mjt328

And that's a problem. News articles shouldn't have that kind of agenda. If Tyler Dunne had 25 sources, he should have worked harder to get (at least some) of them to reveal their identities, instead of being anonymous. He should have specified whether these sources were current or former coaches and players, which is important context. He should have talked with people who actually like Sean McDermott, and gotten some positive quotes to contrast all the negative. There is no balance to the article. McDermott comes across like a control-freak, and that rubs a lot of people wrong. But there are lots of NFL coaches who are also control freaks and succeed BECAUSE of that character trait. Not to mention that his predecessor Rex Ryan was the complete opposite, and mostly failed because he didn't run a tight-enough ship.

Come on. Do you really believe Sean McDermott was trying to praise the hijackers of September 11? Does he really seem like the type of person that would sympathize with terrorists that killed thousands of people? He was clearly trying to make a point about being organized and working together as a team, and didn't think enough beforehand about how his comments were going to be taken. Once he realized his mistake, he apologized to the entire team, and then everyone moved on. Considering this happened 4 years ago, it clearly had zero affect on the team's performance. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to believe McDermott is not the right coach to take a team to the Super Bowl. Embarrassing locker room speeches are not one of them. Being a control freak about sneakers is not one of them. His decision to fire under performing coordinators, just like every other head coach does in the NFL, is not one of them. But yeah. It's pretty awesome this guy decided to release his article 3 days before the biggest game of the season. The team goes on a much-needed bye, needing refocus and get ready to win-out the last five games. Instead, they come out with two major off-field distractions.

With all of the information coming from anonymous sources, there is no way to determine how much is true (maybe all, maybe none). Or if this comes from coaches/players still on the team, or from people who were fired or cut. I also don't find these details to be as damning as many people are going to claim. For example, the part about Ken Dorsey.... I mean, when a team is underperforming, it's almost always a coordinator that is first to the chopping block. And Sean McDermott can't exactly fire himself. The decision to get rid of Dorsey was the right one. Sure it wasn't the best timing, considering the Denver game was blown by the defense and a special teams penalty. But the offense had been struggling for well over a month, and wasn't showing signs of turning it around. Something needed to be done to save the season. I'm also shrugging my shoulders about the stuff criticizing McDermott's personality and coaching style. None of that matters if the team is winning. Bill Belichick is a dictator in a hooded sweatshirt. When the Patriots were winning Super Bowls, the "Patriot Way' was considered the best example of how to run a franchise. Now that Tom Brady's retired and the team sucks, he's a hardass that nobody wants to play for. Meanwhile, our previous coach (Rex Ryan) was a friendly and charismatic player's coach... and he got criticized for not being structured, organized and enough like Belichick.

Grew up during the 90's Bills teams. Those years were an absolute blast. Until the last game of the year, of course. It was just recently that I realized strangely how much I love the game of football, but actually HATE the Super Bowl. Not sure I've ever really enjoyed watching it. My rooting interests were always casual. The media hype, commercials, halftime show were nauseating. My team never succeeded in winning the trophy, and most of the time it was actually someone I hated (Patriots, Cowboys, etc.) Somehow, I was able to endure the frustrations of "the Drought" without completely giving up on the sport of football... purely based on the hope that we would EVENTUALLY land ourselves a franchise Quarterback again. By Thanksgiving ever season, I was already thinking about the Draft prospects more than our remaining schedule. I believed that once we got that QB, surely we could find ourselves back into the glory days of the Jim Kelly/Thurman Thomas/Bruce Smith era. And based on the law of averages, certainly we would manage to walk away with the Lombardi before I get old and pass from this Earth. The first few years of Brandon Beane/Sean McDermott/Josh Allen seemed to go exactly as I anticipated. Make the playoffs, check. Win the division, check. Win a playoff game, check. Even the devastation of 13 seconds didn't discourage me. I felt like we were on the edge of greatness, and finally ready to take that leap. We were a powerhouse, and it was FINALLY going to be OUR TURN. Oddly enough, it was the Minnesota Vikings game last year that totally killed my hype for this franchise. Justin Jefferson's insane catch on 4th Down. The botched snap in the Endzone. Patrick Peterson intercepting the final pass in OT. Something about that game told me "this team is cursed and will never pull it off." Since that game ended, my enjoyment level has dropped to almost zero. After 30+ years watching, I almost feel like I'm watching out of obligation. Because if the Bills did somehow manage to pull it off, and I wasn't invested in the games...I would be just like all those bandwagon jumpers I'm always criticizing.

There are 6 other contenders besides us for the Wild Card slots. Only three can make it into the playoffs. So if we finish 10-7, we need at least four of those six teams to end with records 9-8 or worse. Two of them are currently 6-6. The other four are currently 7-5.

