Getty Bills head coach Sean McDermott at Highmark Stadium on November 19, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills season is not going according to plan. After being deemed Super Bowl favorites, the Bills could miss the playoffs altogether.
After Buffalo abruptly fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, rumors swirled that Bills head coach Sean McDermott may also be in the hot seat. Since then, scrutiny over how much McDermott is to blame for the team’s inconsistency issues has only intensified.
While a bulk of Bills Mafia want McDermott gone, The Athletic‘s Tim Graham has an important message. Bills’ owner Terry Pegula has “neither the desire nor plans to make a coaching change.” After speaking to several insiders with “intimate knowledge” of the coach’s relationship with Pegula, the answer was clear.
“Asked if there was any chance Pegula would fire McDermott, two of the sources replied ‘Zero,'” Graham reported.
“The other two sources said they would be shocked if Pegula made such a move.” McDermott’s .624 win percentage as the Bills head coach is the highest in franchise history. While this season may be a bust, Pegula remains confident in McDermott.
“The sources said Pegula still holds McDermott in high regard despite this year’s dip and doesn’t want to meddle with the strong working bond McDermott has with Bills general manager Brandon Beane,” Graham wrote.
McDermott will look to get Buffalo back in the win column in Week 14. After the bye, Buffalo takes on the Kansas City Chiefs (8-3) on December 10. At 6-6, there’s no margin for error if Buffalo wants to play in the postseason.
Sean McDermott Drew Criticism for Not Trusting Bills QB Josh Allen Against the Eagles
This Josh Allen throw is bonkers
Fires a pinpoint hole shot 34 yards downfield in the wind & rain from his own 1 yard line on a 3rd & 7
After McDermott named Joe Brady as the interim offensive coordinator two weeks ago, there’s been a noticeable difference in quarterback Josh Allen‘s performance.
Allen showed serious spark during the Bills’ 32- 6 victory over the New York Jets and was on fire against the Philadelphia Eagles last week. After the Eagles drilled a 58-yard field goal in the rain to tie the game, there were 20 seconds left in regulation. The Bills had one more timeout.
Instead of bringing Allen & Co. back onto the field, McDermott kneeled and let the clock expire.With Allen throwing for 339 yards and two touchdowns along with two rushing scores, analysts questioned McDermott’s decision.
After watching Allen “make amazing play after amazing play, you have to give your red-hot, freak-athlete quarterback a chance to end the game in regulation,” The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen wrote. “The Eagles were having a lot of trouble bringing Allen down on a wet field, so he might even have had a chance for a big scramble and get out of bounds.”
The Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski agreed. “Certainly, getting into position to attempt a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation would not have been easy… but [Allen] deserved a chance.”
Sean McDermott’s Contract in Buffalo Goes Through the 2027 NFL Season
GettyBills head coach Sean McDermott (right) and general manager Brandon Beane.
Back in June, the Bills extended McDermott’s contract through the 2027 season, along with Beane.
The announcement highlighted McDermott’s overall record since he first joined the franchise in 2017. “Since then, McDermott has helped foster a winning culture that is hungry for more,” Bills reporter Maddy Glab wrote. “The head coach assisted in breaking the 17-year playoff drought in his first season with Buffalo and became the third coach in Bills history to earn a playoff spot in his first year.
“Since taking over, McDermott has earned the best win percentage in team history and ranks third in franchise history wins behind Marv Levy (123) and Lou Saban (70).”
However, a winning percentage and simply making it to the playoffs won’t cut it anymore. Bills Mafia wants a Super Bowl. While fans may have lost confidence in McDermott, he’s not going anywhere any time soon.