Bills Rally Around Coach Sean McDermott And Go Into Playoff Mode To Overcome A Bad Week And The Chiefs
The bye week from heck and everything that followed threatened to turn the Buffalo Bills season upside down, but that's nothing one win -- admittedly a very big win over an outstanding team -- cannot resolve.
And here were are: The Bills' season is back on its two feet.
Suddenly the drama caused by revelations that coach Sean McDermott once used 9-11 terrorists as an example of good communication before his players in a meeting has become a rallying point for the Bills. Suddenly, the idea edge rusher Von Miller shouldn't play after being arrested for domestic violence faded amid the fact the pass rusher played on Sunday.
A win erases a lot of ills, folks.
Bills 20.
Chiefs 17.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 10: James Cook #4 of the Buffalo Bills reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Bills Season Set Right Side Up Again?
"Obviously this week wasn't easy," quarterback Josh Allen said afterward. "It wasn't easy for coach McDermott. You can question a lot of things about coaching style. You can question a lot of things about my decision making. And you can question a lot of things about this team.
"But to question his character and who he is as a man, he's one of the better humans on this planet. How he carries himself. We saw it for what it is."
The question of what "it is" is an interesting one. On the one hand, the story originally reported and published at GoLongtd.com uncovered a 2019 meeting that McDermott himself admitted he apologized for and had to explain to his team again this week.
It's a bad look for McDermott.
But the saga has turned McDermott into the victim within the organization. To hear the Bills talk, their coach has been wronged.
"We felt for him," center Mitch Morse said of his head coach. "We felt for his family. Felt for the individual because we know who Sean is. I've been with him for five years and Sean is not only a excellent football coach, a very resilient one, but he's a good man."
Added Allen: "Everybody on the outside wants to make it a big deal but in the locker room it wasn't a talking point. Coach had a meeting with us.Talked with us. And guys took that and that was glossed under the carpet there. We didn't care. Again, we're just trying to look forward."
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 10: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts with head coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Sean McDermott Gets A Lot Of Support
McDermott himself talked about the episode for perhaps one last time on Sunday. And to hear him, one would think he's indeed the aggrieved party. He's the victim of some slander, despite the fact the story exists because, well, he authored it four years ago.
"I'm grateful for so many things," McDermott said. "So many people that reached out. Andy Reid, many of their staff after the game in particular. I know quite a few of their coaches and staff. They're class acts. So I appreciate that. My family appreciates that.
"Just incredible support this week, in particular the last couple of days for myself and my family. That's what Buffalo's all about. We moved here six years ago and the friends that we've made, the support that we've gotten. Before I came to the stadium I called my wife and she's like, "I continue to get texts from our neighbors, our friends in Buffalo.' Couldn't be more thankful and more grateful for that."
So the Bills have rallied around their coach. And the Bills are rallying around their tough situation, which like the coach's 9-11 issue, they authored themselves.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 10: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills carries the ball during the first half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Bills In Playoff Mode For Remainder Of Season
The Bills entered this game against the defending Super Bowl champions with a 6-6 record that suggested another loss and the reach for the postseason would become too distant to grasp. So the Bills responded by going into playoff mode.
Already. Now.
"We've been kind of approaching this as this is the playoffs for us. Every game from here on out is important," Allen said.
"We understood to get ourselves in the best position we have, to take a playoff mentality right now," Morse said. "That doesn't mean you have to do anything else or add any more pressure to yourself but you tighten up the Ps and Qs."
McDermott, Bills Get Rare One Possession Win
If being in playoff mode means getting results not previously attained then the Bills accomplished the goal. They have a 2-6 record in one score games before this game.
But they won this one score game and are starting to look like they might be a tough out the remainder of the season.
"I think from the outside in it definitely looked like an onslaught of things that could make a team lose our focus," Morse said. "But on the contrary. I think coming off the bye we were so laser-focused on the job at hand and what it would take if we wanted to achieve our goal which is to make the playoffs."