Getty Bills head coach Sean McDermott on August 26, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
The Buffalo Bills are in shambles following their 22-24 loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
The Bills announced just 12 hours after this brutal defeat that they were firing offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Discussions over whether he should be canned circled for weeks, however, firing him after this particular loss turned heads.
It wasn’t Dorsey’s fault that there were 12 men on the field when Denver’s Wil Lutz missed the field goal with four seconds left in the game. It wasn’t his fault quarterback Josh Allen threw two interceptions and fumbled a handoff to James Cook.
On the other hand, the Bills offense has been a disjointed mess for a while. Allen continuously looks confused, a shell of his former self. Perhaps, Dorsey should’ve been fired weeks ago. Such decisions are up to Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
By default, McDermott is responsible for the team’s shortcomings, and analysts across the league are discussing whether he’s also in the hot seat. The Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran spoke to an NFL source to discuss where he stands after Dorsey’s firing.
O’Halloran wrote, “I also asked the league source if firing Dorsey is a sign McDermott is feeling the heat from ownership about his job status beyond this year and they didn’t believe so, citing McDermott’s successful regular season track record.”
“Didn’t believe so” is not exactly a ringing endorsement. With Dorsey fired, and former defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier’s offseason exit, there are no more scapegoats for McDermott.
He’s done incredible work as a defensive coordinator considering how many key starters they lost, but that’s not his only job. Syrcause.com’s Matt Parrino said, “With Ken Dorsey now gone, this ratchets up the pressure on McDermott.”
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 general manager Brandon 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).”
Of course, teams fire head coaches before their contract is up all the time. Buffalo Rumblings host Ajay Cybulski posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Open to firing McDermott, but it won’t happen soon.”
Cover 1 host Greg Thompsett posted, “Difficult decisions have to be made for the long-term good. Those don’t have to align equitably with the proportion of fault. I didn’t say it’s all McDermott’s fault. I said we have to fire him to fix it. Those aren’t the same things.”
Sean McDermott Didn’t Sound Confident the Bills Offense Could Turn Things Around
GettyBills quarterback Josh Allen at Highmark Stadium on November 13, 2023.
Speaking to reporters after losing to Denver, McDermott admitted “I’m not real happy right now.”
He also strongly insinuated that the deplorable offensive performance against the Broncos wasn’t entirely shocking. When asked if the Bills offense can turn things around, “It’s been the better part of through 10 games now,” McDermott said. “I’ve seen the inconsistencies through 10 games. And so, that’s really where, to me, the honest evaluation right now is.”
Buffalo (5-5) has just six days before facing the New York Jets in Week 11. The team needs to be near perfect to make it to the playoffs. While promoting former Bills quarterbacks coach Joe Brady to offensive coordinator obviously shakes things up, it’s a tall order get the Bills offense back on track at this point.