Interestingly, part of the "culture" comes from outside of the team. I know that players and coaches say they don't read the news, but they're out in public and experience the community mindset. They can't help but feel the culture of losing from our community. Remember the "lovable losers?"
As a WNY ex-pat, it is clear to me that the way of life in WNY is to accept being second best. Buffalo has always been second to NYC. When the NFL expanded in the 50s, teams from the old AAC like Cleveland and San Francisco got into the NFL. Buffalo was left out. When Branch Rickey's Continental Baseball League was to become the third major league in 1959, Buffalo was chosen, but we know how that turned out. Again, Buffalo was left out. When MLB expanded in 1968, Buffalo again was chosen, then somehow we ended up as the Montreal Expos. I still don't understand how that happened. But yet again, Buffalo was on the outside looking in. And finally, how about those four consecutive Super Bowl losses. People from all over the world still bring that up when you mention Buffalo. We're always second best, or left out.
Whether it's the local government or the sports teams. WNYers have always been left playing second fiddle. We were all born and raised that way, and it's not going to change. Unless the Bills can find another ultra-self-confident leader, like Jim Kelly was when he got to Buffalo, that community "second best" culture will always be present in the locker room.