Bills' last trip to play Panthers gave heartbreak in Sean McDermott's first road game

The Buffalo Bills last played at Bank of America Stadium against the Carolina Panthers eight years ago, and it was a major homecoming for Sean McDermott, who coached his first road game as the Bills' head man after six seasons as the Panthers' defensive coordinator.

However, this Week 2 matchup of 2017 was bittersweet, as the Bills fell 9-3, wasting an excellent defensive effort that held the Panthers to 256 total yards despite being on the field 18 minutes more than the offense.

Jerry Hughes had two sacks of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and four others chipped in with a sack each, and the defense as a whole tallied 15 tackles for loss. It was even more impressive considering stalwart defensive linemen Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus were knocked out of the game.

Sep 17, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) scrambles as Bills defensive end Adolphus Washington (92) defends. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Panthers kicked two field goals by Graham Gano in the first half as Buffalo held Carolina in check when they entered the red zone.

The Bills' offense was even more sluggish, however, as Tyrod Taylor and Co. didn't cross midfield until their first drive of the second half. That drive ended in a turnover on downs as LeSean McCoy was stuffed on a 4th-and-1.

Overall, Buffalo only mustered 176 yards of offense and 10 first downs. They only managed 69 rushing yards despite having the No. 1 rush offense in the league the year prior.

Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy — Sep 17, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) hands off to running back LeSean McCoy (25) during the third quarter. | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

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Buffalo finally got on the board in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of favorable field position to set up new kicker Stephen Hauschka with a 45-yard field goal, which he converted to make it 6-3.

The Bills being on defense for so long came back to haunt them on the following drive. Carolina drove 73 yards down the field on 15 plays, draining eight minutes and 34 seconds off the clock.

The Bills held the Panthers in a goal-to-go situation inside the 3-yard line, but the damage had already been done as Gano's third field goal, this one a 20-yarder, brought the deficit back to six.

Sep 17, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) runs the ball against Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson (90) during the fourth quarter. | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

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Buffalo had one last shot with 2:35 left and two timeouts. Several completions to second-round rookie Zay Jones helped the Bills get into Carolina territory, but an Andre Holmes pass interference penalty set them back big-time.

A 4th-and-11 with 24 seconds left was upon them, and Taylor launched deep down the right side to Jones. The pass fell through his hands at the 5-yard line and the Bills turned the ball over on downs, ending the game.

This Bills outfit that the Panthers will see on Sunday is a much different one, and McDermott has several players who were in white jerseys that day to thank for helping Buffalo rise to relevance in the 2020s.

Sep 17, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Zay Jones (11) cannot catch a pass on fourth down in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers. | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

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