Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: What happened at the end of the first half?

A: Had a play called, it was a run action pass play and ended up alerting it to a run. Didn't get it off.

Q: You were able to neutralize some things out of this Buffalo Bills team, you guys dealt with a lot of injuries. How proud of you with the way the guys fought and battled out there today?

A: Yeah, I mean you don't get trophies for trying so I appreciate their efforts. We moved some o-line guys around, we practiced some of it like that just in case it happened. We put (guard Justin) Pugh out at tackle, he hasn't played tackle since 2019, we moved (guard Mark) Glowinski back over, (guard Marcus) McKethan but it's the National Football League. Came down to one yard and just missed it. Didn't get it. 

Q: In the first half did you communicate to (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) that you couldn't run the ball in that moment?

A: There was communication, yep.

Q: Why did it happen?

A: He saw a look based on the play that we had, and he ended up alerting it.

Q: Ended up what?

A: Ended it up alerting it to a run.

Q: Do you wish you would've saved some of your timeouts or one of your timeouts for that moment? Or why were you using them running the ball up to that point?

A: That's what we decided to do. You always like to hold timeouts but yeah, didn't work out.

Q: Did you have a good look at the last play? It was some that thought he was held on the last play.

A: Yeah, it wasn't called.

Q: Did you think about running the ball on that last play?

A: It was some discussion, but we'd been stopped on two third-and-one's. We'd been stopped on the goal line at the end of the half, so I thought it was a good call by (offensive coordinator) Mike (Kafka).

Q: I know one time you did the tush push and it didn't work but you'd had success with that in the past, why not use that in that moment?

A: I thought we had the right play called, Kafka I thought had a good play and just didn't hit on it.

Q: (Inaudible)

A: It was a run action pass so it's a similar run, different personnel groups. Double team run where we're hoping they would all suck up on (running back) Saquon (Barkley) and give a one-on-one to (tight end) Darren Waller.

Q: You know as well as anybody how good (Bills quarterback) Josh Allen is. To hold him to 14 points, what do you leave here thinking about?

A: We didn't get the job done so I thought we had a good plan defensively; it was a lot of preparation and a lot of good communication throughout the week of how we wanted to play him and I thought we played him well. He made a heck of a play there on a scramble. Came down to a yard. It was obviously a few more plays obviously in there. I thought Tyrod, I thought the guys battled, tough environment, great atmosphere, just came up a yard short.

Q: If Saquon wanted a chance to get that one in would you understand that?

A: Yeah, sure but again, we got stopped on two third-and-one's and we got stopped at the end of the half so I think the play call that Mike had was the right play call.

Q: Do you feel the positives of this game, or do you not buy into that at this moment?

A: Yeah, it's hard to. You know it was a competitive game. I thoguth we competed hard, obviously you'd always like a few plays back but it's a tough one. They're all tough, you put a lot into it. This is a hell of a football team that we played, in a great environment, a tough place to play and 60 minutes, zero time on the clock. It's a tough one. 

Q: How much did the familiarity that you have with these guys as far as the personnel play a little bit to that advantage?

A: They know our calls but it was definitely communication throughout the week relative to the offense. I thought (defensive coordinator) Wink (Martindale) put together a good plan. The defensive staff, we know we talked a lot, (inaudible), gave them good looks. He's a tough guy to defend and he made a couple plays there at the end that we were close on. It came down to they've got a good defense – you know, they're a good football team. That's why they've won their division for so many years. We competed, I thought we competed hard, right down obviously to the end. Jump ball there to try to win it.

Q: What did you see from this team tonight that you haven't seen?

A: Again, it's hard to say because we didn't get the job done in terms of finishing and getting the win. But we've had the right mindset, we've done a good job of taking care of the ball, we've done a good job of getting the ball, we're making small strides, but we don't want to hear about small strides, we want to get the results and that's what we're going to work for. So, competitive game against again, a really tough opponent. Good on third down, they were good on third down. It was pretty even but they were two of two in the redzone, and we got down there four times and we didn't put it in. That's really the difference in the game was the ability to punch it in in the redzone.

Q: What did you make of Tyrod's play despite the chaos?

A: I thought he had a really good week of preparation. He's a pro, I'm glad we have him. I thought he did a heck of a job tonight, I thought he did a heck of a job. 

Q: You mentioned not getting in from the redzone. You're now three-plus games without scoring an offensive touchdown. How do you make sense of that?

A: I'm just focused on tonight here and disappointed that we didn't finish it.

Q: I know you wanted to come back home and steal one back home but the way the guys played, how do you build from that?

A: Thanks, appreciate that. Got a division game coming up so again, this is a tough one. They're all tough when you don't get the results you want but they guys have had the right mindset, come back and ready to work. Put this one behind us but it's a tough one. I appreciate you.

Q: You shut them out in the first half. With that offense to hold them to zero points, what was your game plan and how did you guys slow them down?

A: Again, I'd say there were a lot of conversations, a lot of practice during the week. I always think familiarity does help a little bit, whether it's the scheme or the players but ultimately the players have to go out there and execute. I thought our players executed so when you execute, usually good things happen and when you don't, you don't. 