Would love you to be right. But I just don't see the math working in our favor. The Bills have two pathways to the playoffs: 1. Run the table the rest of the way, and finish 11-6. 2. Lose only one game the rest of the way, and hope they get help. Option #1 requires us to defeat three teams who are possibly in the league's Top 5. Not just "hang with them" or "play them tough"... but actually walk away with the WIN. Close, moral victories will not be enough. Option #2 seems like a more realistic pathway on the Bills side. I think they can finish 4-1. The hard part is getting the other AFC Wild Card contenders to 9-8. There are six teams we need to worry about, and at least four of them need to drop below us in the standings. From what I've read, the tie-breakers don't work in our favor. So here is what we are looking at: Cincinnati (2 more losses): IND, MIN, PIT, KC, CLE Denver (2 more losses): LAC, DET, NE, LAC, LAV Houston (3 more losses): NYJ, TEN, CLE, TEN, IND Indianapolis (3 more losses): CIN, PIT, ATL, LAV, HOU Cleveland (3 more losses): JAX, CHI, HOU, NYJ, CIN Pittsburgh (3 more losses): NE, IND, CIN, SEA, BAL

The Bills running back room is fine. As long as play-caller does a decent job of mixing it into the attack, the guys we got can be dangerous and effective. But I do agree that a pass-heavy team SHOULD be loaded at the WR position. Just as Dalton Kincaid starts emerging, it seems as though Stefon Diggs is declining. And the other guys are just solid at best. We do more... Before the last offseason, I feel like Brandon Beane's strategy has been to dedicate more resources to the Defense and hope that Josh Allen can elevate the guys on the other side of the ball. Unfortunately it was a really bad year to upgrade passing attacks. Free agency was really bare in the WR department, and all the good WR prospects were gone by our pick. Kincaid was a good consolation prize. The bright side is this upcoming draft class should be loaded at that position.

Can't agree. The only excuse for missing the playoffs would be a Josh Allen injury, or the roster around him getting completely rebooted. This year can't be viewed as anything but a miserable failure. For every positive, there is an equal negative. - Dalton Kincaid looks like a rising stud. But Stefon Diggs is nearing his decline. And we need to restart completely at WR2. - Terrel Bernard was a surprise hit. But Matt Milano will be coming off a major leg injury. - O-Line finally looks solid. But half of our D-Line has expiring contracts, and Von Miller is done. - Time to wave goodbye to major contributors like Tre White, Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde.

Yes. The NFL and the Buffalo Bills should temporarily suspend Miller and then conduct their own investigation into the matter, to determine whether the allegations are true. There are reasons the woman may end up dropping the charges (money, security, fear), which have nothing to do with whether Von Miller actually committed the assault or not. Bottom line... if Miller did what he's being charged with, I don't want him playing another down for the team.

Agreed. I would add that if these charges end up being true, the Bills need to cut him immediately, regardless of the cap consequences. No sympathy for someone that assaults a pregnant woman. I've always said that Tyreek Hill does not belong in the NFL, and it's disgusting any team would employee him. Same would go for anyone on the Bills.

Sadly, this was the first thing that came to my mind too. Von Miller was always a high risk/high reward signing. Can't blame Brandon Beane for taking the shot. It was really working out before the ACL tear. Hard to see a guy at his age coming back the same.

I agree the media overblows Josh Allen's turnovers (you must include fumbles, not just interceptions). But that doesn't mean he can't do better. He does have the most in the NFL this year, and over the last 4-5 years. For me, the question is what he provides to the team vs. what he takes away. He's got 209 touchdowns in 89 career games (2.34 average per game), along with countless 1st-down conversions that nobody else in the league could manage to make. Compare that to 96 turnovers (1.07 per game). If you look at the Bills losses over the last 4-5 seasons, I would say very few were due to excessive turnovers. At the same time, the Bills probably don't make the playoffs in any of those years without the special contributions of Allen.

Yep. It's happened way too many times to be a trend. Every offense in the league has their normal offense, their red zone offense and their 2-minute offense. Sean McDermott's defense consistently does great against the first two. It collapses over and over against the third. At this point, it can't be a coincidence. It happens pretty much every time. So the question must be asked. How is McDermott adjusting to opponent's 2-minute offense? Are his coverage schemes too soft? Is he blitzing too much? Not blitzing enough? Too predictable? Whatever he is doing isn't working.

