Bills ready to respond in Week 15, say loss to Rams is 'good medicine'
Dec 11, 2024
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WROC) - The Bills' loss to the Rams on Sunday was the highest point total in any game so far this season with 86 combined points. While Josh Allen had a record-setting day and the Bills put up 42 of those points, it wasn't enough to come away with the win on the road.
Buffalo's defense gave up 457 total yards in the loss that snapped its seven-game winning streak. On Monday, defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said he expects a response from his team as they prepare for Sunday's game against the Lions.
Sean McDermott, however, typically preaches sticking to a routine and "trusting the process." But with the team's performance against the Rams, he was adamant that "trusting the process" doesn't prohibit a little fire after a loss.
"Within that is you better bring your heart, you better bring your guts, you better put it on the line, you better give max effort," McDermott said. "You better put it on the line. So, that's never been two separate thought processes."
While no team wants a loss, some players are choosing to see the positive in the outcome of last Sunday.
"You go out there, and you get your tail whooped a little bit. Frustrated you can't get them off the field at certain times, stuff like that," DaQuan Jones said. "It's good medicine and you're going to learn from it. Kind of gets you fired back up. I don't think anyone around here got lackadaisical with a win streak, but you kind of can lose that edge a little bit. I feel like it's kind of just the thing we needed."
In a game where the defense struggled, Allen showed off his dual-threat abilities. He threw three touchdown passes and found the end zone three times on the ground, the first quarterback in NFL history to accomplish that feat in a game.
Even with the standout performance, Allen took accountability in the loss.
"It forces us to know that we've got to be better, and we know that internally," Allen said. "We've had these discussions and these talks. We're sitting at 10-3, we're not going to overreact to anything that's been done."
Even with Allen's historic day, the Rams managed to overcome the Bills for the two-point victory. LA entered the game with a 6-6 record, but the win was a sentiment to the Rams' toughness — and Bills players took notice.
"The Rams, they're a good team. They're a really good team," DaWuane Smoot said. "They did everything right, and they got the best of us the last game. At the end of the day, us this week, we've got a different fire under us. We need to make sure we pay attention to every little detail, but we're not changing anything."
The loss isn't the first time the Bills have faced adversity this season. After the 23-20 loss to the Texans in Week 5, they bounced back and went on to win seven straight.
"Any good defense, any good team, right, you face adversity, you respond," DeWayne Carter said. "That's a sign of your team, you know. Our last loss against Houston, I think we responded the week after that and I think that showed. We'll be ready to respond."