The Buffalo Bills walked off Highmark Field with a 31,21 win, a 3,0 record, and another statement in prime time. But listen to Sean McDermott after the game, and it didn’t sound like victory champagne. It sounded like a film session. Buffalo’s defense got the job done, but left its head coach pacing. The Dolphins went 10 for 15 on third down, converted their lone fourth down attempt, and kept breathing life into drives that should have been over. Against an 0-2 team desperate for rhythm, that was too generous for McDermott’s taste.

He said it flat out during the post-game conference. “Again, I tip my cap to the defense. They played their hearts out. To really be able to kind of shine a light on probably the biggest problem area being that it was third down. Last year we only got them in eight third downs in the second game. I think tonight we had 15 third downs. We had 10 at halftime. It’s closing a team out, closing a drive out, and cashing in in those situations. We’ve got to look at that.” That is not just his complaint.

That is a challenge. Forcing 15 third downs should have meant a suffocating night for Miami’s offense. Instead, too many of those moments ended with Tua Tagovailoa extending the play, sliding left, buying a second or two, and finding a receiver flashing open late. That is exactly what McDermott meant when he said the rush and coverage need to “time up a little bit better.” Take the 2-minute warning before halftime. With 17 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter, they took a timeout to gather their thoughts. On 3rd and 3 at 10 yards from the end zone, Tyreek Hill pushed for 7 yards. Jaylen Waddle completed the touchdown.

The defense bowed up when it mattered. Terrel Bernard’s interception was the team’s first pick of the year. And Josh Allen’s touchdown to Khalil Shakir after a roughing the punter penalty was the kill shot. But McDermott knows those are narrow escapes. Against playoff teams, those third downs turn into touchdowns. And that is the bigger picture here. September is for diagnosing problems. October is for fixing them.

By the time December rolls around, those third-down stops have to be automatic. Otherwise, Buffalo will not be hosting playoff games.

Sean McDermott surprises everyone with his choice of week 3 hero

Terrel Bernard got the moment every linebacker dreams about. Fourth quarter, just over three minutes left, Miami driving to tie the game. Tua Tagovailoa scans the field, lets it fly, and Bernard jumps the route, snags it, and rumbles 24 yards the other way. Highmark Field erupts. Game, basically over. Buffalo stays perfect at 3,0. Bernard’s interception will be the clip everyone shares, the stat that shows up on the box score. But Sean McDermott was not ready to let the story end there.

In his post-game presser, the Bills head coach made sure to shine a light on a name most fans might have missed. Rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker. “We always talk about rush and coverage working together,” McDermott said. “That might not stand out on the stat sheet, but that might have been a bigger play than TB’s.” He was talking about the interior pressure that Walker generated, a violent bull rush that pushed Miami’s pocket right into Tua’s lap.

It forced the quarterback to throw off platform, leaving the ball just high enough for Bernard to make the play. That is the kind of detail McDermott lives for. It is also the kind of play that explains why Buffalo’s defensive line rotation is becoming a nightmare for opponents. Walker, a fourth-round pick out of Kentucky, has seen a limited snap count, but this was his coming-out moment. Bernard made the highlight and got the roar. But the coach wanted the world to know who made it possible.

That is classic McDermott: celebrate the linebacker, but remind everyone that it started up front. The stars finish games, but the hidden plays win them.