The numbers tell the story that your eyes already know; the Bills are brutal. However, head coach Sean McDermott doesn't feel his bigger picture plan has veered off course this season, pulling upon the successes of similar rebuilds in Philadelphia and Carolina.

"This has been tough. It’s been tough sledding," McDermott said. "I don’t see it any other way, but I also don’t back down from that. There’s a challenge at hand, and I’m here to take on this challenge head on with the men that are behind me and with the entire staff in this building. There’s been 17, 18 years before we got here. We changed that last year, and we’re going to continue to change the future of this organization moving forward."

It's that success of ending the playoff drought that McDermott believes is enough equity to keep the faith through this year's struggles.

"We’ve shown that we know how to win. Going back to last season, we know how to create the environment and win. Every season is different, though. I mentioned it at the outset of this season," McDermott said. "I’ve been around it before. As I mentioned, we’re developing players and transitioning from what it was to what we want it to be, and that takes a little bit of time. It takes some of these stretches where it doesn’t feel so good when you sleep at night."

Quarterback Josh Allen is the brightest hope to turn this nightmare into a winning reality and McDermott believes the rookie is close to returning to action. Allen began throwing again over the weekend and ramped up to 100 throws on Monday. He's day-to-day and has a shot to play Sunday with a healthier elbow and mindset.

"I’ve had a chance to spend some time with Josh over this last couple days in particular, just meeting with him and working with him in his development," McDermott said. "Everything happens for a reason. It’s never easy for a young player to miss reps, valuable reps, but it’s offered a nice perspective in kind of a 'glass-half-full' type of approach in terms of his development. He’s had a chance to watch, take a step back, and learn while being on the sideline."

Getting Allen off the sidelines and onto the field is about all there is to look forward to for the remainder of this season.