Sean McDermott Show, Week 17

the official healthcare providers of the Buffalo Bills. And once again we're here to join Sean McDermott for his thoughts on last week's game against the New England Patriots, looking forward to the Jets game, looking and beyond to the playoffs and coaching. You knew going into Foxborough they got the best defense statistically in the National Football League. You knew the margin of air was going to be very small.

And once again, just like the first go round, it comes down to the wire in this one of the Yeah, no it did, and we didn't play our best game. They executed at a high level, which is what you'd expect from the defending champs, especially this time of year, and so we've got to learn from that. But it came down to the last possession. We had a chance to tie the game or go ahead with a two point possibly after that, and we didn't convert. But a lot of lessons can be taken from that game. Yeah,

you look at this game too. You're kind of trying to build your team. You got a team that's been at the top of the division. You kind of build your team to beat him. In two teams with strong defenses and two teams that have two guys in the slot with Julian Edelman for the Patriots and you with Cole Beasley, a lot of similarities. There are those two games, Cole Beasley with a bunch of catches for over one hundred yards. That's kind of the direction the National Football

League is in. You want to have one of those guys, and both teams have one. Yeah, it was fun to watch. It was fun to watch Cole do what he did the other night, and Josh to be able to connect with Cole in particular before half and then towards the end of game, and so it set us up with in scoring position a few times, and that was good to see. To get that part of our offense developed and going. Now you're in the playoffs, so you can have a little fun here. You got another big man touchdown,

Don Dalkins. Yeah, it's got Actually, we had a guy tell us today there's one guy on the team that had a touchdown pass last year and a touchdown pass this year. It's the left tackle. That's amazing. Fun time and as a play that was called at the right time, executed perfect. Yeah, well well designed. We did run it last year, so I know there was some question on whether or not he reported eligible or not, but we try and do things the right way and we executed

at a high level. Yeah, you know it's you executed a high level, particularly at the end of the first half. You had like thirty one thirty two seconds ago, and you come down, you manage the clock perfectly, you get the ball over the top, two knocks, and the end of the first half is exactly the way you scripted. You wanted to end with the score, come out and

get the ball in the second half. It really had to be happy with your execution, your play clock management, the offensive game plan, and the way the guy's executed. Well I was. I thought the guys executed well. Brian called a good series right there and six seconds on the clock. With you know, you're never sure what's going to happen, right, so but you got to be able to get up and down with the ball, and Josh

did that well. We executed, and we wanted to then what we called double dip is come out after half and score again. And we drove. I think we moved the chains once, but we stalled after that, and so we've got to look at that as well. You know, Josh came down. It's kind of fun. You watched Josh play and there's no question he's kind of the bell cowar your offense, and he should be. He's the quarterback and he's going to be there for a while. But to see him hit those deep balls and he hadn't

really had struggled to hit. To see him compete like that and then come back and also do the nitty gritty stuff of getting the fourth down conversion on a quarterback sneak with a face mask in the whole nine yards and didn't get called. Really got to be happy about where he's at mentally, even though you know, you'd

still like to be a little more efficient. Yeah, you know, we got off to a little bit of a slow start overall, I thought after that he made some really elite throws in some tough situations of the game where it was before half, and he used his feet before half as well. And then the throw to John Brown on second and eleven plus whatever it was, and with a guy in his face, took a big hit and then to lead us on the drive at the end to give us a chance to tie the game at

least or go ahead. Big time drive in a big game and big moments of a big game. Well, your defense continues, even with this loss last week, to be ranked extremely high in the rankings all across the National Football League. And there's been a couple of games, and this latest one in New England's another example. You've gotten the best offensive performance from the teams you face that they've been able to muster all season. And Tom Brady,

what can you say? The guy rose up. He had his best day of the year this last week against you guys. Yeah, and that's and that was to be expected, right, I mean, you can only they talk people talk about while they're not the same, and Tom Brady is not the same. And as I said, you think, don't ever think you've got him figured out. He's been one of the best, if not the best, for a reason, and especially late in the year, and they executed at a

high level. And so we've got to go back to the drawing board and continue to grow and develop as a staff and as a team. And we'll do that move forward. We're gonna come back later in the show and get your final thoughts. Thanks Sean. Chopping Wood is presented by Saint Bonaventure University, the official education provider of the Buffalo Bills. Everybody, welcome back to the Sean McDermott shown as we go inside the film room. As a tradition, we bring Eric Wood in the radio analysts for the

Buffalo Bills broadcast to talk about it. We're gonna chop some wood in the segment we obviously called chopping Wood. Eric, Thanks for being here. Nobody cares about moral victories anymore. But in a really competitive game, we really had a playoff atmosphere. You gotta like the way the Bills showed up. Yeah, on Saturday, they proved once again that they can compete with anyone in this league, and in these last few games have been very stiff competition. At the Steelers, you

play the Ravens. You play the Patriots at their place, and you go toe to toe with all of them, you beat the Steelers. The Bills are proving with this this young roster and serve spots, especially quarterback, middle linebacker, These these young captains, they're getting really big experience right now in these really hostile environments that will pay off hopefully come playoff time. Yeah. Well, Josh Allen in the second year, he's had this knack for like looking at

his own game and making improvements. You know, he addresses those parts of his game that he might struggle with early in the season. We saw the deep ball has been a problem for the team throughout the season. Yet in this big moment, Josh came through with maybe two of his best throws of the year. This touchdown pass to John Brown is probably the play of the game for the Buffalo Bills. John Brown going against Steph Gilmour, double teamed by the safety coming over. Smoke runs a

phenomenal route and Josh puts it right on the money. Yeah, this is this is one of my favorite throws I've seen Josh make in his entire career. And you have two guys barreling down the face of Josh Allen. On this play, they do a designed to hard play action, but because of the edge pressure from Kyle van Noy in him not getting leaving containing then Lawrence Guys coming

right up the gut at him. Josh bads back to his left, sees that Smoke brown completely dust Stefan Gilmore, regarded by most as the best cornerback in the NFL, and drops it right over the top of the safety mcquarter. Just a phenomenal route, excellent throw by Josh Allen under a ton of pressure. You know it's not a deep ball. But we also had the big man touchdown, the rarity in the NFL. Dion Dawkins comes through, gets a touchdown, and it was always fun when you see these celebrations.

