Getty Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks on during a game against the New York Giants.
The Buffalo Bills and New York Giants played down to the wire on Sunday night, with the game coming down to a controversial final play that sealed the 14-9 victory for the Bills.
It appears the tense ending may have frayed the nerves of the teams’ head coaches, who had a short and seemingly icy exchange after the final whistle sounded. Video of Bills head coach Sean McDermott‘s curt handshake with Giants head coach Brian Daboll — McDermott’s former offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022 — has garnered some attention and sparked rumors of “bad blood” between the pair.
Game’s Controversial Conclusion
Officials faced some sharp scrutiny for the conclusion of the October 15 game, which saw Bills cornerback Taron Johnson breaking up a pass for Giants tight end Darren Waller with no time left on the clock. The Bills had been flagged for pass interference in the endzone on the previous play, setting up the Giants for one final play with no time remaining on the clock.
Many believe that Johnson should have also been flagged for pass interference on the final play, as replay showed him grabbing onto Waller’s pads and jersey during his route toward a jump ball in the back of the endzone.
Thad Brown, sports director of WROC-TV, shared a video of the coaches sharing a very brief meeting on the field after the game, with no words exchanged and barely time for a handshake. Daboll then met and hugged Josh Allen, his former quarterback during his time with the Bills.
Brian Daboll after the game last night…
A quick handshake for Sean McDermott
A big hug with Josh Allen
Adam Zientek of AtoZ Sports speculated that there “could be some bad blood” between the two, noting that the short exchange was out of character for McDermott.
“The Bills head coach normally spends a little bit of time with the opposing coach, giving a few words of encouragement before heading out,” Zientek wrote. “What makes this so strange is that the two have history, and were perceived to be close. I don’t know about you but that exchange didn’t scream friendship to us.”
Bills Players Remain Close With Brian Daboll
While the on-field exchange raised some eyebrows, there did not appear to be animosity between Daboll and many of his former players. Aside from his postgame hug with Allen, Daboll also got some praise from receiver Gabe Davis in the days before the game.
Davis fondly recalled his interactions with Daboll, noting his penchant for smoking cigars when the team went on the road.
“What I loved about [him] was that every time we had an away game him and Shay would be outside, he [Daboll] would just be smoking a cigar … each and every single weekend, four to five cigars a day,” Davis said in an appearance on the Up & Adams Show, via USA Today.
The postgame exchange between Daboll and McDermott also may not mean anything. In the past, fans have read a little too deeply into the on-field interactions between coaches and created controversy where it didn’t exist.
After Buffalo’s win over the New England Patriots in the playoffs in 2022, some criticized Patriots coach Bill Belichick for appearing to snub McDermott after the game. It was later revealed that Belichick went straight to the locker room — after the game had been played in single-digit temperatures — and later visited McDermott and the Bills in their locker room to congratulate them.