In Sean McDermott’s nine years as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, he rebuilt the culture of a struggling franchise and brought it back to relevance for the first time since the early 1990s.
For a team that didn’t make the playoffs in 17 seasons before his arrival, McDermott did it in eight of his nine seasons. He developed All-Pros like Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, and Matt Milano along the way.
This success was a breath of fresh air to a Buffalo fanbase that refused to give up on its beloved football team, even after all the heartbreak and losing seasons they endured.
However, after the loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round, change felt inevitable. The Bills let their best chance under McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane slip away, and the blame had to fall somewhere. It didn’t take long for the finger-pointing to begin. Owner Terry Pegula and Beane decided to fire McDermott just two days after the team’s playoff loss.
For some, the organizational shift represented a much-needed fresh start. But Beane’s subsequent promotion to President of Football Operations revealed that the Bills were not fully committed to making the necessary changes. Coaching was not the root of Buffalo’s postseason failures, and ownership misidentified the real problem.
Blame Fell on the Wrong Person
While McDermott had his fair share of shortcomings as the Bills’ head coach, especially in the playoffs, Beane deserves just as much blame.
Beane often gets a lot of credit for the Bills’ turnaround, since he hit on a quarterback in his first draft in 2018. Outside of Josh Allen, Beane’s draft history has been less than impressive.
Beane has only drafted five players who made the Pro Bowl. One of them, offensive guard Wyatt Teller, played eight games before being traded to the Cleveland Browns. Another, Tremaine Edmunds, made two Pro Bowls with the team before leaving for the Chicago Bears in free agency.
This leaves Allen, James Cook, and Dawson Knox as the only Pro Bowlers left on the roster that he drafted, and Knox’s singular Pro Bowl selection came in 2022 when he put up just 517 yards and six touchdowns.
Out of every player drafted during Beane’s regime so far, only one has become a first-team All-Pro. That being kick returner Ray Davis.
Beane has been able to find some hidden gems in later rounds, like Christian Benford, and players in free agency that other teams have written off, like Hyde and Poyer. Notably, many of these finds played positions in the secondary, which was McDermott’s specialty during his early coaching days with the Eagles.
Other than drafting, the biggest travesty of the past two seasons has been the way Beane has tried to replace Stefon Diggs. The acquisitions of Amari Cooper, Mack Hollins and Brandin Cooks helped, but it was never realistic to believe they would have long-term impacts for the team.
The Cost of Letting McDermott Go
The Bills are losing the second-winningest coach in team history, but more importantly, a coach who was well respected among the locker room, fans and city. Putting aside the 98-50 record, eight playoff wins, five straight AFC East division titles, and the development of many players who had been written off, McDermott was a players-first coach. This was never more evident than when players immediately came to his defense following the news of his firing.
In an Instagram story, Bills’ defensive tackle Daquan Jones said, “Don’t make sense but ya got what ya wanted.”
Former Bills’ defensive tackle Jordan Phillips added, “This s*** here is so stupid honestly sickening. The best coach I’ve been around” in an Instagram story.
Some other players who came to McDermott’s defense include Shaq Lawson and Taron Johnson. Lawson credited him with changing the culture in Buffalo.
McDermott’s impact on the franchise can’t be understated. He might not have brought a Super Bowl to Buffalo, but he helped give the city hope in a time when those on the outside didn’t believe in them. The fan base deserved him just as much as he deserved them. It was a perfect fit all the way to the end.
Firing McDermott Alone Was the Wrong Call
To fire only Sean McDermott was the wrong choice. If the Bills were serious about bringing change to the organization, they should’ve fired Brandon Beane as well. There was likely never a chance that Beane could be fired and McDermott stayed, but after the way things played out this season, it would’ve been the most rational choice.
They either had to stay or leave together. Pointing fingers and letting go of a coach who meant so much to the franchise for the sake of organizational reshuffling is a bad look, and it could affect their ability to find replacements.
Was it time for change? Certainly. Was this the right move? No.
The only redemption for Beane in his elevated role and owner Terry Pegula is to go find a young, offensive-minded head coach to help their star quarterback. If they’re unable to do this, then McDermott was fired for nothing.
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