In early January 2017, the Buffalo Bills seemed to be in disarray. The team had just fired their former knight in shining armor, Rex Ryan, and owners Terry and Kim Pegula looked lost in this new chapter for them as owners of an NFL franchise.

Media and fans were blasting the owners for their blunder in the Ryan hire, and the couple was just about ostracized from Western New York as their hockey team also failed to put it together.

More than a year later, this feels like a distant memory to most. Whatever wounds and emotions that bubbled to the surface were healed by the Bills ending the 17-year playoff drought and lifting the cloud over the city.

Spearheading the efforts last year was head coach Sean McDermott. Former general manager Doug Whaley was canned after the 2017 NFL Draft, and many believe that McDermott was actually at the controls in Buffalo’s war room.

When the Bills selected Tre’Davious White and others in the draft, the type of player McDermott was looking for became evident; he wanted players with character, experience, and motivation. Buffalo sought to build a foundation by which future Bills players could build on. McDermott was righting the ship.

Buffalo’s season started much differently than many expected. Incredibly low expectations from the masses motivated the team. The “bunch of misfits” attitude lit a fire inside of the team.

The Bills adopted the “defend our dirt” mantra as a way to motivate the team at home. They wanted to be in the echelon of Green Bay or New England when it comes to a home-field advantage.

Although Buffalo saw early success on the field, McDermott preached the perspective of these stepping-stones. It’s a “process” for him. He wasn’t about crowning a champion a few games into the season, nor should the fans.

Despite that caution, the Bills went from being projected to pick early in the 2018 NFL Draft to eventually facing the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, something even the diehards didn’t truly think was possible.

We’re about one year and two months removed from the hiring of McDermott, are we really ready to say the culture has changed at One Bills Drive?

An early winning culture for the Bills after one year might just be written off as luck, but the team won games and put themselves in positions to win not seen by fans in a long time. It’s a fair assessment to say that the culture has changed immensely in Buffalo in such a short amount of time.

McDermott has turned a laughable team into one that demands respect from their opponents. By employing players that fit his own characteristics, McDermott is able to properly coach his team. He knows what to expect from them and vice versa.

The ability to work hand-and-hand with a general manager he’s incredibly familiar with is a major benefit that other teams don’t have. When you’re able to communicate and understand each other the way Brandon Beane and McDermott do, you can get things done.

What has helped change the Bills culture this quickly is the team’s willingness to move on from players past regime’s fought for. Having no attachment helps the team make the rational decisions without second-guessing themselves.

For Buffalo, the culture in their building has truly changed for the better since Ryan was fired. The team looks much different and might be motivated more than ever to retain their newfound success in the league. Will McDermott and company keep this winning culture in Western New York going or will he and others fall like so many who’ve tried before him? Only time will tell.