FOXBOROUGH - It hasn't ever been buddy-buddy with Bill Belichick and Sean McDermott. Both are intense. Both believe in their way of doing things being the right way. And the Bills coach and his program were chasing the standard set by Belichick's Patriots for so many years.
The worm turned for McDermott's Bills when Josh Allen took the leap in year three under the watchful eye of then-offensive coordinator (and now Giants HC) Brian Daboll. From 2020 through last season, the matchups between the two teams were more lopsided than the Harlem Globetrotters against the Washington Generals, with the Bills winning six of seven, including that 47-17 postseason rout that had Belichick wondering if that was just a one-off or what the Pats had become (jury says the latter not the former). Allen became that player Belichick had no answer for, a rarity, and one that got the uber-talented QB mentioned in the same breath as a certain seven-time Super Bowl winner.
"Just kind of like (Tom) Brady. Once Brady got to a certain point there in 2003, that's pretty much the way it was the rest of his career," said Belichick when asked when Allen became a consistent force. "It wasn't really like that in 2002. It wasn't like that in 2001. It certainly wasn't like that in 2000. Once he got to a certain point, there was about the midseason of the 2003 season and then the playoffs. From then on, it was his level of performance and play and consistency was at the very top of the league. Different style of play. Once those quarterbacks, usually when they get to that point, they're able to sustain it. Sometimes, you just don't know what the growth pattern is going to be. It doesn't really matter where he was or where he is right now. He's pretty good. Real good."
It might be easier for Belichick to admit that now - at least for the time being - he's coming off a win over Allen and the Bills.
That came in week 7 of this year when Mac Jones - remember him? - led the Patriots on a game-winning drive. That was supposed to be a jumping-off point for Jones and this team. Instead, it proved the anomaly, especially for the quarterback, who now languishes on the bench, replaced by Bailey Zappe.
Still, the Bills understand the challenge ahead Sunday in Orchard Park, especially as they chase a playoff spot (they're currently in the sixth spot in the AFC).
"It's a Bill Belichick-coached team. We've got to take that into account," McDermott said. "The fact that we lost game one, I think, tells these guys we've got to put our best stuff out on the field, or we're not going to win this game. Frankly, it's a game we need to win. They know that. We know that. If I'm in the Patriots' locker room, I'm looking to ruin their season; an opponent's playoff hopes are on the line. A division rival. They're going to be ready. I can guarantee that. That, in turn, makes us have to be ready as well."
This leads me back to the relationship between McDermott and Belichick, which is to say there isn't much of one.
McDermott doesn't want to play little brother to anyone, not for a lack of respect but rather a belief in himself and what he and Brandon Beane have built in Buffalo. Belichick, on the other hand, is decidedly Bill. Talk about giving no quarter. He's relished beating up on divisional foes, sometimes in humiliating fashion. That is not forgotten in western New York.
There might be a public softening from the Bills' side, but that's only because they've become the alpha dog in this rivalry, even after week 7's defeat. McDermott was effusive in his praise of Belichick Wednesday morning.
"He's accomplished so much," said McDermott. "Most coaches - if not all coaches - are learning from Coach Belichick and then also trying to get to where he's been for years. And so, I mean, he's changed the game in a lot of ways. Just speaking big picture, league-wise, he's changed the game in a lot of ways, and I think the league has listened to some of his recommendations. He's an extremely smart person and does a great job in terms of taking his personnel on the field and making the most of what he has. And I think you're seeing that with the way his team has developed this year."
Clearly, McDermott is focused more on recent results - the Pats have won two of their last three - but this is a big game on many levels for both sides, and you can expect the intensity will be at its peak Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium. Both coaches would have it no other way.