After six straight years in the playoffs and five AFC East titles behind future Hall of Fame quarterback Josh Allen, as well as two trips to the AFC Championship Game, the Buffalo Bills have yet to get to the Super Bowl under nine-year head coach Sean McDermott.
Now, in their seventh consecutive playoff season, the 12-5 Bills face a difficult test in the opening round of the playoffs when they travel to Jacksonville on Sunday to face the 13-4 Jaguars, led by 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, whose 29 touchdown passes ranked fifth in the NFL, ahead of Allen’s 25. Lawrence also scored nine rushing touchdowns, second to Allen’s 14.
The Bills have been installed as narrow, 1.5-point favorites on the road by DraftKings. But if they lose the game, as at least one expert believes to be a real possibility, there could be a hugely significant change coming.
Harbaugh Shockingly Out After 18 Years
In one of the more stunning coaching moves by a franchise in recent memory, the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday fired their coach of 18 years, John Harbaugh, who won a Super Bowl in the 2012 season while taking the Ravens to the playoffs 12 times. Harbaugh compiled a franchise record 180 wins against just 113 losses, and got Baltimore to the AFC Championship four times.
But after an 8-9 season, equaling 2021 as the team’s worst performance under Harbaugh, the second-longest-tenured coach in the NFL was out of a job.
Recognized understandably as one of the game’s best, most experts appear to agree that Harbaugh will have his choice of opportunities for his next job. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven other teams have also fired their head coaches, with the Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel getting his pink slip on Thursday.
But according to NFL expert Mike Florio, of the NBC Sports-affiliated site Pro Football Talk, Harbaugh may not end up with any of those teams.
Instead, the 63-year-old coach, according to Florio, could end up with the Bills.
Harbaugh Waiting Until Next Week to Interview For Jobs
Florio wrote on Thursday that an early playoff exit could put McDermott’s job in jeopardy in Buffalo.
“It can be argued that the window has already closed on the Bills, and that the supreme skills and abilities of quarterback Josh Allen have created the impression that it remains open,” Florio wrote. “An early, ugly exit against a Jaguars team that is, frankly, better than the Bills could be the thing that prompts owner Terry Pegula to make a change.”
According to Florio’s information in a separate report published Wednesday, seven teams have already called Harbaugh — but the coach has decided to hold off on interviewing for any jobs until after the first round of playoff games.
At the time of that report, there were only six teams other than Baltimore with head coach openings, meaning that one team with a coach in place must have inquired about Harbaugh.
“What if the Bills lose this weekend? Is it crazy to think the Bills would consider making a change?” Florio asked.
“One or more of the teams playing this weekend could be contemplating a potential coaching change,” the Pro Football Talk founder speculated in his Thursday report. “And folks in the know are eyeballing Green Bay and Buffalo.”
John Harbaugh Next Job: Playoff Team in Line to Grab Ravens Fired Coach: Expert