The McDermott Thread

[DollaBills]

It seems to me there is a lot of talk about McDermott on the forum so I thought maybe we could have a conclusive, and singular thread about our rookie head coach.

 

It is fairly difficult to judge McDermott with such a small sample size of games under his belt as HC.

 

His success or failures in our eyes may also hinge upon persons like Dennison, Frazier, and of course Tyrod.

 

Remember when we were 5-2 and there was this comfy feeling that we finally found a stable head coach who had his wits about him and rallied the team to scrappy victories( sideline celebration in Raiders game)?
 

Remember terrible, terrible clock management skills and boneheaded benchings? 

 

Where do you stand? Surely there are lower hanging fruit on the tree to can... Is McDermott too conservative? Sound off!

Edited December 12, 2017 by DollaBills

[NickelCity]

I'm still happy with McDermott, and think we're building something here.

[DollaBills]

Just now, NickelCity said:

I'm still happy with McDermott, and think we're building something here.

I completely agree, its way way too premature to be concerned about his coaching ability or organizational leadership. 

Edited December 12, 2017 by DollaBills

[Fan boy '92]

Should clearly be considered for coach of the year.

[mrags]

The choice to punt in the 40 was dumb. The choice to waste a timeout to think about it and then come back out again and punt it anyway was ridiculous. 

 

Hes made some extremely questionable decisions so far. Some good, some bad. Letting go of one of the most talented DTs in the league for peanuts is another story. Especially since you are not in salary cap Trouble. 

 

Other trades and cuts/pickups have been questionable as well. 

 

Decisions to keep playing Tyrod when he was clearly garbage, Signing Reilly off the practice squad only to make him inactive, continuously playing Tolbert. How about the decision to not have a legitamite backup RB on the roster until a few weeks ago with Cadet. 

 

His clock management has been questionable at best. 

 

I dont belive he wont be good and he doesn’t strike fear in me, yet; that we need to fire him and hire someone else. But he hasn’t exactly sold me either. 

[BigDingus]

I'm not happy with a lot of the in-game decisions he's made, and the Dareus trade was a real head-scratcher at that point in the season, but I'm fine with him as the coach for now.

I really don't want to see another new coach here for at least another 2 years. We need some damn stability for once. 

[Fan boy '92]

He's got this team in the 6th playoff spot on December 12. Do you think that is despite McDermott?

[mrags]

6 minutes ago, Fan boy '92 said:

He's got this team in the 6th playoff spot on December 12. Do you think that is despite McDermott?

Maybe with better coaching, game management, player management and decisions, we would be in much better shape than maybe getting the 6th seed in the playoffs. 

[DollaBills]

3 minutes ago, mrags said:

Maybe with better coaching, game management, player management and decisions, we would be in much better shape than maybe getting the 6th seed in the playoffs. 

Its year 1 of a completely new regime

[xRUSHx]

46 minutes ago, NickelCity said:

I'm still happy with McDermott, and think we're building something here.

I agree I think he could make this team very good but it all starts with fixing the QB problem. If he sticks with Tyrod next year I will expect him to be gone in 2019. This next draft is a big tell on what direction he is taking this team IMO.

[Pbomb]

3 hours ago, mrags said:

Maybe with better coaching, game management, player management and decisions, we would be in much better shape than maybe getting the 6th seed in the playoffs. 

Or maybe without his coaching we could be much worse

Edited December 12, 2017 by Pbomb

[Magox]

Considering the lack of talent on this team, he's got the team headed in the right direction.    Next year they'll add a lot of new pieces to the team, much more so in his vision of how a team should look like.   

[WideRightRevenge]

5 hours ago, mrags said:

Maybe with better coaching, game management, player management and decisions, we would be in much better shape than maybe getting the 6th seed in the playoffs. 

 

WOW ... no one thought before the season we'd be at where we are at this stage ... Did you?

 

Right, wrong, or indifferent .... he isn't afraid to challenge the status quo and shake things up ... I like that ... I'd rather try something new and fail then not have the nuts to try it at all.  This year is purely like a poker hand and determining what "cards" (i.e. players) he wants to go "all in" with and take into years 2 & 3 ... the wins this year (though killing our draft position) are a bonus .. TRUST THE PROCESS.

