Sean McDermott Show, Week 8

be joining Sean McDermott. After a nice win, These wins are kind of getting the same, but couldn't it be just a little easier? And this was a they always seem to be a little bit harrowing up until late. Yeah, I mean that's uh, I wish right. Like I said yesterday, I lost enough hair by now and there's not much more left up there to lose. But a wins I'll win. And you know, we can learn a lot from this past weekend and we move on to the next week and so but we've got to continue to learn, continue

to grow. There were some really good moments in the game. I thought it'd showed the heart of our football team, Yeah, of course. Oh and five, the fans have some expectations about what you should be able to do against the Dolphins, But then they start Ryan Fitzpatrick, and you know what kind of leader he is. You knew you got an effort from the rest of their roster that really told you that they think Ryan Fitzpatrick was the guy that should have been starting, and they gave an effort, really

their best effort of the season. If you watch them on film, Yeah, I mean knowing Ryan a little bit or what I've heard about him since myself coming to Buffalo with our staff, and you watch him on film and there's nothing but respect that jumps off the tape at you for what he does, how he plays, and so he rallies the troops and that's what he did yesterday and we expected that quite honestly, and so it was good to get and win. I think again, we've

learned a lot. We learned a lot from that, from that victory and from that game, and but a lot of respect for every opponent. And that's why the NFL is a week to weekly Yeah, and a lot of games this year we've had this kind of identity with these games. You get off to a little bit of a slow start and then you kind of come through

in the clutch. This game, you got off to the slow start, particularly red zone offense came out a couple of field goals to get started in a season where you've been very good in the red zones at an offense, you kind of came up short Sunday. What was that? You know, what were the reasons for that and what did you do about it? Yeah? You know, I think when you look back at it and Steve, it's we

had we had success controlling the game early. We controlled the game I thought early, and then we came up short on two drives. We got points, but it wasn't a touchdown. So what that allows a team to do is hanging the game and so then all it takes us for them to get one drive and a score a touchdown on this case and they're up seven to six. And so it just speaks to the importance of playing good red zone offense and then good red zone defense

as well. Yeah, this came up. It was in like so many games this year, it was a second half game. I mean, it came out. You made some adjustment adjustments at halftime and certainly it showed up big on both sides of the football. What did you what was the message overall to your team at halftime? You know, really the players did at all. We made some adjustments as a staff, both offensively, defensively and special teams, and the players and the player driven leadership in our locker room

stepped up. And that's what you saw in the second half. You know, this game is going to be defined by one sweet sequence of events. Certainly a great Jordan Phillips with the tackle for a loss to move the Miami Dolphins off your goal line, and the next play trade picks it off on the two yard line, and then followed up by ninety eight yard touchdown drive by your offense. So all it really came together, played complimentary football. But

that's going to define this game, Yeah, I think. So there's plays is going to define games, and there's games that define seasons. And so when you look back at it, I'll take it one step further, Steven, say the fake field goal that our special teams unit, Yeah, they got the first down, but we stopped them from scoring a touchdown on that play, which allowed us to line up again, led to Jordan, led to trades play and then ensuing

ninety eight yard drive, which is impressive. Yeah, this game, Josh came out on the second half, went ten of eleven for two tds, had a two point conversion. Certainly he turned it around it. I know it's early, and I know we like to project things we'd love to see about this guy, But does he have this clutch

gene we hear you so much about. I mean, because he plays his best football in the second half of games, and you've been in so many close games those four in the season, he has played his best football when the pressure is on, or at least as fans, we feel the pressure. Yeah, and I feel the pressure too, right with the fans. No, it's listen. You know we've got it. Still a young quarterback and overall a young

football team, and there's going to be close games. That's the nature of the NFL to begin with, and that's the nature of our football team and where we are. The thing I love about is they play together and they stay together. Yeah, you've had a couple of guys and you've always said you'd like to have veteran leadership

on your squad. This last game, Cole Beasley, John Brown both have a t D. And you've got veterans sprinkled throughout your roster, and every so often we see evidence that those guys are really important beyond what they do

on the field. Yeah true. I mean Lee Smith, Pat de Marco, Lorenzo, Alexander Stephen Hous just to name a few, and I'm leaving some out, So Kurt Coleman, We've just got We've got a good group of veteran leaders that have been there and on that in some way, shape or form, and they're really running the team, if you will. And I can bank on those guys to give me a good feel for the pulse of the team and make sure the team is being steered in the right direction.

