How Bills coach Sean McDermott has continued to adapt along quest for Super Bowl

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The accounts from the opening of the Sean McDermott epoch successful Buffalo ever see akin notes.

He had galore rules to travel -- a strictness that came from establishing a caller culture.

Video games, billiards and aerial hockey tables were taken out of the locker room.

Explicit euphony wasn't allowed.

Hats were barred from meetings. Players had to formal up for level rides to distant games.

Players were announced retired of the passageway each astatine erstwhile earlier location games -- which immoderate seasoned players took contented with.

McDermott, present 9 seasons successful arsenic caput manager of the Bills, has built an AFC contender twelvemonth aft twelvemonth -- led by backmost Josh Allen for the past 8 of those seasons. There person been 2 AFC Championship Game appearances, 5 consecutive part titles and countless records broken.

As clip has passed, cornhole has go a mainstay successful the Bills' locker room. There's a hockey crippled array successful the mediate of 1 conception of the locker country crossed from a tiny play putting country and a array for paper games.

In caller seasons, a DJ was brought successful to play euphony successful the locker room.

Plane attire varies from subordinate to player.

Starters are announced 1 astatine a clip connected crippled day.

These are the elements that McDermott, 51, has fto up on. He has passed connected immoderate of the expectations of enactment to players who person been successful the gathering for galore years.

"He came successful and acceptable the instauration that helium wanted, and past helium got the vets that helium wanted to pb the squad the mode helium wanted it, and that was a rite of transition ... like, present you go," antiaircraft tackle Jordan Phillips said. "You guys person earned my respect. I'mma laic disconnected a small bit."

McDermott's inheritance moving nether then-Philadelphia Eagles manager Andy Reid from 1999-2010 gave an illustration to McDermott of however to execute success. He observed Reid not putting himself successful the spotlight and wanted to emulate.

"There's coaches that make distractions for their squad and past they can't focus, and so, determination are already distractions," McDermott said. "You conscionable effort and bounds those arsenic overmuch arsenic you can. Now, there's a delicate saccharine spot successful determination that I've tried to find lately, due to the fact that I besides saw wherever you privation radical to truly cognize the existent you, successful particular, the squad first. And that's a moving target, I think, too."

But the questions equine implicit the Bills not reaching a Super Bowl during his tenure.

The Bills came into this play with the highest of expectations and are disconnected to a 4-1 commencement up of Monday's crippled astatine the Atlanta Falcons (7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). McDermott sat down with ESPN successful the summertime and discussed, on with those who enactment alongside him, however his views and intelligence attack person changed implicit time, from his coordinators to work-life balance.

A RECENT MODELING run McDermott did with section men's covering store and tailor BUREAU received attraction online. The photos and video campaigns diagnostic McDermott successful a assortment of outfits, including tailored suits, a nonrecreational way suit, a shacket and a collared garment and shot hat.

Wide receiver Gabe Davis quipped to McDermott that helium hopes that helium looks similar that erstwhile helium is the coach's age. Left tackle Dion Dawkins, who was portion of McDermott's archetypal draught people successful 2017, said that helium ne'er thought the time would travel erstwhile McDermott would beryllium comfy showing himself that way.

Linebackers manager Al Holcomb said that McDermott's property hasn't changed since helium met him erstwhile some were with th...