[BigBuff423]

In my mind I'm perplexed by the fans who want McD fired afer just 13 games....looking at the entire picture, he's done an admirable job.

 

Traded Darby, Watkins, Dareus....let Gilmore, Gillisilee (sp?), walk....and while the team got E.J. Gaines (who's been good thus far, when healthy), J. Matt who and Benjamin, they're currently in 6th in Wild Card standings, all the while Tyrod become LESS effective over the course of the season (how that's even possible I don't know!), faced a snow dome game with the playoffs on the line, dealt with injuries at all levels, and still found a way to keep almost all the Draft picks they acquired last off-season and remain at least mathematically poised to control their own destiny.....IN DECEMBER!! 

 

When this team started the year, I don't know how many truly believed they had a chance at the playoffs....most of us believed this was a re-building year with a set-up to continue to the massive overhaul next year....so, we knew we were going to take our lumps, but the change has been impressive thus far...no coach is without mistakes, especially new HCs and yet, here we are....McD presents himself as someone who wants to get better himself, not just his players which means when he can, he will probably learn from the mistakes he made and work to grow from them. IMHO, that's all we can ask....he's put the team in a position to be able to win and control their fate, he's dealt with injuries and controversy, he's made difficult decisions, overcome some of his own mistakes and certainly countless mistakes of others - one who shall not be named - and handled tremendous turnover from the day he's stepped through the door. 

 

Call me naive, or just plain hopeful, but I think McD and Beane have this ship heading in the right direction. It takes time to turn this monstrous ship around and all signs point to the right people making good decisions for once. Time will tell and bare the truth out, but Beane and his team haven't even had ONE fricken off-season since they were hired AFTER FA and Draft and McD isn't even through his FIRST year of coaching.....we need to see progress, but we also need to be patient. 

[FearLess Price]

Some of mcderms decisions piss me off but overall im impressed withwhat hes been able to do after getting rid of most our talent and fixing the secondary. Time management and game situation decisions should improve since hes a rookie hc. I hope he has the stones to can Dennison at the end of the season tho. Hope we have a more creative OC to develop our 1st round rook QB

[Wayne Arnold]

He's not too conservative. That's for damn sure.

 

Is he intelligent enough to be a quality head coach? That remains to be seen. 

[Roundybout]

Blelichek punted down ten with 4 minutes to go...should he be fired too?

[nucci]

5 hours ago, Fan boy '92 said:

He's got this team in the 6th playoff spot on December 12. Do you think that is despite McDermott?

He has fixed the defense and done a great job with that....players seem to like playing for him but his play not to lose coaching decisions are a bit bothersome. You could also argue they could be higher than 6th if he made some better decisions...talk about firing him is ridiculous.....his 1st season as HC and Bills are in running for playoffs in December

[teef]

i think things are looking up, but i really have to see how the draft and FA are handled before i can really warm up to this whole process.  

[BillsVet]

5 hours ago, DollaBills said:

Its year 1 of a completely new regime

 

So was 2006, 2010, and 2013.

 

6 minutes ago, BillsEnthusiast said:

Blelichek punted down ten with 4 minutes to go...should he be fired too?

 

When McDermott wins 5 SB's and is locked into a playoff spot this year he can be mentioned alongside Belicheck. Until then, games where he can't lose or tie shouldn't feature punts on 4th and 1 with 4 minutes left in OT.

 

 

 

 

[oldmanfan]

Just now, BillsVet said:

 

So was 2006, 2010, and 2013.

 

 

When McDermott wins 5 SB's and is locked into a playoff spot this year he can be mentioned alongside Belicheck. Until then, games where he can't lose or tie shouldn't feature punts on 4th and 1 with 4 minutes left in OT.

 

 

 

 

Except, of course, that he was right.

[Billsfan1972]

Meh is all I can say.  The offense is a mess and no effort to really open it up and move the ball.

 

Defense okay after being shredded mid-season.

 

Fools Gold wins vs. Teams that one though were good, but are not (KC, Oakland, Denver, Atlanta & TB) and some when they were struggling.  Wins then vs. Indy & the Jets......

 

As far as I'm concerned starting Peterman & not facing up to the debacle & that punt on Sunday were as dumb a coaching decisions as I can remember.

