McDermott: 'It's Always Good to Win!'

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott couldn't hide his satisfaction after his team secured their first preseason victory with a 9-3 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers . While the scoreboard didn't light up with touchdowns, McDermott emphasized the importance of the team's energy and effort, noting significant improvement from their first preseason outing.

"I understand it's preseason, but it's always good to win," McDermott said during his post-game press conference. "I thought the guys played extremely hard. They were having fun out there, physical... Thought defense really showed up. Special teams did some good things. Good to get some of those young guys some good playing time and thought we could have gotten in a better rhythm with the one offense. But plenty to work on as we move forward here."

His words echoed the sentiment of a team that had responded well to the challenges presented in the week leading up to the game. The Bills displayed a level of intensity and physicality that was more in line with the standard McDermott expects.

The defensive unit, in particular, set the tone early. Despite a shortened warmup period due to inclement weather, the Bills came out strong on defense, forcing an early three-and-out on the Steelers' opening drive. EDGE rusher Greg Rousseau played a pivotal role, sacking Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson on third-and-long, a play that McDermott highlighted as key to the defense's success.

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"Coach McDermott always talks about the line of scrimmage, so being able to go out there and get three sacks in the first two possessions and two sacks on the first two 3rd downs, I feel like it was huge," Rousseau said , reflecting on the defensive performance that kept the Steelers' offense in check.

As the Bills look ahead to their remaining preseason matchups, McDermott's focus will likely remain on maintaining this level of energy and execution. With the regular season just around the corner, the team is aiming to carry this momentum forward, ensuring that the lessons learned from their early preseason games translate into regular-season success.