"13 Seconds" is king of the mountain for Sean McDermott. It ranks with "Wide Right" and the "Music City Miracle" as the worst losses in Bills history. Last year's Minnesota loss was strangely one of the lowest moments I've felt as a Bills fan. Justin Jefferson with the greatest catch ever on 4th Down. The fumbled snap in the end zone. Patrick Peterson's interception. Despite our great record at the time, that was the moment my expectations for the season came crashing and I knew this team wasn't going to win the Super Bowl. Just felt like this team was cursed. 12 Man Field Goal is probably the most incompetent loss during McDermott's coaching tenure. Unbelievable he could let that happen in such a vital game. The Houston playoff game, Philly/Jalen Hurts OT, Bucs/Tom Brady OT (along with 13 seconds) are the greatest examples of where McDermott falls short as a Defensive coach in the biggest clutch moments. The 2020 Chiefs Championship loss and 2022 Bengals Divisional loss are the best examples where his defense simply doesn't show up in the biggest games. It's absolutely crazy that I've named EIGHT games from the past 5 seasons. And I still haven't gotten to the Hail Murray. The Wind Game against the Patriots. Josh Allen slipping Monday night against the Titans. The Josh Allen vs. Josh Allen bowl. Aaron Rodgers Achilles game.

Injuries are going to be an excuse almost every year. The team was very healthy in 2020-2021 and failed to finish the job. Agreed it was a horribly officiated game. However, the refs played very little part in the two drives we allowed with under 2 minutes left or in OT. This team is supposed to be in the window of a Super Bowl run, with one of the best QBs in football. If our talent level is significantly below anyone, then everyone in the front office should be fired. Home. Road. Who cares. He's reached his peak. This team can regularly win 10+ games in the regular season, win the AFC East when the other teams are mediocre or less and win the Wild Card Round against middling playoff teams who barely deserve to be there. But to get past the Divisional Round, Championship Game and Super Bowl, he's going to need consistently strong defensive performances against QBs like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, etc. No evidence he's got the ability to do that. It's McDermott's defense that continually allows offenses to drive the field with the game on the line. His soft coverage allowed them to EASILY complete underneath passes, because he was scared to have the defenders contest the receivers. The reason the Bills have become underdogs to the top teams is because... THEY ARE NO LONGER A TOP TEAM THEMSELVES. How does that not (at least partially) fall on Sean McDermott??????? They blew a lead against the Jets. They blew a lead against the Patriots. They blew a lead against the Broncos. This team is 6-6 and will miss the playoffs. And I'm supposed to be happy, because they came close to beating the Eagles?

Yes, that does explain why Philly had more success in the second half. But I think most of the frustration from Bills fans comes from the trend over the last 4-5 years, where the Bills can NEVER seem to get big stops at the end of games. Not just failing to stop them, but putting up zero resistance along the way. It was expected that we couldn't totally shut-down the Eagles offense all game. But we had the lead twice (under 2 minutes left in regulation and then in OT), only to watch the defense look totally incompetent on the final two drives. I'm not an All-22 expert. But I have been watching this sport for 30 years and I do know some things. But from what I can see from my couch, McDermott's coverage schemes get much softer during those key late drives. He's afraid of getting beat over the top with a big play. So he's willing to just let teams take the underneath stuff all the way down the field. I believe that's why Brandon Beane has dedicated so many resources towards the D-Line. He realizes this is what our coach does (and won't change), and figures our only hope in these situations is getting immediate pressure with the Front 4.

The offense was responsible for both of those losses to the Jets.

Ken Dorsey was the root of the problem on offense. Yes, we still seem to have trouble with turnovers, penalties and drops. This offense benefits tremendously by upgrading at WR2, and Josh Allen not having a weekly brain-fart throw. But even with those issues, we can still score 30+ on good defenses when the playcalling isn't so stale and predictable. However, the defense's inability to close or show-up in big games is STILL a huge problem. It was a problem with Leslie Frazier for the last several years. And it's been even worse with Sean McDermott running the show by himself. Firing Dorsey earlier could have saved the Broncos and Patriots games. We would be sitting at 8-4 and stressing about the AFC East title instead of just making the playoffs. But once the postseason rolled around, would it have really made a difference? This defense would still collapse on itself just like it always does.

If someone was to describe Sean McDermott's defense like a college prospect, I would say his system produces a very high floor. Statistically, his units consistently rank pretty well. Very good in overall points allowed. Pretty good in overall yards allowed. Excellent against the pass. Average against the run. Solid in turnovers. Solid in pass rushing. The Bills have been a Top 10 unit for the entire duration of his time as coach, and snuck into the Top 5 a couple times. The problem is, McDermott's units also have a very low ceiling. It's basically the Kirk Cousins of defenses. Every year, they beat-up on the bad and below average QBs of the NFL. Most of their sacks/turnovers come when the offense is playing well, and the opponent is trying to force the ball down the field. They also do a pretty decent job of shutting down gimmicky offensive systems like Miami and Baltimore, which rely on misdirection and confusion. But against a top QB willing to be patient and attack the holes in their zone defense, McDermott's group becomes absolutely helpless.

