McDermott: 'I thought the coaches and players did a great job remaining poised'

Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Bills emerged victorious from a close one against the Arizona Cardinals to open their 2024 season campaign.

At the start of the game, the Bills did not seem like the team who would come out on top, with mistakes on offense and a defense that could not stop quarterback Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense.

"We weren't very good at all. Some of it was that they were getting into third-and-manageable situations and that goes back to winning first and second down. I thought Bobby and the defensive staff did a great job at half time addressing it and making some adjustments and I think we came out better in the second half. We played a little bit more our style of defense and were a little bit more aggressive and just playing and having some fun out there as opposed to waiting and reacting to what they were doing."

The Bills were a very different looking team in the second half in the best possible ways on offense and defense. With young players stepping into roles that were previously filled with veterans. Team leadership is something the Bills always have and still do pride themselves on. Even with this younger core of players.

"It's hard to win, you almost have to take the logos of the helmets because it doesn't matter who you play or where you play, it's how you play, how we play. I think this team was tested early from injuries early in the game and then in the fourth quarter, that's where games are decided in this league. It starts with leadership in the locker room with the players that we have. They have got to lead from the front and that's true this week as well on a short week with some guys banged up."

McDermott and the Bills do have a short turn-around this week as they head to South Florida to take on their division rival, Miami Dolphins, on Thursday Night Football.

Hear more of McDermott's post game remarks at the player below: