Buffalo Bills’ McDermott: Team Must Start From Ground Zero

After a scorching 4–0 start, the Buffalo Bills head into their bye week reeling from back-to-back losses — capped by a 24–14 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Coach Sean McDermott didn’t mince words in his postgame comments, emphasizing the need to rebuild from the ground up after a pair of underwhelming showings.

“We’ve got to start over and start from ground zero and figure this thing out,” McDermott said. “We’ll figure out things on offense, defense, and special teams and work our tails off to do it.”

The loss dropped Buffalo to 4–2, putting them behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East. It’s the first time since 2019 that the Bills have lost multiple games in a row — a rare slump for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Offensive Struggles Continue for Buffalo

The Bills’ offense sputtered from start to finish, mustering just two touchdowns on opening drives before punting six times and committing two turnovers. Quarterback Josh Allen faced relentless pressure throughout the night, completing only 15 of 26 passes for 180 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

According to Next Gen Stats, Atlanta blitzed Allen on nearly 56% of his dropbacks, the highest rate he’s faced since 2021. The Falcons’ aggressive defense sacked him four times and forced hurried throws all evening.

“I’ve got to be better,” Allen said. “Protections, IDs, movement in the pocket — I’ve just got to be better.”

Allen, who was pressured on almost half of his dropbacks, dismissed concerns about a possible hand injury, saying he felt fine physically but admitted the offensive execution wasn’t good enough.

Defensive Miscues and Injury Woes Add to Frustration

Buffalo’s defense endured a disastrous first half, allowing 335 total yards — the most in a first half by a Bills team since 2001. Falcons stars Bijan Robinson (152 rushing yards) and Drake London (147 receiving yards) did most of the damage as Atlanta built a commanding 21–7 halftime lead.

Injuries further complicated matters, with tight end Dalton Kincaid (oblique), linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle), wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle), and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (calf) all missing time or leaving the game. McDermott expressed hope that the bye week would help the team recover but made no guarantees about player availability.

“It’s got to improve,” McDermott said of the defense. “We’ve got to get back to our fundamentals.”

Josh Allen Shoulders the Blame

Despite the pressure and mounting injuries, Allen didn’t deflect responsibility. The reigning MVP took ownership of the team’s offensive struggles and said the loss would linger.

“It’s going to eat at me the next two weeks,” Allen said. “A lot of stuff to clean up. We’ll put our focus to our next opponent and go from there.”

Allen’s remarks reflected his frustration with the lack of complementary football — especially when the defense rebounded in the second half, limiting Atlanta to just three points.

“It sucks when you feel like two-thirds of your team are doing their job and you’re the one not pulling your weight,” Allen added.

Buffalo’s Path Forward

The bye week provides a critical window for reflection and reset. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady met with Allen and the other quarterbacks postgame for a deep discussion, signaling that schematic changes could be on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Buffalo returns to action in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers, and McDermott made it clear that effort, execution, and accountability will define how the Bills respond.

“We’ve got to dive deep into what we’re doing, how we’re doing it.” McDermott said. “We’ve got to make sure we’ve got the right people in the right positions — and then execute. We’ve got to start from ground zero and work our way back up.”