 During the 2017 offseason, McDermott popularized the term ""Respect the Process"" when questioned if he was rebuilding the team.Despite low expectations for McDermott's first season, the Bills played surprisingly well aside from a 3-game midseason slump.On December 31, 2017, the Bills secured a playoff berth for the first time in 17 seasons with a win over the Miami Dolphins (concurrently with a Baltimore Ravens loss to the Cincinnati Bengals).