Tennessee - 34, Buffalo - 31
Q. (Question concerning the decision to go for it at the end of the game.) Is that a gut thing and kind of a situational thing? How do you kind of process it?
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, I mean, I felt good about our chances. I had a chance to win the game right there and we didn't get it done. So...
Q. The play before, it looked like you made the first down but there was no measurement. Was it clear?
SEAN MCDERMOTT: The signal was first down. They signaled first down and then they changed it. From what I was told after the game, they went and visited with it, then I think they radioed down and changed it. So...
Q. It was upstairs?
SEAN MCDERMOTT: I believe so, yes.
Q. (No microphone.)
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Well, yeah. Yeah. So, at the end of the day, we didn't get the job done. I didn't get the job done. And, you know, they did a good job in the red zone. We should have scored. Our red zone status, I think were two for five. They were three for three.
You know, and then the points after the turnover, we got -- they got seven, we came away with three. So some of the differences in the game. But at the end of the day, the results are the results. And, now, we got to do a better job.
Q. Can you pinpoint to some of the struggles in the red zone this season? Tyler just keeps kicking 27-yard field goals.
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, you know, to tell you right now as we sit here, without looking at it, and -- but we've had some struggles in the red zone. You know, the same as last year coming in here. So...
Q. Hey, Sean, obviously, they had a good night. It looked like your pass defense struggled. A lot of over the middle.
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah.
Q. Can you pinpoint maybe what was going on there?
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Sure. Not just one thing, Sal. I think some of it, we were, you know, sucking up on the play action there a little bit with the play fake and opens up the middle. And that's where they got good receivers.
And that's what 22 does to you, he makes you commit to the run. And so, you know, we could have did some other things, too, as well, but we'll look at it as coaches.
Q. (No microphone.)
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, every year is different. I appreciate you bring bringing that up. You want to win every game and, now, we got a week to sit on this one and learn from it and come back stronger. So that's the goal every week, Jay. And that will be the goal next week.
Q. It was mentioned on the broadcast that Brian lost his grandfather. I mean, what was the reaction amongst the team and for him to be going through this, both his grandmother and now his grandfather, such a short amount of time, how difficult of a time has this been for him and the team?
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, some unfortunate news. You know, Brian's been through a lot over the last two or three weeks here. And so, you know, our prayers and thoughts are obviously with him and his family. And, you know, you never want to see someone go through that. It's just unfortunate.
Q. Sean, how frustrated are you with the penalties? And then this week, it seemed like every one was a big penalty.
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, I mean, they're big, Sal. And it comes back to making sure we're using the right technique and moving our feet, using our hands, getting our hands inside. Had one or two presnap penalties you can also throw in there, I believe.
And so, you know, discipline. Discipline's important if you want to be a good football team.
Q. The guys are always talking about how much confidence you have in them and how that inspires them to play their best. You, obviously, have tremendous confidence for him to go for it on fourth and one there at the end. How do you maintain that type of motivation among the guys? How do you keep their heads high after coming up short?
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Well, I mean, I'm always going to believe in my players and our football team and our coaches. And, you know, we'll learn from this and then we try to move forward and get better because of it. That's what you do.
It's a season of ups and downs. And it's the team that stays together the longest that gives us the best chance at the end.
Q. (No microphone.)
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, it just felt like, you know, we wanted to dress some other guys and look at some other guys with Harry. And, you know, dressing FA and just looking at -- trying to find matchups, as well.
Q. Sean, on that fourth down play, is it Josh's decision to make or did he lose his footing there a little bit?
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, I just got a little bit of a video of it before. And it just looked like there was some penetration there off our left side and they pinched down.
So it looked like there was an opportunity, but, you know, at the end of the day, I trust him. And I'll trust him again if we're in that situation again.
So, you know, I'll take Josh Allen, as you said, Sal, 10 times out of 10. So give them the credit they had to make when the game was on the line.
Q. Did he slip on the video, Sean? It looked like he did.
SEAN MCDERMOTT: You know, I didn't see. It looked like, you know, they had one player and what became the B gap over there and he penetrated and it looked like he knocked us back a little bit there off that left side there.
Q. (Question concerning the decision-making at the end of the game.)
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, I mean, we're this far from winning the game. (Indicating.) And I owe that to my players. You know, I believe in my players, I believe in our quarterback. So I trust my guys. Obviously, we didn't get it done in this case. But I trust my players.
Q. (Question concerning an injured player's status.)
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, well, he did. He was, you know, working through it a little bit there. And when we got him off the field, we were able to evaluate him a little bit more. So I thought he did a good job pushing through it there.
Q. Sean, on the last play, is there a read for Josh to make or how -- I mean, I know there are different types of quarterback sneaks in the playbook. Was that a read or was that what he was going to do?
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah, I mean, most quarterback sneaks are a -- there's a read or feel element to them. And Josh is usually spot on with those.
You've seen him have a lot of success in those situations. And, you know -- so, again, give them the credit. They made the play when they had to make one.
And, you know, it felt -- hey, if we're that far from potentially winning the game right there was the best thing we could do. We hadn't stopped them on defense for a number of drives there in the second half, really.
So, again, I felt like we could go and win the game right there. And, obviously, didn't get it done.
Q. (No microphone.)
SEAN MCDERMOTT: Well, we'll go back and look at it. I just feel like the thing that jumps off the page at me is, No. 1, is our guys fought, right?
It was a -- it was an intense football game back and forth like we expected. But the red zone, the turnover, you know, the difference of points right there, that's a potentially different game.
But it's not -- I'm not going to play the would have, should have, could have. And we got learn from that and get better and fix some things on defense, as well. And then the penalties overall, we can't kill ourselves over penalties like that.
Q. (Question concerning the Titans' game plan on offense.)
SEAN MCDERMOTT: That's what they try and do, keep pounding you, keep pounding you, keep pounding you. And that -- especially with the wide zone, he had a couple of them there in the second half, you know, they expect you at some point to wear down.
And, you know, I don't know if it was as much us wearing down, it's just not playing with -- not getting off blocks. Entering the gap is one thing, but you got to shed the block.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports