Buffalo Bills Hamlin
After losing to the Jets in Monday Night Football, one day later, Bills head coach Sean McDermott had the opportunity to review the film and assess where things went wrong after maintaining a 13-3 lead at halftime.
McDermott alluded to the turnovers in his post-game presser and reiterated them as the primary culprit for the 22-16 loss during Tuesday afternoon’s press conference.
“We had three of them in the second half by ourselves, and anytime you turn the ball over, it’s tough to win,” McDermott said.
Josh Allen was responsible for all three turnovers in the second half, throwing two interceptions and stumbling once. The Bills quarterback took the blame during his post-game presser, and McDermott saw it as a positive sign of leadership as the team is trying to overcome a loss.
“Ownership-wise, he’s very good,” McDermott said on Tuesday. “As you guys know, Josh is very accountable, and he wants to get it right.”
McDermott shared that upon closer review of Allen’s three interceptions, there wasn’t necessarily one thing that led to the turnovers, although some situations were similar.
In general, McDermott explained that some passes were thrown shorter, closer to the field. He added, ‘At times, opting for a check-down was the right move, while at other times, it wasn’t necessary. Just trying to be smart and play situational football, and sometimes trying to do too much.”
After expressing a desire to better understand the Bills’ punt coverage in overtime, McDermott mentioned that the film provided a clear picture of how Javier Gipson returned the game-winning score from 65 yards out.
They mentioned, “Our coverage team didn’t quite meet our expectations in that situation.”
Whenever you kick someone in the middle of the field, it’s not a good thing because there are many ways they can counter it. As I mentioned last night, you’d want to pin them on numbers or near the sideline. Unfortunately, there were too many hands in it, it was never just one person – better snap, punt, and coverage could have been possible. So, we need to do better.
This is the first time a touchdown has ended with a punt return since the 2011 season, and it’s the first time Sam Martin has run a punt back for a score since joining the Bills in 2022.
No NFL team allowed more yards per carry against the Bills’ defense in Week 1, which surrendered 6.1 yards per rush. In total, Buffalo left 172 yards on the ground.
McDermott said the main issue for the Bills against the Jets was a lack of consistency in defending the run at all levels.
Buffalo’s defense will face the challenge of slowing down 2022 NFL rushing champion Josh Jacobs in Week 2 when the Raiders come to town for their home opener. During this week’s practice, McDermott will emphasize ways to eliminate obstacles and get to the ball carrier quickly.
McDermott emphasized, “Our focus really centers around strengthening our point of attack. Using our hands to shed blocks and then handling things collectively, I think that’s going to be important as we continue to move forward here throughout the season.”