ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Bills head coach Sean McDermott has used the word "process" so many times in describing how to build a team, it's become somewhat of a joke on social media, but the Bills look to be a serious squad through the first four games.

McDermott's process has led them to a 3-1 record, their best start in six years. They're alone atop the AFC East at the quarter point of the season, coming off two impressive wins over Denver and Atlanta, and now that they're experiencing some success, the head coach is cautioning his team against buying into the hype.

"If we're going to get addicted to anything, let's get addicted to the process of what leads to winning," McDermott said Monday. "We have a lot of work to do between now and what happens in November and December. That's what we have to continue to push towards is our quality of play every week. Handling winning is a big part of sustaining success which is a key in this league."

Fans are understandably excited, but we've seen hot starts lead nowhere by season's end throughout the Bills' 17-year playoff drought​.

"This is a different team, Number 1. That said, we can learn a lot of lessons from those guys that were here when they went through that," McDermott said. "Things happen in a hurry in this league. We've got to stay hungry, we've got to stay humble."

The Bills will be tested moving forward as they prepare to face the Bengals this week. Among the various injuries, they'll be without top wide receiver Jordan Matthews and linebacker Ramon Humber, both out with surgeries on their thumbs. The club released wideout Walt Powell, who was scheduled to return from a four-game suspension. 

Digging into their depth is all part of what McDermott calls life in the NFL.

"We're certainly facing adversity. We've faced adversity before. This is only got to make us stronger," he said. "This where leaders and leadership has to step up and get in front of it, out to the forefront of things.  That's what good teams do.

The Bills will continue to have to prove they're a good team, as they head to Cincinnati as underdogs against the 1-3 Bengals.