The making of a mindset | How the Bills build belief before the battle through visualization, music, physicality and more

Getting into the right mindset before a game takes plenty of mental strength. Take a look at how the Bills build their energy and confidence for Sundays.

By: Maddy Glab

Time feels still during the national anthem. Players, coaches and fans are locked in on one thing. The silence creates a moment of pause. For many players, the anthem is the last few moments of calm before they flip the switch and turn to attack mode.

As soon as the anthem finishes, the sidelines are bustling. Players jog to the end zone to pray, jump up and down to get blood flowing, find a teammate for a handshake, smack a helmet to make sure their mind is right for four quarters of battle.

All of this happens in a matter of seconds. The days and hours before kickoff are a slow build. Players are meticulous about the routine that creates the right mindset. It's different for everyone.

Head coach Sean McDermott believes crafting the mindset required to withstand the highs and lows of an NFL game is tough.

"It's not easy," McDermott said. "It is an important piece of the fabric of a team, the fabric of an individual, as well as the ability to reset but also stay resilient through the process of a game."

Part I: Visualization in the days leading up

One might think players roll into One Bills Drive on game day ready to run through a brick wall. For some, that's the case. But for many, it's the exact opposite.

Getting your mind right for a 60-minute fight where you push yourself to the brink both physically and mentally takes preparation — a lot of preparation.

Veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson, who's known for bringing the energy on defense, starts his prep on Monday. The best way he can equate it is to preparing a meal.

"It's all about cooking," Thompson said. "Monday, I clean the pot…On Tuesday, I take it out, I let it dry…Wednesday, that's when I put the water in the pot…put it on low to medium. You get your mind right, you visualize the game…Then Thursday, Friday I turn it up a little bit.

"Saturday, I turn it up to medium high…focus on my mindset. Then on Sunday, that b** is hot and I'm ready to go…You can't be too high, you can't be too low in this game, you got to know when to turn it on."

Every day of the week has purpose. It's something Thompson's learned over his 11-year-career.

Being mentally prepared leading up to a game is something team sport psychologist Dr. Desaree Festa (Dr. Dez) teaches the team.

"She's always on point, whether that's in camp, in-season, OTAs" cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram said of Dr. Dez. "She helps us in the days leading up to a game and the night before the game, visualization, breath work, constant reminders…She is always present for us. That's the biggest thing. She's always there to give us the tools we need."

Visualization is one of the tools Dr. Dez uses. It's something many players use in the days and hours leading up to a game.

Quarterback Josh Allen likes to use visualization to see the great things that can happen in a game.

"Seeing it before it happens and allowing yourself to believe that it can and will happen," Allen said. "I think it's a powerful tool that not just myself but a lot of people on this team use. And I think Dr. Dez does a great job with that… everybody's got their own type of process that helps them, and that's just something that helps me."

"I think visualization is very helpful," defensive end Joey Bosa said agreeing with Allen. "Dr. Dez here has been doing it with the team, and I do that…the night before the game. I try to just visualize the day. I think having a plan for when things may not go exactly how you want them to go, to be able to visualize you taking a breath and resetting…to just be mentally prepared before being thrown into the fire of an NFL game is very beneficial."

Ingram has a detailed process to get him ready for Sundays. The CB likes to start his day with visualization. He also uses self-talk as a way to spark confidence.

Ingram has been thrown into starting roles mid-game and produced with game-changing plays. He believes his routine leading up to a game helps.

"You have to see yourself having success, making plays, being in the moment before it happens," Ingram said of using visualization. "I think more times than not, when I visualize something happening and feeling as if it already happened. It really happens."

Part II: Calm, confident, angry in the hours before

In the hours leading up to kickoff, it's a slow build to find the right mindset. Some wake up ready for contact. Others, prefer the calm before the storm.

"I used to be killer mode all the time but it's draining to be in that mode all the time," Ingram said. "I learned that as I grew in my career."

Through the years, many players have learned it requires too much to be at level 100 hours before kickoff and expect to keep it through a game.

"I like to keep it calm, cool and steady because I know just the energy from being in the stadium is going to take me where I need to be," safety Damar Hamlin said. "I got peace in knowing that my preparation is enough…and gameday is about reaping the benefits of the work that I put in all week."

Hamlin said if he goes outside of a calm state of mind, the stress starts to build and it's not the right place for him to be before a game.