 

Somehow though the playoffs still a possibility.

 

And sorry this is as boring a team as there is in the NFL (as my crusade for a 300 yard passing game continues).......

 

Face it either drinking the McDermott koolaid or you aren't.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Billsfan1972

[BillsVet]

1 minute ago, oldmanfan said:

Except, of course, that he was right.

 

Why?

 

Was it because Mr. McBobblehands Deonte Thompson caught a deep throw from Joe (3rd QB) Webb deep?  Did he know that the suddenly better Indianapolis offense wouldn't score in OT like they did in the waning moments of the 4th quarter? 

 

I'd say he was more lucky than right. 

[Billsfan1972]

7 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

Why?

 

Was it because Mr. McBobblehands Deonte Thompson caught a deep throw from Joe (3rd QB) Webb deep?  Did he know that the suddenly better Indianapolis offense wouldn't score in OT like they did in the waning moments of the 4th quarter? 

 

I'd say he was more lucky than right. 

The McDermott Truthers knew he was setting up Indy for that pass to Thompson.  He was waiting 'til exactly the right time, conditions and situation to call the play.

 

Worked like a charm.....

[oldmanfan]

5 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

Why?

 

Was it because Mr. McBobblehands Deonte Thompson caught a deep throw from Joe (3rd QB) Webb deep?  Did he know that the suddenly better Indianapolis offense wouldn't score in OT like they did in the waning moments of the 4th quarter? 

 

I'd say he was more lucky than right. 

Because they won the game.  It's a pretty simple reason.

 

This was all covered yesterday ad nauseum.  I would have run for it on 4th down but after thinking through it I understand his thought process.  And it boils down to exactly what he said: field position.  Everyone wants to ignore the giant elephant in the room: weather conditions.  They had gone for it I believe twice on fourth down and come up empty.  So his view in  a game like that is field position was paramount.  Pinning them down in their end opens up possibilities of a safety, and gave you better field position.  Just less than half the time in OT was still on the clock.  You stop them deep, you gain field position when they punt.  Puts you in a better spot to win.

 

It took them two series to stop them vs. one which affected what they had to do to pull out the win, but that doesn't change the logic of the decision.  As for them being lucky, the QB made an excellent throw and the WR made an excellent catch.  Then Richie made a great block and Shady made a great run.  why is it when the Bills make great plays they're lucky but when other teams do it they're great plays?

 

[xRUSHx]

30 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

So was 2006, 2010, and 2013.

 

 

When McDermott wins 5 SB's and is locked into a playoff spot this year he can be mentioned alongside Belicheck. Until then, games where he can't lose or tie shouldn't feature punts on 4th and 1 with 4 minutes left in OT.

 

 

 

 

When you have your 3rd string QB in the game when it's a blizzard out you play field position and rely heavy on the D to get the ball back. I agree with what he did, it paid off and we won. IMO it is exactly what Levy would have done.

Edited December 12, 2017 by xRUSHx

[rafter]

Wait and see for me.  He seems to have the team more disciplined, but he's terrible at clock/timeout management.  Situational choices(when to punt or go for it etc) need to be looked at as well. 

 

[teef]

1 minute ago, ScottLaw said:

Soooo Dick Jauron?

good talk scott.

[BillsVet]

16 minutes ago, xRUSHx said:

When you have your 3rd string QB in the game when it's a blizzard out you play field position and rely heavy on the D to get the ball back. I agree with what he did, it paid off and we won. IMO it is exactly what Levy would have done.

 

Levy hasn't coached in 20 years so he has absolutely nothing to do with this.

 

The field position argument is great, except that upon getting the ball back with 2:25 (EDIT: at their own 35 yard line), McD needed a deep throw by his 3rd strong QB on 3rd and 6 to Deonte Thompson.  And then, with 1:33 remaining, get a 21 yard run to win it. No one's kicking a FG in those conditions that's any more than a chip shot, so the idea that McD's decisions were all good is a fallacy. (EDIT: It very easily could have ended up a tie given the field)

 

McD is what he is: another in a long line of conservative HC's who talk about team and their system (i.e. process). That's fine, but in order to win in the NFL you've got to have the talent, which Buffalo doesn't have. One can only hope they begin to fix that in the off-season. Still, having dealt away some prime players it's hard to see that replacing them with rookies will show immediate returns. This team is closer to needing a rebuild that a reload. 