And if they make the playoffs... who cares. It's just setting us up for another heartbreaking postseason exit. I no longer believe a team with Sean McDermott running the defense can win the Super Bowl (which is the only real goal). The guy just doesn't get it. His reputation as a strong defensive coach is built on stat sheets. Not real-life success. His 2-minute defense has to be the absolute worst in the NFL. 0-6 in overtime. Three losses this season when leading with under 2 minutes left. The Hail Murray. The list goes on and on and on and on and on and on.... The Bills would be better off losing out, giving the Pegulas no choice but to can him and start over. Maybe they pick someone worse. But trying is better than just being satisfied with 10+ win seasons and losing in the playoffs.

Josh Allen is the opposite of Sean McDermott's defense. Yes, he makes mistakes and turnovers. He sometimes struggles early in games. His stat line may not always be pretty. But when it reaches the 4th Quarter, Allen usually makes the plays needed to tie the game or put the Bills in front. The defense looks nice on paper. They usually come out of the gate strong, and keep the score low early. But when they need to make a big stop at the end, they always fold.

It was totally gutless. Tony Romo said we could have gotten "strip-sacked" in that situation. We could also have gotten "strip-sacked" when we got the ball in overtime. With 20 seconds and a timeout, we could have easily gotten into field goal range. The Chiefs did it to us in 13 seconds without one.

It's all about the scheme. We always play good against Lamar Jackson, because he's not the kind of QB that can take advantage of the holes in our zone system. It's the same reason we always play terrible against Joe Burrow, because that's his bread and butter. Quick, fast, underneath throws. Patrick Mahomes struggled to play like this until about the mid-point of the season last year. He's gotten a lot better at it since our last game. At this point, it's pretty clear that McDermott doesn't have a curve ball. Our defense is what it is. The only way we beat teams like the Eagles is by Josh Allen playing totally out of his mind. And even then, the defense probably chokes it away.

Sean McDermott's defensive system is built to prevent big plays, confuse the QB and force offenses to gradually work the ball down field. - It usually works against young/crappy QBs, because they are easily confused and suck. That's how we build up our stats and high rankings every year. It doesn't work against the top guys in the NFL (especially in the playoffs). - It works really good when we have a big lead, because teams have no choice but try and make plays downfield. That is pretty much the only time we force turnovers, is when we are already piling it on. It doesn't work well when teams are able to be patient and mix in the run game. - It ALWAYS FAILS in big moments...especially in overtime, because the 2-minute drill is purposely constructed to beat this kind of defense. Routes are quick, underneath and to the sideline. Not pushing the ball downfield in big chunks. Over and over, Brandon Beane has poured resource after resource into building a defense that perfectly fits McDermott's desires. Draft picks and cap space. The most expensive D-Line in the entire NFL. And in these situations, we continue to get NOTHING. No pressure. Guys wide open. Over-pursuit and missed tackles. The stat (0-6 in overtime) says it all. To win in OT, you absolutely MUST have a defense that can get a stop. And McDermott's defense CANNOT. We have seen it again and again and again and again.

Kaiir Elam was drafted into a weird situation. The biggest reason Cornerback was a need in the 2022 draft was because of Tre White's injury and unknown timeline for a return, along with the idea that we could upgrade on Dane Jackson... who was a solid, but unspectacular player. Even though it was probably our biggest need that year, CB never really was a huge hole. The Bills traditionally prefer scheme-fits at Cornerback (Levi Wallace, Jackson), as opposed to project guys with elite physical traits. Elam was always going to take a little more time than other 1st Round guys to get up to speed. Especially getting drafted into a zone style system he wasn't used to playing. And especially on a Super Bowl contender who didn't have the luxury of letting him learn through mistakes on the field. Making things more complicated, Beane then hit on Christian Benford in the 6th Round. Less of an overall athlete, but certainly a better scheme fit for the Bills defense and more ready to play. He won the job Week 1 2022, and has really looked the part ever since. Benford really is a good CB. By the time Elam really started getting playing time his rookie season, White was back in the lineup and trying to regain his Pro Bowl form. Bottom line, I don't think the Bills have the patience to let a CB learn on the job. And that's what Elam really needs to grow. Rather than risk allowing big plays, they would rather just go with the safe/solid guys they can trust like Jackson and Benford. Now that Rasul Douglas is on the team, I really can't see him going anywhere on this roster.