Talk about everyone (5.1 million viewers) tuning in for one of your worst performances. Sean McDermott knows that feeling. Caleb Williams came down hard in the preseason clash with the Bills, wiping the floor with them in a ruthless 38-0 shutout on August 17. Even though MVP Josh Allen was benched, the Bears’ first preseason shutout since 1994 unleashed a flurry of roster adjustments in the Bills camp. McDermott stood before the media after the collapse, with a tight expression, declaring the performance was “certainly not up to our standard.” Since that moment, the coach has put Josh Allen and Co. squarely under the microscope. And among the staff, there is another coach who just isn’t happy to see his team failing.

It is one thing to be 0-2 in the preseason and put up an average offense drive, arguably like the Steelers. It is another to play so poorly that Hard Knocks of the Bills starts trending across headlines. The embarrassment came swiftly, the very next day after being mauled by the Bears. The frustration was contagious. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich tore into his players during practice, stopping everything to demand accountability. “We talked about it at the beginning of this,” Babich shouted. “We need leadership and tone-setters! Ball is bouncing outside of us! That was f—— garbage! I’m going to be flat honest. That was garbage. It’s a f—— mentality every day! Every day! Do we understand that? Does anybody disagree that s— was not acceptable?” His tirade echoed the same theme: roster cuts do not have a place for complacency.

Sean McDermott was left fuming at Soldier Field on Tuesday, August 19, waiting for the players to show up. The head coach spent the next day fighting to revive a dying spirit in his locker room, delivering sharp and motivational speeches to a group that had yet to show real fight.

“Offensively, we’re always trying to score,” McDermott said. “We always should be on the attack. Defensively, I want you to attack. Special teams, I want you to attack. You think about that. When you face a team that you feel is on the attack, you can feel it. That’s the type of mindset we have to have. How hungry am I? How hungry am I that I want to attack?” The coach’s words were a plea for urgency, for better performance, at least to avoid another spectacular loss.

Complacency had shown itself in the worst way. At halftime, the Bears held a 20-3 advantage in first downs, a 371-47 lead in yards. That image alone painted the depth of the collapse. Since then, position battles—particularly at safety—have heated up while McDermott handed out injury updates and reviewed wide receiver depth with Josh Allen. Only a week earlier, at the joint practice on August 15, McDermott had sounded content. Back then, there was confidence, and it might be safe to say that the Bills are never letting their guard down again.

Josh Allen’s confidence shaken up!

On Tuesday, the Bills returned home to Buffalo. And Josh Allen, who did not suit up in the preseason clash, shared his thoughts on facing Chicago. The 29-year-old quarterback reflected on the lopsided loss with a touch of wit. “I think we don’t want to see the Bears again in the preseason,” Allen said, via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. His words carried a mix of humor and frustration, a reminder of the sting from that blowout.

It was not the first time Allen’s voice carried throughout the league. Last year, he earned the title of biggest trash-talking quarterback, a reputation he seemed to relish. Allen even leaned into the recognition online. In a post on X, he had written, “So you’re telling me, I was voted as the #1 … best trash talker??? Let’s goooooo!!!”

But now Allen has his focus on practice camp sessions. Even before the preseason loss, joint practices had a competitive edge with no signals of an impending murky record. On Friday, the setup in Chicago was a storm of activity with both teams focusing on different areas and different drills unfolding across multiple fields. Maybe it was a fluke of bad luck combined with injuries holding back talent. Or have the Bills taken a tumble down the hill?