A day after a challenging loss to the Jets on Monday Night Football, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott took the time to dissect the game, highlighting critical areas where the team faltered despite holding a 13-3 halftime lead.
The Turnovers That Cost the Game
McDermott’s postgame presser had already shed light on turnovers as a significant factor in the Bills’ 22-16 defeat. During his Tuesday press conference, he reiterated the same sentiment, underlining turnovers as the primary culprit for the loss.
“We had three of them in the second half alone, and any time you turn the ball over, it’s hard to win,” McDermott emphasized.
All three of these critical second-half turnovers were on Josh Allen, who threw two interceptions and fumbled once. In his postgame press conference, Allen took full responsibility for these turnovers. Coach McDermott commended Allen’s leadership, stating, “Josh is very upfront about it as you know, and he wants to get it corrected.”
Upon a closer review of Allen’s three interceptions, McDermott noted that there wasn’t necessarily one specific issue leading to these turnovers, although some situations bore similarities. “Just overall balls thrown down the field,” McDermott explained. “Sometimes we needed the yards, sometimes we didn’t need yards. Just trying to be smart and play good situationally smart football and just trying to do too much sometimes.”
Punt Coverage Exposed in Overtime
McDermott also delved into the Bills’ punt coverage in overtime, a crucial aspect that contributed to the Jets’ victory. The film review provided insights into how Xavier Gipson managed to return the punt an astounding 65 yards for the game-winning score.
Coach McDermott acknowledged, “Not good enough execution by our coverage team there.” He emphasized the importance of punting strategy, stating, “Anytime you kick one down the middle of the field, it’s not a good thing because obviously there’s multiple ways that they could go with it.”
McDermott highlighted the collective responsibility for this breakdown, mentioning that improvements are needed in various areas, including the snap, punt, and coverage.
Defensive Challenges in Rush Defense
One alarming statistic from the game was the Bills’ rush defense, which allowed an alarming 6.1 yards per carry in Week 1, the highest in the NFL. The team yielded a total of 172 rushing yards to the Jets.
According to McDermott, the primary issue was poor gap integrity from all levels of the defense. To address this concern, the Bills’ defense faces another tough task in Week 2 as they prepare to contain Josh Jacobs, the 2022 NFL rushing champion, when the Raiders visit Buffalo for the home opener.
McDermott emphasized the importance of physicality at the point of attack, effective use of hands to shed blocks, and improved tackling as key areas of focus during practice to bolster the defense in the coming weeks.
As the Bills aim to rebound from their recent loss, these insights from Coach McDermott provide valuable context and a roadmap for addressing critical issues in the team’s performance.
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