And when we get off off track a little bit, and then those guys, those guys take command and step up. All right, Sean. Thanks, We're gonna come back and join you more later in the show and get some final thoughts. Choppin' Wood is presented by Saint Bonaventure University, the official education provider of the Buffalo Bills. Welcome back to the Sean

mcdermost Show. Everybody. We're here with our segment we called Choppin' Wood Eric Wood, great call on the radio on Sunday against the Dolphins, but it was a surprisingly close game there in New Airfield. It was, and most games in the NFL are decided by one score or less, and no matter who the opponent is, these are NFL teams and Ryan Fitzpatrick has a way of unifying a team

of no name characters. I played on one with them when we started the season five and two with a team in twenty eleven that I don't think anybody could have named any of our receivers, maybe just Stevie heading into the season. So he has that ability and he showed. Fortunately for the Bills, Trey White made a couple incredible players. They try and run a play action come back to the boundary and the entire game, Ryan Fitzpatrick was throwing at lee By Wallace. He was attacking that matchup and

it's a size thing. I mean, Preston Williams is six five, Vonte Parker six three. That's a tough matchup for any corner and Trey White is absolutely elite. So he was going out le By Wallace. Society finally tests Trey White and Trey White makes him pay. And what is just an absolutely phenomenal play on this comeback. He runs the route for the receiver, which is probably a testament to his film study, and then he has the athleticism and

skills to make this play. Yeah. He's got the most second half turnovers in the National Football League with fourteen since he came into the league. He's just a dominant performer. And he really came through and that led to a second turnover in the second half that really changed the game and gave the Bills a chance to put it away. That ninety eight yard drive right after that turnover was really a defining moment as well. Yeah, so they're going

to ninety eight yard drive, scoring drive. They finally get seven points on the board, actually eight with the two point conversion, and then the next possession the Dolphins get the ball and unfortunately for my man fitz he he goes back to Trey Whiteside, and Trey allows the receiver to catch the ball here over the middle and then does a great job of punching it out. One of my favorite things about this play is Jerry Hughes is

always flying around the football field the entire game. Of course, he's flying back to the football and when the ball gets punched out, who gets at Jerry Hughes. And I'm not so sure Jerry Hughes only played lineman throughout his life. I think he probably played running back or something in high school. Showed some great skills and at this point I thought he might drag them all into the episode. He has such a determination. Phenomenal play by Tradevious White,

excellent effort by Jerry Hughes. All right, let's switch over to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Week eight opponent for the Buffalo Bills. For a long time. Now you think of the Eagles, you think of backs like Darren Sprowles featured in the passing game. But they have two guys coming out of the backfield and Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard, which really should be a problem for the Bills, or could be. It could be, especially if they have Matt Mulano out against again this week. Last week we saw

the Dolphins. We're able to have some more run success with Matt Mulano out that we're used to seeing the Bills defense, And here we will see how dangerous the Eagles can be with the running backs in the passing game and they run Sanders up the seam here, and this is a tough concept. It's not a traditional wheel up the sideline. It's right up the seam, and he shows his speed and he burns the linebacker for Detroit.