Edited December 12, 2017 by BillsVet

[PIZ]

Get a real QB on this team, and Beane and McDermott will build a championship level team.  Tryrod is a coach / gm killer.  Name 1 head coach / gm combo that had multiple years on a team AND had bottom half level QB.  Every good HC also had a good QB.

Edited December 12, 2017 by PIZ

[Woodman19]

It should be noted that the punt in OT assured the Colts would stick to the run that close to their own zone and give the defense a huge benefit of gearing towards stopping it by stacking the box.  Late in the 4th we couldn't stop the passing game and if we stopped them (as we did) we knew we would be back at mid field.  If we had went for it on 4th down and failed, the Colts wouldn't have been so conservative.

[teef]

44 minutes ago, Billsfan1972 said:

Meh is all I can say.  The offense is a mess and no effort to really open it up and move the ball.

 

Defense okay after being shredded mid-season.

 

Fools Gold wins vs. Teams that one though were good, but are not (KC, Oakland, Denver, Atlanta & TB) and some when they were struggling.  Wins then vs. Indy & the Jets......

 

As far as I'm concerned starting Peterman & not facing up to the debacle & that punt on Sunday were as dumb a coaching decisions as I can remember.

 

Somehow though the playoffs still a possibility.

 

And sorry this is as boring a team as there is in the NFL (as my crusade for a 300 yard passing game continues).......

 

Face it either drinking the McDermott koolaid or you aren't.

it doesn't have to be this way at all.

[zonabb]

Anyone complaining about this guy is nuts. This idea that every coach can and should take a dumpster fire and turn it into a diamond is also nuts. This guy has taken a talent devoid team and somehow gotten it to 7-6. It's a miracle in my mind. The OL has been a revolving door. The available starting WR are CFL quality many weeks. The LBs are slow and old. Little pass rush and the run D has been a disaster at time with some spare part on the DL. 

 

I turned on WGR55 twice in the car yesterday hours apart and the punt was all everyone was talking about. This is the problem around Bflo... people get a grand new idea in their head and it becomes gospel, regardless of its reliability. This is a classic one... the punt. But here's what the Schopp and White's of the world never ever qualify their argument with and that is a punt alone guarantees zero. They spend waaaaay too much time implying that not punting results in a TD or FG and that punting results in losing. Just not true. Sunday was a perfect example. 

 

Listen, McD is learning and will make some mistakes, it's part of never being a head coach before. But does he adapt and overcome? I say it looks good. Give the guy more talent and a QB and then let's judge the guy when he makes calls with a good team. 

 

[xRUSHx]

20 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

Levy hasn't coached in 20 years so he has absolutely nothing to do with this.

 

The field position argument is great, except that upon getting the ball back with 2:25, McD needed a deep throw by his 3rd strong QB on 3rd and 6 to Deonte Thompson.  And then, with 1:33 remaining, get a 21 yard run to win it. No one's kicking a FG in those conditions that's any more than a chip shot, so the idea that McD's decisions were all good is a fallacy.

 

McD is what he is: another in a long line of conservative HC's who talk about team and their system (i.e. process). That's fine, but in order to win in the NFL you've got to have the talent, which Buffalo doesn't have. One can only hope they begin to fix that in the off-season. Still, having dealt away some prime players it's hard to see that replacing them with rookies will show immediate returns. This team is closer to needing a rebuild that a reload. 

I said Levy because Levy was the exact same way. He would kick field goals and play the field posiion esspecialy when the backup was in so IMO bringing him up matters since Levy was a very successful head coach in Buffalo in the snow. When it comes to Buffalo weather you have to know when to gamble, sometimes it pays off and some times it doesnt. This time it paid off.

 

A 3rd string QB and bad weather, if they did not get the first or the 3rd string QB had a bonehead mistake people would be questioning why did you rely so much on a 3rd string QB in bad weather. You point to talent, well IMO a 3rd string QB is lacking the exact thing your pointing to, talent.