Q: I guess Saquon wasn't on a pitch count.

A: He was good to go. I mean, we didn't have much going there in the running game for a while. It was tough sledding, wasn't very many yards, it was on a lot of carries but stayed with it, which I think was important relative to our team and he broke off a couple of long ones there that helped us.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor

Q: What do you leave here feeling tonight?

A: Disappointed. Obviously, the goal is always to win. We came up short of that today, but yeah, disappointed.

Q: Can you explain what happened at the end of the first half?

A: Yeah, it was a decision, looking back on it, definitely shouldn't have made. Alerted to a run, thought I saw a look that was beneficial for us, and it wasn't the right call. That falls on me, as a quarterback, as a leader, as the one that's communicating everything to everyone – got to be better in that situation.

Q: Did you think you would have time to spike it?

A: Yeah, I did. But yeah ultimately, I should have just let the play on and shouldn't have alerted it.

Q: Do you think with the young guys, the offensive line, some new guys in there that everybody didn't realize that you had to spike it after the run?

A: I don't think age, the amount of years, the guys that were up there playing their butts off mattered in that situation. I think to give ourselves a better chance in that situation, the original play should have been left on and I don't think we are here talking about it right now.

Q: The original play being what?

A: It was a pass play.

Q: Pass play to anybody in particular?

A: No, it's always – I mean multiple guys out in routes, it wasn't anyone in particular in that situation.

Q: How about on the very last play of the game? Talk about that.

A: I think it was a good call. Give one of our better playmakers a chance to make a play and we didn't execute it as well as we should've. They made a great play, hats off to them.

Q: There was some thought on the broadcast that you should have got another play after that, that it should have been interference.

A: Yeah, I never get into what calls should be made or what shouldn't be made. It's our job to go out there and play. You are going to get calls that aren't called throughout the game, but, yeah, it's tough to go out on that one, especially when we did as much to get down there in that situation. We would like to come out with a win in that.

Q: Was his (inaudible) maybe disengage? I mean, you want to throw a jump ball there, you want to throw it up.

A: For sure. If you are saying if he was not able to disengage, then I think you are answering your own question.

Q: I mean did you think when you let the ball go that it has a chance there?

A: I think in that situation we always talk about on the back end of line to give guys a higher ball, give them a chance to jump. Could have been a better ball. Like I said we tried to get one of our best playmakers the opportunity to make a play in that situation and we didn't execute, and it starts with me.

Q: What was it like back there? You guys have had so many different offensive line combinations…

A: The pocket was calm. I mean, they obviously, those guys have done a great job. When I say those guys, I'm speaking of Buffalo. They've done a great job of creating pressure all year, ranking high in sacks and just creating turnovers. I think the offensive line did a great job of battling today, regardless of who was out there. I know we had an injury with (offensive lineman Joshua) Ezeudu, hopefully he's okay and it's not serious. Those guys have done a great job of battling, play in and play out all day against a very good front. Hats off to them. They were a main reason why we were able to put ourselves in a position at the end to possibly win.

Q: Does this loss hurt any more knowing that it was against a team that moved on from you?

A: Any loss hurts. As a competitor, when you lace up the cleats, you want to go out there and win and you want to show what you can do. Whether or not it hurts more because it's Buffalo, I wouldn't say that. I think it always—for me, it hurts because I'm the one that touched the ball every play and you have so much that you could do to affect the game, and ultimately, we didn't come away with the win. I'm actually going to be more critical of myself in these times as I always have and find out what I could do to be better and what we could do to be better as an offense.

Q: You hadn't started a game in a long time. Did you prove anything to yourself tonight?

A: No, I know what I'm capable of doing. I never doubted that. I've always had confidence in myself and what I could do. It's not an individual game; it's a team game. I'm proud of the way the guys came out and played on both sides of the ball, and special teams as well. We gave ourselves a chance to win at the end of the day, and we didn't come away with it. But yeah, I didn't surprise myself at all. I may have surprised some other people, but I didn't surprise myself.

Q: Did the Bills have scheme-wise anything that fooled you? You seemed really comfortable with and had a good knowledge of what they were going to come at you with.

A: It was pretty much true to what they showed on film. Obviously, practicing against (Bills Head) Coach (Sean) McDermott's defense and 17 (Bills quarterback Josh Allen) for a year and just watching them over the years, and just film prep and studying throughout the week, their game plan was pretty true to what we saw. We were able to take advantage of some things, and some things we didn't do as well. I think we also made some good corrections at halftime. When we came out in the third quarter, we ran the ball better. Like I said, ultimately, we gave ourselves a chance. Just didn't come down with the win.

Q: Do you have any sense of what this next week is going to be for you, or is just more wait-and-see?

A: I have no idea. Like I told you guys earlier in the week, my mindset never changes. I come into the building each and every day challenging myself to be better, preparing as a starter. Whatever happens, happens. Obviously, DJ (quarterback Daniel Jones) is the captain of our team, leader on our offense and our team as well, too. Wish him recovery in everything that he's going through, but if it's me, then obviously I'm stepping up to the plate, putting my best foot forward and leading the guys, and if it's not me, then I'm still in that same position supporting him and doing whatever I can do to help better this team.