As the team pulls into the stadium on Sundays, many use music to help their frame of mind.

"All day before the game, I'm listening to R&B, relaxing and chill music to not waste an ounce of energy before the game," fullback Reggie Gilliam shared.

"I could rolodex some Rod Wave. I rolodex like Dej Loaf," Hamlin said. "I rolodex chill music. And then pulling up to the stadium, it's usually a song of the week that like sticks to me and gets me turned up. Usually some Lil Durk, something more turnt up."

Right tackle Spencer Brown uses music to take him to a place of joy, which is the mental state he prefers before a game.

"It's kind of funny, Madden '08 was the first Madden I was addicted to," Brown said, "So I downloaded that whole playlist and I just play the songs on there. It kind of takes me back to my childhood."

Brown said it took time to figure out the right mood before a game. He's learned to embrace the fun of the game he fell in love with as a kid.

"You're going out and playing a kid's game, might as well go out and enjoy it," Brown said of what he embraces. "Don't put more stress on it than you need to. Now that I'm in year five, I've kind of got it figured out. Just don't overthink it."

Similar to Brown, defensive end Greg Rousseau likes to be clear headed. He relies on his faith and written messages to help.

"I always pray before the game, and I always try and breathe," Rousseau said. "I write stuff on my wrist tape as little reminders, like 'Go' or 'Play Fast.'"

"It's usually from the messages we see a lot, like 1/11^th, trust, play fast, physical. "Just simple stuff that helps me play fast and gets me in the right headspace."

Unlike many of his teammates, wide receiver Keon Coleman doesn't need much to get in the right headspace. Coleman wakes up ready to go.

"Gamedays, I'm never happy," Coleman said. "I'm happy to be up. I'm thankful that God woke me up. But I'm mad. I got to go find somebody to hit. I got to go make some plays."

A little Adele gets him where he needs to be.

"I jam out to Adele," Coleman said.

Set Fire to the Rain and Hometown Glory are his favorites.

"It's a nice, calm song, but I be turnt at the same time," Coleman explained.

Coleman doesn't need to flip the switch to be ready for kickoff, but many of his teammates do.

Part III: Flipping the switch

Since plenty of Bills players embrace peace and tranquility hours before a game, they have to shift gears before kickoff. Some do it on their own, and some rely on the environment.

"When the pads get on, that's when that sh** is ready to go," Thompson said. "Once we touch that field, after that national anthem, I'm at my peak. I'm ready to let loose…It feels good to play with guys who have that same mentality."

"I get confidence from seeing my teammates," Damar Hamlin said. "I got some of the best teammates in the world at what they do."

Prior to arriving in the NFL, rookie tight end Jackson Hawes struggled with getting too hype too early. Now, he uses music to flip the switch.

"Right before I go out for the start of the game, I listen to some Limp Biscuit and some Rage Against the Machine," Hawes said. "The music helps get those violent thoughts going."

The right mentality isn't always violent. Running back Ty Johnson thinks a playful mindset helps him most.

"Once we get onto the field for pregame warm up with our returners, that's when I have a more playful mindset because this is a kid's game," Johnson explained. "I'm more playful and laughing, making jokes. I'm hardly ever serious. If I'm serious then there's something wrong."

To turn it on, some players rely on their teammates. Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones believe contact gets them ready to go.

"We hit each other really hard," Rousseau said of what he does before kick. "I know those are the guys I'm on the field with, so it's about trust. I'm hitting him hard, so he knows I'm ready to go. He's hitting me hard, and I know he's ready to go."

"I like to speak life into everybody else that's around me," Ja'Marcus Ingram said. "Just making sure we're going to go out there and have a good day. We're going to dominate."

The leading of the charge gets Reggie Gilliam into go-mode.

"I'm calm all the way up until the Legend of the Game comes out," Gilliam said. "And when they say, 'Where else would you rather be?' That's what turns it on for me. That gives me chills. I just got chills talking about it."

Spencer Brown gets chills from something else.

"Probably my first ammonia tablet during the first drive," Brown said of what gets him right. "We do our huddle with the o-line and then a teammate hands me my smelling salts and as soon as that happens, it's like, 'It's time to go do this.'"

The energy you feel from players in the seconds before kick is palpable. They've worked days to reach the perfect place. It's maintaining that mindset for 60 minutes that's a challenge.

