week's

game preview, Steve back to you. Thanks as always, Maddie. Coach, you're three and o coming off the buy as a head coach. What's the key to having success off a bye week. Well, we've got a big challenge with the Chargers coming in here. You know that said it's it's always about us. It's always about our players and then being ready to play, and that's how we've gotten to

that record. As you mentioned, coming out of the buy, our staff doing a great job over the buy, yet coming back ready to work and put the time to earn the right to win come Sunday. So, as always, it'll be a big challenge and we've got a good team coming in here and we've got to regain our edge over the course of this week as we practice. An interesting thing about this Chargers game. They come to Buffalo with a quarterback who looks a lot like Josh Allen.

Justin Herbert's making a strong case for Rookie the Year. He's got twenty two touchdowns, only six picks, and he's averaging three hundred yards a game. What similarities do you see between him and Josh and what kind of challenges do you see him presenting to your defense this week. Well, he's off to a good start, a great start. You know. He hasn't turned the ball over much, which is unusual for a rookie quarterback. He seems to see the field

and not be confused. And he seems very poisoned the pocket. Tough as you mentioned, big and strong with the strong arms. Looks like he can make every throw. You know, it'll be a challenge for us defensively, but as always, one of the goals is to affect the opposing quarterback and so we've got to do that if we want to win the game. Thanks for this, coach, and good luck this week against LA. We'll be back here next week to recap your game against the Chargers and preview your

Week thirteen matchup against the forty nine Ers. Thanks for watching, everybody at home. This has been the Sean McDermott Show, presented by Connors and Ferris and as always, go bills, final thoughts. It's presented by your local Toyota Dealers. The Sean McDermot Show is presented by Connors and Ferris, your workers' comp attorneys, by independent health you deserve the Red Share treatment, and by your local Toyota dealers.