Bills Have 'No Substitute' For Matt Milano Amid Bernard's Development

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott was not shy about the importance of Matt Milano while discussing Terrel Bernard's potential second-year leap.

If the Buffalo Bills are going to successfully take on the gauntlet of AFC quarterbacks they are set to face, the defense must continue to improve. Much of that responsibility falls on edge rusher Von Miller and linebacker Matt Milano coaching their younger peers who have found themselves in starting roles.

The Bills fell 22-16 to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Monday. Losing to an Aaron Rodgers-less Jets team wasn’t as much of a defensive indictment as it could have been, but New York's ability to run the ball kept things afloat. To some extent, that falls on the linebackers.

Second-year linebacker Terrel Bernard earned the starting middle linebacker role during camp. He had an up-and-down night but ultimately was limited to making just a handful of tackles. Bills coach Sean McDermott spoke on Friday about Milano’s impact on Bernard’s development.

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“Matt’s seen a number of snaps of football in the Bills uniform and, because of that, in the NFL,” McDermott said. “And so the experiences, there’s no substitute for experience.”

Milano had one the best games of any Bill in Week 1, including an interception and pivotal run stops. Even amidst an impressive pass rushing performance up front, he may have been their best defensive player. Hopefully, his influence on Bernard starts to show up more frequently.

“Terrel did some good things in the game last week and then there’s some things collectively that he and we need to get better at,” McDermott said. “And that just comes through being young and making some of those mistakes.”

McDermott also noted that both have spent extensive time in the film room together and that Bernard’s performance is largely a matter of confidence. Naturally, that confidence can only grow by seeing oneself making plays. Buffalo seems confident in its starting middle linebacker and the path to his development, even if it isn’t paying immediate dividends.

Bernard will have a chance to showcase his growth on Sunday, when the Bills play their home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.