Part IV: Maintaining the right mindset

In-game things happen quickly, and things change quickly. A play may last just a few seconds, but those few seconds feel like minutes due to the strength and mental fortitude required to win a rep.

"Technique is number one because that's what starts a rep, it's what gets you to the middle of a rep," left tackle Dion Dawkins said. "The will and the mindset of withstanding takes you the duration of a rep. The crazy thing is we're only talking about three or four seconds. But realistically, those are the hardest three and a half seconds of your life.

"As a football player and as a competitor, that's the definition of the will needed to push through the overall limit."

Players like Spencer Brown have learned over time that riding the highs and lows of a game make it too tough to stay in it for four quarters. If a couple drives went wrong, it was hard to find the joy again.

"I used to ride the emotional roller coaster during the game," Brown said. "Over time, I just started worrying about just doing my job. Making sure the offensive line is good and taking care of Josh (Allen)."

"It's easy to do in the first half," Rousseau said of being locked in. "But after halftime, you really got to mentally try to remember where you're at, be where your feet are and lock back in."

Some players like to turn it on and off in-game. When they're on the sideline, they focus on breathing and calming down. When they jog back onto the field, they fire it back up. This helps them preserve energy to last an entire game.

"When you hear that number called to go back in the game, you flip that switch again," Shaq Thompson explained. "It's the same mindset as the beginning of a game."

Jackson Hawes thrives off contact. It keeps him in the right mode all game.

"It's really not hard," Hawes said of maintaining the energy. "When your responsibility is to hit someone every play, it's pretty easy to be in the right mode all game."

So, the clock strikes zero, the game is over. You're riding the high of a win. Fans want your autograph; friends are blowing up your phone.

And then what?

Part V: Coming down from the high

For many, coming down from a game is easier said than done. The Bills are blessed to have plenty of primetime games every year. But that means games finish late. Often times, you're getting home past midnight.

Players feel the buzz of a win hours after the final whistle blows.

"It's hard to come down off the high of the atmosphere," Damar Hamlin said. "Sometimes when I get home from games, I can close my eyes and still hear the crowd. It's hard to get sleep after a game, just from being so worked up. It's hard to win in this league. So, Coach tells us, you really got to enjoy them."

The euphoric feeling a victory provides sticks with Greg Rousseau, so he uses the sauna to wind down.

"I usually get in the sauna to make me sleepy and get a little recovery after the game, but it's hard to sleep," Rousseau explained. "If I play a really good game, it's literally like a drug. I can't sleep. I can't relax. I can't sit down. It's crazy…it's like an adrenaline rush or something."

Players know they can't ride the rush for too long; you must come down. Monday approaches quickly. A sign of a new game week. The cycle of setting the right mindset for Sunday begins again.

Part VI: Doing it all over again

Shaq Thompson knows staying too high, too long, doesn't help the following week.

"You got to take that pot off the stove," Thompson said relating it back to cooking. "That's because you're going to burn the sh** out of it. Can't burn the pot, you have to use it next week. So, you got to learn how to calm down."

For many, to completely calm down, you must face the music. That means learning from the game tape, making the corrections needed to see improvement, and putting the game to rest.

"On Monday, I come back in and go through the game in my head, make the mental corrections of what I did wrong to know how I'm going to fix it," Reggie Gilliam said. "We get to the film room and coach is going to tell you everything you did wrong and right. After I leave the building for that day, that game is put to bed."

"People ask me, 'How can you just move on?' 'How can you forget.' I'm like, 'I don't have a choice.'"

Players know bringing the mental load from the previous week into the next week is not sustainable. A fresh start is what's preferred heading into a new game week.

Before the Bills begin the pattern of preparing for another game and mustering up the right mindset, they disconnect, just for a bit.

"I am taking that 24 hours from Monday to Tuesday to not think about ball," Gilliam explained. "When I come in the building Tuesday morning, that's when I turn the page to the next opponent."

It's a cyclical life that requires a massive amount of physical and mental strength. Thompson believes not everyone is fit to ace the test.

"You've got to be a little bit crazy," Thompson said of the mental strength required for a season. "That's why we all play the sport is because everybody loves contact. You get to go out and hit people for fun, and then you come back and do it again. You got to have some type of screw loose in your head.

"I know I do when it comes to football. That's the only way to play this game."

The making of a game day mindset is complex, full of layers. It requires skill, strength and the ability to move forward. It's a labor of love that gifts you a happiness that can't be matched when everything operates according to what you visualized.