‘We learn from this’ the Buffalo coach said.
By Kyle Silagyi / Billswire.usatoday.com
Few genuinely expected the Buffalo Bills to shock the world and triumph in their Week 4 matchup with the New England Patriots.
Buffalo didn’t necessarily outplay New England in the 16-10 loss. The offense struggled as a whole, with starting signal-caller Josh Allen throwing three interceptions before exiting the game with a fourth-quarter head injury. The Bills’ offensive line had its worst outing of the season, allowing five sacks and consistent pressure.
Buffalo finished the contest just 2-of-13 on third down.
Yet, with less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Bills found themselves driving down the field, just one score away from upsetting the reigning Super Bowl champions.
And that opportunity can be attributed to Buffalo’s defense, who kept the team in the game until the final whistle. The unit held New England to just 224 net yards and 11 first downs. Tom Brady, a future Hall of Fame quarterback who has biannually abused the Bills for much of the 21st century, completed just 18 passes for 150 yards.
Despite near-ineptitude from the offense, Buffalo was in a position to win in the game’s dwindling moments.
Though disappointed with the loss, Bills head coach Sean McDermott feels as though there are positives that can be taken from the game. For McDermott, Buffalo’s resilient performance only confirmed that the team is headed in the right direction.
“I just know where we’re headed as an organization, and I’m confident in that,” McDermott said. “We’ve got to continue to grow, continue to learn from these types of opportunities and these types of challenges. Give them credit, they won the game. That’s where we start.”
The Bills now sit at 3-1 on the season, good for second in the AFC East. Buffalo will learn from its first loss of the 2019 campaign, according to McDermott, something that will help the team as the season progresses.
“We learn from this and we continue to grow, and be honest with ourselves as to why we didn’t get the result we were looking for,” McDermott said. “If we do that, we’ll move in the right direction. But we’ve got to do that.”