The Sean McDermott Show, Week 3

thanks as always for joining us. Your team bounced back in a big way with a thirty five nothing shut out win over the Dolphins in Week two. What was

instrumental in getting things turned around here this past weekend? Well, I honestly felt, like Chris, that we went down there with the right type of focus coming off of Week one in the situation we had there, that performance we all realized wasn't up to our standard, And though the players and the leadership at the player level did a phenomenal job of getting ourselves ready to go, and the players executed at a high level early in the game.

In particular, your pass rush looked great to start the season, but your defensive unit took it to another level. Against Miami. Six sacks, eleven quarterback hits, a bunch of quarterback hurries. Five different players had sacks in the game, including Tarren Johnson and Micah Hyde. What made your schemes so effective

in dialing up the pressure from the very first snap? Yeah, you know, I thought Leslie Fraser and the defensive staff really constructed an aggressive game plan, one that the players could execute, and they came right out and got after it from the start. As you mentioned, Chris, and you saw us affect the quarterback early in the game, and the defensive line just got reeling and rolling and that was fun to watch. And one big part of that

pass rush was your first round pick, Greg Russo. He recorded the first two sacks of his career, kind of put on a show in his hometown there. What have you seen from Greg through the first two games of his career. Yeah, I thought that was really really cool, right to go back to his home town, stay dialed in mentally and physically in order to execute and execute the game plan, and played with great intensity. And I thought overall our team really did that. That's hard to

do when you're up. The way we were is to keep the foot on the gas pedal and keep attacking, and I thought our play callers did that and the players did that as well. On the other side of the ball, your offense looked like it was shot out of a cannon to begin the game, with Singletary scoring on the second offensive played from scrimmage, and then Josh on an extended play found Diggs on a third and goal to put you up fourteen nothing early in the first quarter. How did that hot start set the tone

for the rest of the game. Well, it did. It did just that. It set the tone, and then we stalled out a little bit in the second quarter and then got rolling again in a third quarter with some great adjustments by Brian Dable and his staff, and special teams had a big factor in the outcome as well, with some good complimentary football. But I just felt like the hot start was good to see. In the run game,

in particular, our offensive line has worked hard. I saw signs of growth this past week and then as late as this game here, so with more work to do, not only for the offensive line but for us as an entire football team. Your defense stopped the Dolphins on all four of their fourth down attempts, and then you force three turnovers in the game. Is there a coaching point that kind of carries the day on fourth down or is it as simple as, hey, guys, it's fourth down,

it's time to make a play. Well, I think there's a mindset that goes along with that. But there's also the preparation piece that goes along with it that Leslie and his staff shaped again a tremendous game plan that the players could execute at a high level. And those moments that you mentioned were key moments in the game because there were huge momentum swings in those moments. We're now two weeks in and Josh has even commented that he has not played his best in either game, but

he was effective against the Dolphins through two touchdowns. The way the game unfolded, he didn't have to really carry the offense. But what aspects of his play might he be looking to tighten up as you guys prepare for Washington this week. Well, Josh is awfully a heart on himself, right, Chris, And you know that being around them, And what I saw in the game was a quarterback that made really

good decisions, was smart with the football. He saw a couple of throwaways in the red zone on first down, in particular playing smart ball, all those plays that maybe aren't written about or you don't read about, they are at what lead to winning. And I thought his operation was tremendous, and he hit Dawson Knox in a tremendous throw in the back of the end zone. And so there were some really special throws and there's some throws

that he wants back. But collectively, as an offense, I thought we took a step and that was fun to watch. I know, going into the Miami game, you talked about improving the red zone efficiency. Your offense did that perfect in the red zone after going one for four in Week one, four touchdowns on all four trips, two through the air, two on the ground. I mean, not every play was perfect inside the Dolphins twenty, but your players

found a way. As much as your players prepare, how critical is the ability to make good improvisational decisions when a play doesn't go exactly how it's drawn up, like the Dig's touchdown play for example. Yeah, that's a play specifically, that one where Diggs really just he played fast, He played with great effort and outworked people. And I think that again, says a lot about what we want to try and do collectively as a team on every play

