Bills' Josh Allen on Sean McDermott, what bringing a Super Bowl to Buffalo would mean

USA Today

3 days ago

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has had one of the more successful runs in his tenure leading the team, both in the franchise's history as well as in the NFL landscape during that timeline.
While the run has not, at times, been without scrutiny.
Whether it is because the Bills are still working to get past the AFC Championship (and the Kansas City Chiefs) in the postseason, or due to occasional situational playcalling or decision-making in games, McDermott bears the brunt of the criticism for better or worse, typically taking responsibility to the public and press as the head coach.
While noise off the field is amplified in the social media age, his impact on the field can be seen and felt among the players, who support him.
Bills quarterback and reigning NFL MVP, Josh Allen, recently spoke with NFL Network about that impact headed into McDermott's ninth season with Buffalo, and how it might be different.
"I think he really gives his players the freedom to be themselves," He said. "I think early on in my career, you know, being a new head coach in this league, you know, wanting to kind of control things."
The QB also shed light on how McDermott's philosophy and outlook towards rookies and trusting them have developed over his time as a head coach in the NFL.
"he's learned over the course since I've been here of just like, you know what. Like we're drafting these guys. Let's let them be them. Right. Like we're drafting them for a reason. We brought them here for a reason. But the culture, the environment, the guys that they bring into this locker room, it's curated."
When asked what bringing a Lombardi trophy would mean to the Bills fanbase in Buffalo and to Allen himself, the MVP was to the point.
"It continues to drive us, you know, internally, I want to do it, you know, for selfish reasons. But when you have everybody in the city, in Western New York, for that matter, and Bills Mafia across the globe rooting for you, it makes you play that much harder, it makes you train that much harder, and that's the only thing that's on my mind during camp."
Prior to the Bills' most recent postseason run, McDermott himself also spoke about how deeply he cares about bringing an NFL Championship home to Buffalo.
'I bleed for that. I bleed for that win,' McDermott said. 'And that's real. What I want for people, for these fans, is for the true light to be shown on what this place really is.'