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‘Everybody Eats:’ Inside the Phrase Fueling Buffalo Bills’ 3-0 Start

The Buffalo Bills lost a lot of star power during the offseason. The team is still stacking wins by embracing a more balanced approach.

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady faced a challenge when the team arrived for organized team activities during the offseason. Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, the team’s top two wide receivers in recent years, both departed the roster and weren’t directly replaced.

Brady coined the term “everybody eats” to describe an offensive attack that would focus on spreading the ball around rather than force-feeding the main targets.

“It’s not just about one person, no one’s bigger than the offense,” the 34-year-old assistant coach told reporters at the time. “But in order for someone else to have success, I gotta do my job so they have success and then vice versa.”

So far, it’s hard to argue with the results. The Bills are one of just five teams with a 3-0 record, they lead the NFL with 112 points scored and quarterback Josh Allen has emerged as the league’s early MVP favorite. It’s a dream start after a summer filled with uncertainty.

“Everybody Eats” Taking Buffalo Bills to New Heights

Bills Passing Game Exemplifies Fresh Mentality

Numerous theories emerged throughout training camp about who would become the Bills’ No. 1 weapon. There were 241 targets up for grabs following the departures of Diggs and Davis. Somebody had to soak up a large portion of those looks, right? Maybe not.

Allen has targeted at least nine different players in each of Buffalo’s first three games. Despite the offensive success, no receiver or tight end has more than 14 targets. Here’s the breakdown:

After the Bills blew out the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night, the team’s superstar signal-caller explained why keeping everyone involved is having such a positive impact.

“I think it’s paying dividends of what we’ve worked on throughout the entire offseason and through training camp of the everybody eats mentality,” Allen said. “It could be your play this play; you never know when it’s going to happen. And that’s the beauty of it: When guys get to buy into this and really understand, like, ‘I may not get the ball four or five times thrown to me a game, but the one or two times I don’t, I’m going to have opportunities.'”

It’s a great concept, but all it takes is one player more worried about his individual numbers than team success to ruin the vibes. Allen doesn’t think that’ll become a problem in Buffalo.

“And it’s a fun and wonderful thing when you got a bunch of guys that don’t care about the stats, they don’t care about the touchdowns,” he said. “And again, I think throughout practice we just had this mindset of, like, ‘Hey let’s just do things the right way and find ways to win football games.’ That’s what we’re doing right now.”

Phrase Also Describes Buffalo Defense

Although the “everybody eats” slogan is mostly being used by the offense, it could depict the defense equally well. The safety tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, the heart and soul of the Bills secondary for the past seven years, also left in the offseason.

Then the injuries began to strike. Linebacker Matt Milano suffered a biceps injury in training camp that’ll keep him out for most of the regular season. Fellow linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) and slot cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) have been injured in recent weeks. Neither of them has a firm timetable to return.

That’s a lot of talent missing. Yet, the Bills have allowed just 48 points through three games, the seventh-lowest total in the NFL.

“The unselfishness of that mantra, if you will, is huge,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said when asked about the emerging Bills slogan. “I think that’s a key aspect of really good teams across all sports. That unselfish nature. I think that’s what you’re seeing on full display.”

Monday night featured a memorable moment further highlighting that next-man-up approach. Damar Hamlin, less than two years after suffering a life-threatening injury on Monday Night Football, recorded the first interception of his career.

Hamlin, who entered camp on the roster cut line, has earned a starting role and is making the most of his opportunity.

Bills Fans Embracing Selfless Approach

It’s hard to explain the connection between Buffalonians and their sports teams to people from outside Western New York. In most cities, sports are a form of entertainment. In Buffalo, it’s closer to a way of life. Tim Russert, the late Buffalo native known for hosting NBC’s Meet the Press, described it well years ago:

While Buffalo embraces its teams no matter the situation—the Bills endured a 17-year playoff drought in the early 2000s, and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres currently own a 13-year postseason drought—it’s especially true with rosters that embody the city’s blue-collar nature.

In the late 1990s, the Sabres lacked star power in front of Hall of Fame goalie Dominik Hasek. They still emerged as a Stanley Cup contender with a simple phrase: “The hardest working team in hockey.”

The current Bills possess a similar feel. Allen is Hasek, and the players around him are making up for their lack of accolades with a hard-working style of play.

Perhaps that’s why the vibe at games in Orchard Park is a little different so far this season. Less burden of Super Bowl expectations, more enjoying the moment with a team eating together.

Can Buffalo Continue to Thrive Without More Superstars?

It’s easy to get lost in the success of a 3-0 start. The reality of a long, difficult NFL season is likely about to hit the Bills and their faithful Mafia, though.

Buffalo is set to embark on what might be the toughest three-game road trip any team faces in 2024. It travels to face the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and New York Jets. It doesn’t have another home game until Oct. 20 against the Tennessee Titans.

The Bills have shown enough to believe they’re still a top-tier contender in the AFC. They might even be the biggest threat to the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. That’s especially true if Milano, Bernard and Johnson eventually return to bolster the defense.

They aren’t going to waltz through the regular season, though. Some roller-coaster moments are ahead, possibly even some that make fans question whether the early-season success was a mirage.

In the latter situation, the question will likely arise about whether Buffalo does need another superstar or two to seriously contend. A team-first mindset is critically important, but there are times when talent is vital to take over a game.

Yet, at least for now, the Bills appear committed to a singular cause: Everybody. Eats.

Main Photo: Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tim Daniels

Tim Daniels

Tim Daniels is a lifelong sports fan who spent much of his youth playing soccer. He transitioned to writing in college and hasn't looked back. He spent 11 years on Bleacher Report's Breaking News Team and helped Topps launch its Ripped collecting website.

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