No Quay, we saw a great celebration just a minute ago by Smoke, But these big man touchdowns are so rare and they're an awful lot of fun to watch. They do a little bit of a play, actually roll out out to the right, leak Dion Dawkins out the back, and one of the things I love most about this play is Dietrich Wise he almost reads out of it to cover Dion in the flat in Clinton. Spain just gives him a little bit of a tug to bring him back in to pre up his buddy for the touchdown.

Dion Dawkins. He needs to buy his boy, Quentin Spain a steak or something for that one. Let's look ahead for a minute Week seventeen the New York Jets. Certainly it has not gone the way the Jet fans would have hoped, but they did win last week over the Pittsburgh's. A huge difference maker in that game was the Jets safety Marcus May. Let's pick things up with his interception.

Tell us what you see on this intersection from the Jets safety Marcus May has been a bright spot for this team, and as Duck Hodges tries to test the defense here, Marcus May does a great job coming over the top, playing the ball through the receiver, not a PI because he's playing the ball the entire time even though there was some contact, and just makes it an excellent play on the outside of the Jets there. Even with that interception, this game still came down to the wire.

Marcus May coming up with a second big pass breakup of the day's one on one with James Washington. Dut down the field, He's able to make the play. It's really really a nice play by the young safety. Yeah, but the game on the line. This Steelers try to test Marcus May again in this game, and they try and test them deep. Washington has been a great deep threat for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They test them deep and Marcus May just does a great job running with him vertically.

And this is a guy that Buffalo Bills this week. We'll have to be careful testing in the defensive backfield and moving forward, the Jets have to love what they have at the safety position with Jamal Adams and Marcus May Harrol Eric. Obviously, this game isn't the last game of the season for the Buffalo Bills. They're head of the playoffs. Look forward to ending the regular season on the right foot against the Jets, and looking forward to

the broadcast with you and Murph. Thanksgreing with us. Yeah, absolutely, my pleasure, Steve. Game preview is presented by Independent Health from your every day to your unexpected. That's the Red Shared Treatment. Mattie glads here with this week's game preview. In Week seventeen, the ten and five Bills round out the regular season with the home game against the six

and nine year Jets. Buffalo punched its ticket to the playoffs with a Week fifteen win over the Steelers and locked up the fifth seed wildcard spot in Week sixteen. Many records were broken and milestones were passed this season as Buffalo got to ten wins. Head coach Sean McDermott's twenty five wins are the fifth most by a head coach in team history. Josh Allen has had twenty one

straight games with a touchdown. It's a new franchise record that passes Doug Flutie's twenty game streak from nineteen ninety eight to ninety nine. Allen's twenty nine total touchdowns this season are the second most in franchise history behind Jim Kelly. Buffalo's defense continues to remain amongst the best as they close out the regular season, still ranked third allowing only three hundred point one yards per game and second allowing

sixteen point four points per game. On the season, Sam Darnold has completed sixty one point seven percent of his passes, averaging two hundred and thirty five point four passing yards per game, and has scored eighteen touchdowns while growing twelve interceptions. While their offense has had a tough go, their defense ranked seventh, with Jamal Adams leading the team in tackles with seventy two. They have the second best run defense, allowing only eighty seven point nine rushing yards per game.

The last time the Bills saw the Jets was in Week one in Buffalo won by a point with the final score of seventeen to sixteen. Steve back to you. Thanks as always, Maddie, appreciate it. Now we're going to come back. Get some final thoughts from coach. Coach you got the week seventeen matchup with the Jets. Can't help or detract from your playoff spot. What's your message Forget about the team, we'll get to them. What about the fans? What about the what's your message to them about? You

know this game? And it's kind of a bonus football for the Buffalo Bills and their fans this week? Yeah it is. I mean, listen, we take every game to me seriously and respect every opponent, and it's another opportunity for us to improve as a football team. We're young in a lot of areas and a a lot of positions. Keep positions and they will give us a chance to through the week of practice and then the game to

continue to develop at some of those positions. And again, as an overall team, in your three years here, you've got two trips to the play offs, and you know you came in thinking, well, let's go playoff caliber. It was a slogan that was on the walls and that kind of thing. And you know, what is your message to your team now about their mindset going into this week seventeen matchup and beyond, Well, it's that playoff caliber. The whole vision behind that is that's a day to

day standard of how we do things. Everyone. I'm sure all thirty two teams set out their goal to win the Super Bowl, but to me, that's the day to day standard in the plan. And then so now we moved to championship caliber, and that's really the mindset and the new standard that we're trying to establish here at One Bill's Drive. Well, Sean, congratulations on the playoff birth.

We're looking forward to the Jet game this week. We're gonna be back next week to recap the entire twenty nineteen regular season and preview the wild card matchup and the Bill's playoff birth. This season. Enjoy the holidays, everybody, Thanks for watching. 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.