the effort. I mean things that again aren't written about typically you're not reading in the paper, and maybe they're not highlighted as much on TV. But those are the hidden things that lead to winning, and those are the things that we try and duplicate and double down on and try and spread that message to our entire football team so that we get more of it. Very good coach. We'll catch up with you later in the show to get your final thoughts on your upcoming matchup with Washington

on Sunday. Game preview is presented by Independent Health. You deserve the red shirt treatment, Mattie glab here with this week's game preview. The Buffalo Bills will host the NFC East Washington football team in Week three. Both teams are one and one to start the season. Buffalo's defense is coming off of an incredible performance shutting out Miami in Week two. The defense racked up six total sacks and had four or fourth thound stops and held Miami to

oh for three in the red zone. Buffalo's offense doubled their total points scored from Week one to Week two, by putting up thirty five points and five total touchdowns against the Dolphins. For a team that likes to pass the ball, they're having success on the ground, ranking six

averaging one hundred and thirty rushing yards per game. Bill's quarterback Josh Allen said his offense is still working to find the rhythm, and they could find that against the Washington football team, who allows teams to convert more than fifty eight percent of their third downs. Buffalo is six, converting more than forty eight percent of them in two games. Although Washington won't be that easy to score on, as they are fourth, allowing touchdowns in the red zone just

thirty three point three percent of the time. They also blitz at the second highest rate, doing it forty two and a half percent of the time. They have a defensive line made up of first round talent, including Chase Young, who earned Defensive Rookie of the Year in twenty twenty. Buffalo won't be welcoming a familiar face at quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick because he is on ir with a hip injury. Instead,

they'll face Old Dominion product Taylor Heineke. Heineke has the seven highest completion percentage completing passes at a rate of seventy three point eight percent. He has a weapon and wide receiver Terry mcclarin to Leon, who has fifteen receptions for one hundred and sixty nine yards, which ranks just outside of the top fifteenth. They also have running back Antonio Gibson who's averaging four point eight yards per attempt.

Washington's offense is averaging twenty three points per game, which ties for sixteenth, but they're converting third downs only thirty point four percent of the time, which ranks at the bottom of the league. Buffalo leased the series against Washington with nine wins in six losses. That's this week's game preview, Chris, back to you, all right, coach, You're back at home this week facing Washington team that is coached by someone

you know very well in Ron Ververa. The last time you coached against him was twenty seventeen, your first year here in Buffalo. What's it like preparing to face someone you worked so closely with for so many years. Well, I have tremendous respect and admiration for Ron. He's a phenomenal person, one of my best mentors in the league,

and I've learned a lot being around Round. We've been around each other for a number of years, and he's just a tremendous family man, a great leader, and so I have a tremendous amount of appreciation for our relationship. That said, I'm sure he feels the same way that the game will be decided on the field, and I'm sure Ron and I will have some say in that, But at the end of the day, the game's play between the players, and they're the ones that will be

out there making the plays. I know. I'm not telling you anything you don't know about Washington stout defensive line that features four first round picks who can all get after the quarterback. Group that's headlined by reigning defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young, alongside Jonathan Allen and Montes Sweat, who both have multiple sacks this here. How do you

prepare your offensive line to an ultra talented group like this? Yeah, they are ultra talented, as you said, Chris, and it's a bigger challenge than we just faced this past week. And there are the challenges are only going to get bigger and bigger each week, and that's what we have to continue to adjust to and continue to improve and evolve as a football team. And what we get paid to do as coaches is to identify where and how we can improve and isolate those things on a weekly

basis to get us better as a football team. Our players are in a spot where you know, they're coming off of a game where a lot went our way, but there's in there and underneath all of that, there's a lot of things we can improve on, and so we've got to do that this week. Thanks, there's always for the time, coach, and good luck on Sunday. We'll be back next week to recap your game against the Washington Football Team and preview your Week four matchup against

the Houston Texans. To everyone at home, thanks for watching. The Sean McDermot Show presented by Accounters and Farris and as always Go Bill Final Thoughts is presented by toy the official vehicle of the Buffalo Bills. Let's Go Places. The Sean McDermott Show is presented by Connors and Ferris, your workers' comp attorneys by Independent Health. You deserve the Rich Shirt treatment by Toyota, the official vehicle of the

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