Cutline: As Chuck Pollock observes, For years McDermott was wound so tight his lips seemed incapable of curving into a smile. This season, he’s a different guy. Photo by Angilo Allen/Buffalo Bills
By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
Remember back in the spring when the Bills lost six of eight captains to free agency or trade and a total of 21 veterans were gone from the 2023 roster?
The fans’ mantra became, “We’re rebuilding for 2025.”
But what if that was a year off?
This bizarre NFL season has suddenly pushed Buffalo into “it could be this year mode” at least in the AFC.
The Bills are off to a stunning beginning, going 10-2 with a win over the conference leader — Kansas City (11-1), ending its 15-0 start dating to last season– and with the impressive 30-21 victory in Orchard Park, there are those who feel Buffalo is actually the best team in the AFC.
One reason is the quality of victories. Thirteen of those 15 straight wins, dating back to last season for the Chiefs, were one-possession games … including the divisional round against Buffalo at Orchard Park and the Super Bowl.
On one level that’s impressive, but on another it can simply mean they were one mistake from a loss in all of those games.
Buffalo is 1-1 in single-possession results this season, a 23-20 win over the Jets and a defeat by the same score at Houston.
But the numbers that are really interesting are in scoring. The Bills have scored 30-or-more points in nine of their 10 wins and are averaging 30 per game, 11 more than they’re giving up.
Kansas City, scoring 24 per game — only four more than they’re surrendering — has reached 30 only twice.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes hasn’t been his usual electric self with 19 touchdown passes and 11 picks. But with three Super Bowl titles, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt. Still, his prime target, tight end Travis “Taylor’s beau” Kelce, while catching a ton of balls for good yardage has scored only twice.
One circumstance that has clearly benefited Kansas City and Buffalo is that this season’s version of the AFC just isn’t very good, top-to-bottom.
Cincinnati, one of the favorites to win the conference, likely won’t make the playoffs and the embarrassing performance by the Jets, and struggles by Miami is why the Bills clinched the AFC East title at the earliest date in 15 years.
It defies logic how Baltimore has lost five games and that the Ravens trail Pittsburgh by 1½ games. Houston, not nearly the team it was expected to be, still leads the South by two full games over a trio of sub-.500 teams.
And in the West, neither the resurgent Chargers (8-4) nor Broncos (8-5) have a shot at winning the division given KC’s lead.
BUT WHAT’S different about the Bills besides some young talent maturing ahead of schedule?
My vote, and that of many others who cover the team, is its head coach.
Sean McDermott, in his eighth season, has seemingly undergone an epiphany.
For years he was wound so tight his lips seemed incapable of curving into a smile.
This season, he’s a different guy … laughs easily, makes fun of himself and jokes with reporters.
Press conferences are no longer stiff and cliched.
Clearly winning unexpectedly helps, but the change is so obvious that he was asked about it during Monday’s media session.
“That’s probably a better question for the team, I would say, but as far as myself I just, more than anything, I know who I am and what I believe in. For me, it’s honestly to seek God in what I do and how I do it,” he said,
“It’s always about people, but to me that’s where it starts … having the right people on staff, having the right players in the building, always wanting to sustain through adversity. That comes back to people and what type of character you have in the building
“What you’re seeing is a team that’s connected and a team that believes in themselves and are unselfish in their approach, week-to-week. I’m comfortable with the guys we have and how they approach the challenge on a day-to-day basis. These guys are fun to coach every day.”
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
The latest Chuck Pollock columns on the Bills and Bonnies:
• The snow and the Buffalo Bills were too much for the 49ers
• St. Bonaventure Bonnies put unbeaten hoops record on the line in ESPN Tournament
• Pollock Prediction on San Fran at Buffalo Sunday night game
• A look at Terry Pegula’s beginnings in Olean and his competitive drive to win
• A look at McDermott’s smart play-calling and why aren’t we talking more about James Cook?
• Can the Bills do this to the Chiefs in the playoffs? Josh Allen touchdown run seals victory
• Pollock predicts a one-point Kansas City victory
• What happened to this being a rebuilding season for the Buffalo Bills?
• A dominating performance by the Bills
• Pollock predicts a Bills victory over the Colts on the road
• Thoughts on the 61-yard Bass field goal and where the Bills sit
• Solid win to open the season for the Bonnies
• Bass vindicated by 61-yard field goal to beat the Dolphins
• Bills don’t own the Dolphins but have an option to buy; prediction 27-20 (final was 30-27)
• The season is here for St. Bonaventure basketball
• St. Bonaventure speaks out, “We got Woj”
• Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona NIT mess
• Pollock on the passing of St. Bonaventure legend Paul Hoffman
• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays
• Houghton’s Phil Stockin gets Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?
• The right hire for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department
• The inside story on why WPIG left the Bonnies after 74 years and a Gary Nease update
• Bill Walton was must-see basketball when he played in Buffalo for the Braves