If you're gonna have guys in to stop the run, they've also got to be in pass coverage and this is where the linebacker just gets out run he does. And this is also a great play concept. They bring the JetSuite motion, which causes stress on the linebackers. They have to respect that. And then you have zach Ertz, who's their leading receiver. He's running across the middle. He garners a lot of attention as well, and then you almost forget about the running back he's going up to

seem this is a big explosive play. Another running back they've got coming out of the backfield is Jordan Howard. Here he runs the wheel route t D versus Green Bay. This is a little bit of a scheme get open, but it works. Yeah. So this is a great use of a i will say legal pick. So you have two guys coming across the top of the formation, the receiver and the tight end zach Ertz, and it's man to man coverage. This is Mike Petton's Green Bay defense.

When they are in a bearer look. Traditionally a bearer look with the three interior lineman covered, it's going to be man defense. That's a Buddy Ryan Rex Ryan deal. This is a man defense. Beader run. The two guys across. The guy who has the running back man to man is the linebacker in the middle of the screen, and Martinez is not able to get through the traffic on this play. Eric, thanks for the insights, great film study. Can't wait to see it unfold against the Philadelphia Eagles

this Sunday in New Airfield. Game preview is presented by Independent Health. From here every Day to You're Unexpected. That's the Red Share treatment, Mattie glab here. This week's game preview, the five and one Buffalo Bills are back at home to face the three and four NFC East Philadelphia Eagles, who are coming off back to back losses and the Bills now five and one. Next week, the Bill's home

right here against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are coming into New Airfield one and three on the road this season. Quarterback Carson Wentz has thrown for thirteen touchdowns, which is tied for fifth most in the NFL. Someone who will be targeted a lot in this game tight end Zach Ertz. He has the most targets for a tight end with fifty nine, tied for eighth most overall. Fires it towards the end zone, it is picked up, intercepted Tredavias White,

cuff top and then at the one yard line. The Bills defense ranks third in the NFL, allowing an average of two hundred and ninety two point seven yards per game. They are also third and least points allowed per game with fifteen point two. Corner Tredavious White has had a very successful season so far, with the best defender passer rating in the NFL at twenty six point six. Wide receiver John Brown has been one of Josh Allen's favorite

targets so far. Brown is one of two receivers to have at least fifty receiving yards in all of their games this season. Josh Allen has the best fourth quarter passer rating in the NFL right now, with one thirty six point nine. The last time the Eagles played the Bills on the road was in twenty eleven and Buffalo won that game thirty one to twenty four. Steve back to you. Thanks Matty. Now we're here back with Sean

McDermot to get some final thoughts on this game. You've got some experience with Doug Peterson, the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. You're gonna face him from across the sidelines. What can we expect from one of Doug Peterson's Philadelphia Eagle teams? Oh, they'll be well prepared, aggressive, well prepared. This is a very good football team, just a year and so off off of a Super Bowl championship and

a great organization. They played in a lot of big games with the course of the last several years, and so they've got a veteran team and I'm sure that they'll be on their a game. They've coming off a game against the Dallas Cowboys where that's one of their rivals and being there in the division, and sure that they like to have that game back. So we've got

to be on our a game this week. You know, we've noticed that the Bills have struggled earlier, slow started at least offensively in games and then coming back in the end and win most of them. The Philadelphia Eagles have done that as well. In games they've won this year, they've overcome double digit deficits. You're not going to be able to let the foot off the gas in this game, even if you are up big. Yeah. And that comes from really knowing and understanding and respect in the league.

You respect every opponent, respect every team. And then it comes from knowing that we have to continue to grow as a football team and games are one or lost by you know, a little bit more than a touchdown at times in this league. And so that's the challenge every week is to continue to grow, continue to evolve, and try and put your best food forward. Thanks Sean, and thanks to you at home for watching. We're going to come back next week and recap the Philadelphia Eagles

game and look ahead to the Washington Redskins. Thanks for watching, everybody, and have a great weekend. The Sean McDermott Show is sponsored by Independent Health from Your every Day to Your Unexpected that's the Red Share Treatment, and by Yancey's Fancy New York's artists and Cheese, the official cheese of the Buffalo Bills.