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'This is a team honor, it really is' | Sean McDermott and Bills players reflect on the hard-fought battle against Tampa Bay

Nov 16, 2025 at 06:41 PM

Sydney Ciano

Seasonal writing associate

Buffalo beat Tampa Bay on Sunday, extending its all-time series to 4-0 at Highmark Stadium against the Buccaneers.

Sean McDermott reaches 100 career wins

Head coach Sean McDermott became the sixth coach in NFL history to win 100 games, regular season and playoffs combined, in his first nine career seasons.

"Very grateful … This is a team honor, it really is," McDermott said after the game. "Brandon [Beane], myself, being here for the time that we've been here, his staff, my staff, collectively as an organization, very grateful for it. It never is about one person. Like any win, it's about the team. So, we learn, we grow, we move forward. Grateful for the opportunity."

Young defense proves itself again

While it wasn't cornerback Maxwell Hairston coming away with a game-turning interception, it was another young player showing up big for the Bills.

As quarterback Baker Mayfield's throw went too far out for his receiver to make the catch, safety Cole Bishop flew towards the left to get his hands on the ball in Tampa Bay territory. He came down with the pick, brought himself up on his feet and returned it for 13 yards.

Quarterback Josh Allen harped on that energy and hit running back James Cook III as soon as the offense took the field for a receiving touchdown.

Alongside his interception, Bishop had six total tackles and one pass defensed on Sunday.

"[Bishop is] playing super confidently, flying around. He understands where he's supposed to be, when he's supposed to be there," McDermott said. "… It's how a player develops. You want him to be great coming out of the box, but it just takes time sometimes for these guys and that's why we coach … [Bishop is] a student of the game. He works at it, he learns, he grows."

Safety Jordan Poyer, in particular, helped Bishop develop. Playing side-by-side with a veteran, McDermott said that's nothing but impactful. Poyer also led the defense in tackles with linebacker Terrel Bernard. Both had 11 and Poyer also tallied a pass defensed.

"[Bishop is] one of the first ones in there and one of the last to leave every day," McDermott said. "So, he invests time, and usually, it may not happen right away, you see the fruits of your labor one."

Bills knew what it took to win

Throughout the 2025 season, offensive coordinator Joe Brady emphasized that whatever is needed to win the game will be used. Against Tampa Bay, that was the passing game.

The run game accumulated 97 yards compared to the Buccaneers' 202. However, quarterback Josh Allen led the passing game to a 317-yard performance. Allen also had six total touchdowns – three rushing and three passing.

Leading the charge from Allen's targets was wide receiver Tyrell Shavers. Shavers caught four passes for 90 yards. One of his receptions was a 43-yard touchdown. This score came from a timely decision from Allen who could have scrambled to pick up the first down. Instead, he trusted Shavers and the separation he started making as he ran towards the end zone. The score momentarily put Buffalo in the lead, 14-10, in the second quarter.

"The ball finds those who work hard," McDermott said.

Later in the second quarter, Shavers contributed on the drive that resulted in another Allen passing touchdown. His 20-yard gain alleviated the pressure on the offense immediately to get out of the red zone, advancing to the 28-yard-line. A 21-yard gain deep up the middle in the third quarter also helped Buffalo put more points on the board as kicker Matt Prater came out onto the field at Tampa Bay's 21-yard-line.

Another contributor to the pass game was Cook. As the Buccaneers swallowed up the run game for a majority of the afternoon, only allowing the star rusher to total 48 yards on Sunday, Cook ended up with the second-most rushing yards on the team with 66. He caught all six of his passes from Allen, including the 25-yard touchdown.