Two Bills Drive

'The terrific weather Sunday, the fact 70,000 fans were at New Era Field and the diminished expectations for the team may account for part of the 8 percent drop-off. The game started with a 28.5 rating at 1 p.m. and hit a high of 36.9 at 2 p.m.'

'“When it comes to what it takes to win a football game, I don’t think about those things,” McDermott said. “I think about what’s going to give us the best chance to win, and that’s keeping players fresh up front. That’s what we believe in, I don’t factor those other areas into it. I know some of this may be what people are used to seeing, and we’re focused on what we do, and how we win, and getting better every week. Whatever’s in that bucket, that’s what we’re focused on.”'

'“He was an MVP of the league for a reason,” McDermott said Wednesday morning during his press briefing at One Bills Drive. “I had a front row seat to watch him on a day-to-day basis. The size, the speed, the power, the arm strength. That’s what we’re up against, and you add the other weapons they have, that’ll be a huge challenge for us. We have a lot of work to do this week.”'

' Their front seven ranks with the very best, led by middle linebacker Kuechly, whose 729 tackles through last season were the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2012 out of Boston College.'

'"I like the rotation. I like what we've got going on. I'm just going to play my role and do the best I can. It takes a little getting used to, but at the same time, we all feel fresh. We're ready for the fourth quarter. We think we'll be ready later on in the season."'

'"Just the athleticism overall," McDermott said. "He came from a good system, years ago at the University of Florida and some of the athletic attributes that we look for from our linebackers. He can run and he can diagnose. He's a very instinctive player, so those are some of the things we saw on tape."'

'Don't look now, but the Buffalo Bills are in first place in the AFC East. By themselves. It sounds weird. Buffalo controlled the Jets on Sunday, behind a steady defense and an offense that made enough plays. The Bills probably should have been blowing their division rivals out by the third quarter, but that didn't stop Sean McDermott from gushing about the win. Hey, getting your first career NFL win as a head coach is something none of us reading (or writing) this blurb will ever experience. But in the interest of staying on the level, the win over the Jets wasn't exactly a performance on par with the 1990 AFC Championship Game, either.'

'“I will say that’s definitely something that I feel like we can get a chance at, as far as the misdirection, but I feel like that with every team. The way we run the football, the way Shady is downhill, the way (Mike) Tolbert is downhill, the way we’re able to stretch fields laterally, I think that we can definitely get those types of plays. We have to go out there and execute,” Taylor said.'

'“(Newton) was league MVP for a reason, I had a front row seat to watch him on a day-to-day basis,” McDermott said. “I thought he did (have a bounce-back game). He put up 23 points. Anytime you can do that in the NFL, that’s saying something.”'

'There’s a reason the Panthers have been successful over the years and Cam Newton’s a big factor in that equation. He does a great job. Mike Shula does a great job and they’ve got a talented team overall. Cam’s very dangerous. He’s a tremendous athlete. He’s dangerous when the ball’s in his hands and he’s got a laser for an arm. I had a front-row seat to watch that for six years.'

'Beane laughed when asked whether he’d be a candidate to return to Carolina when Hurney begins the process of helping the Panthers’ find a permanent GM after the season. “I’m here in Buffalo,” Beane said. “I signed a long-term deal here and I’m excited about what’s going on here.”'

'"I know he's bigger than me, but I'm definitely taller than him, so I've got to get my pad level a little lower," Munnerlyn said. "I'm not used to that.'

'"It will definitely be (strange). I'm an emotional guy, but I'll try to just focus on the task at hand," Beane said. "Obviously it will be great to see people. It's a people business, and those relationships – no matter where I head the rest of my life, the rest of my journey – that's where it all started for me. There's always a special place in my heart for Carolina, not only the Panthers but both North and South Carolina.'

'"When it comes to what it takes to win a football game, I don't think about those things," McDermott said, referring to Dareus' salary. "I know some of this may not be what people are used to seeing. We're focused on what we do and how we win."'

'"There's probably a tendency to make an over-adjustment from time to time," he said, referencing other coaches who go back to face their former teams. "I've been through these before, whether it's been myself or other coaches on staff, and how you handle it is important. Again, I'm not out there playing quarterback, thank God. I'm not out there playing defense. Our guys are going to be the ones that are out there. What's most important is what they know, not what I know. At the end of the day it's a game of football, it's a reaction game and an anticipation game. There is a tendency, I'd say, to make an over-adjustment, we just have to be smart with that."'