News & notes from Monday's media availability with the Bills coaching staff
Fresh off a 35-10 win over the 49ers on Sunday Night Football, the Buffalo Bills coaching staff met with the media Monday evening.
Topics included Josh Allen's leadership, Milano's return and the Bills offensive line play, among others.
McDermott: Josh Allen has done 'phenomenal job' this season
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was asked Monday to reflect on how his relationship with QB Josh Allen has evolved and strengthened this season after the QB/Coach duo made headlines with their SportsCenter appearance that ended with snow angels on the turf following the win.
Allen shared postgame that it was originally McDermott's idea for the celebratory pose.
The McDermott-Allen pairing has produced a franchise-record five straight AFC East titles and the Bills are now 20-2 in December and January regular season games since 2020, which includes a 15-game win streak in the regular season.
"Our relationship has every year gotten stronger and stronger and the level of trust. And I think being on the same page with how we want to play and just the way that Josh is leading our team this year in particular," McDermott said.
The Bills coach added that Allen has been a catalyst for the team in terms of leadership.
"Just that feel that he has for what we need to do and when we need to do it and how it needs to look. He's really done a phenomenal job with that with our team this year," he said.
Amid a stellar 2024 campaign through 12 games, Allen is among the league's leaders in the MVP conversation. Allen has been a force to reckon with in each of the last two wins over the Chiefs and 49ers with six total touchdowns.
Prior to the season, ESPN published a story that had shared an anonymous poll of NFL players who voted Allen as the most overrated quarterback in the NFL. GM Brandon Beane pushed back on those critics during training camp.
McDermott was asked Monday if he ever thinks back to those comments from the summer.
"I think when I read some of those comments that came out, I mean, you know, I think Brandon did a phenomenal job, number one. Number two, Brandon and I continuously shake our heads of, you know, look at the film, right? All the people that doubted Josh when he was coming out of Wyoming, and I think they may have looked at the numbers but didn't take the time to look at the film. And that's okay. Josh continues to do what he's done," he said.
Babich: 'Really cool' to see Milano back on the field
For the first time since Week 5 of the 2023 season, All-Pro LB Matt Milano was back in action for the Bills. The linebacker logged 77% of the team's defensive snaps in Sunday's win, only subbing out when the Bills went to dime personnel with six defensive backs.
For DC Bobby Babich, who was previously Milano's position coach, seeing No. 58 make his return in a division clinching win was special.
"It was really cool to see. He's put a lot of time and effort and hard work into what we've tried to accomplish here," Babich said. "Him breaking his leg in London, having to stay over there for an extended amount of time, whatever that was, a couple days a week, whatever. And, you know, some different things having to – you know, the work he's put in here, going to meetings every day, knowing he's not playing. There's so much that goes into it that not a lot of people see. And it's really cool to see him back out there."
Milano's dedication to not only his physical shape and conditioning, but also how involved he was with the defensive meetings and playbook showed the training and coaching staff that he was ready for a full workload.
"It was just a day-to-day thing. Constant communication, which we value here in Buffalo. And it was just making sure everybody was on the same page, making sure we were in constant communication, not only with our training staff, with him, with the coaches, and just found a spot where he felt comfortable and see how it went," Babich said.
Brady: Snow accumulation altered offensive approach
As 24 inches of snow hit Orchard Park in the 36-hour lead up to the game and another few inches during the games, the Buffalo Bills offensive game plan was in-flux early on as the team adjusted to the conditions.
"We knew it was going to be a weather condition game, but, until you're out there, every snow game is a little bit different," OC Joe Brady said.
The Bills were in shotgun for their first six plays, gaining just a total of 12 yards. As players and coaches communicated with each other about what the conditions were like, Brady felt it was best to shift their game plan to an under center approach.
Over the next 50 plays, Allen was under center for 38 of those snaps compared to just 12 in shotgun. The change worked as the Bills racked up 372 yards of total offense, including a season-high 220 rushing yards.