 

When one side of the ball is more depleted in talent you rely more on the other. In a bad weather game field position is everything.

Edited December 12, 2017 by xRUSHx

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

seriously, you people bitching and moaning about a first year coach is STUPID but considering the sources that are doing so is not surprising.

 

keep whining, you all are real good at it.

[mrags]

1 hour ago, WideRightRevenge said:

 

WOW ... no one thought before the season we'd be at where we are at this stage ... Did you?

 

Right, wrong, or indifferent .... he isn't afraid to challenge the status quo and shake things up ... I like that ... I'd rather try something new and fail then not have the nuts to try it at all.  This year is purely like a poker hand and determining what "cards" (i.e. players) he wants to go "all in" with and take into years 2 & 3 ... the wins this year (though killing our draft position) are a bonus .. TRUST THE PROCESS.

Actually I bet multiple people we would be right about where we are. Finishing the year at 9-7 or 10-6 when everyone else thought we were tanking after trading Sammy Boo Boo Foot Blumpkin and Darby. I guessed we would beat the Panthers but lose to the Falcons. I guessed we would beat the Broncos, Raiders, Chiefs. I had us going 2-2 against the nfc south which we did. 

 

I also guessed when the wheels would fall off mid season. Knew we were losing multiple straight once that NY Jet abortion happened. 

 

I knew new we would be much better than last year (arguably) because we didn’t have a fat foot fetish idiot and his fat cream puff eating brother running things. Screwing up the defense. What I didn’t expect was Tyrod to regress. And make no mistake about it, h has regressed and is terrible. I didn’t expect McD to trade star players for absolutely nothing (Dareus for a box of Cheetos). 

 

With all that said, we are right where I thought we would be at this point. Needing wins against the Phins to get into the playoffs. IF everything else falls right with other teams. 

 

I dont think we get in. And I hope I’m wrong about it. 

 

In in the end I like McD for much of what he’s done. But he has made some incredibly questionable calls. Both on and off the field. I hope it pays off. I, like most, don’t want him gone. I want him to get at least a full 3 years here to see what he can do. But that doesn’t mean that everything he does should be unquestioned. 

 

[BillsVet]

28 minutes ago, zonabb said:

Anyone complaining about this guy is nuts. This idea that every coach can and should take a dumpster fire and turn it into a diamond is also nuts. This guy has taken a talent devoid team and somehow gotten it to 7-6. It's a miracle in my mind. The OL has been a revolving door. The available starting WR are CFL quality many weeks. The LBs are slow and old. Little pass rush and the run D has been a disaster at time with some spare part on the DL. 

 

I turned on WGR55 twice in the car yesterday hours apart and the punt was all everyone was talking about. This is the problem around Bflo... people get a grand new idea in their head and it becomes gospel, regardless of its reliability. This is a classic one... the punt. But here's what the Schopp and White's of the world never ever qualify their argument with and that is a punt alone guarantees zero. They spend waaaaay too much time implying that not punting results in a TD or FG and that punting results in losing. Just not true. Sunday was a perfect example. 

 

Listen, McD is learning and will make some mistakes, it's part of never being a head coach before. But does he adapt and overcome? I say it looks good. Give the guy more talent and a QB and then let's judge the guy when he makes calls with a good team. 

 

 

Not complaining, just noting that McD is what he is. That said, this wasn't a "dumpster fire" of a roster that he inherited, albeit one without a true QB. Not when you consider that he had veterans who were playing decent ball: McCoy, Glenn, Incognito, Wood, Clay, K. Williams, Dareus, Hughes, Alexander, and added the pieces in the secondary. We weren't the Browns or 49ers entering 2017.

 

McD shouldn't be learning after nearly 20 seasons in the NFL. You get the HC job because you've learned, and managing the game isn't an on the job training thing. It's actually preparation.

 

Fans are tired of being mediocre to average for a generation. They're tired of the same old, same old. Either get good or bottom out, but staying in the middle of the road is mind-numbing and hearing the same coach speak after every game is as well. The off-season will tell the story about where this team is going, particularly their decision on the QB.

 

 

[hondo in seattle]

There's not a ton of talent suiting up each Sunday.  The fact that McD has us in the playoff hunt speaks well of him.

 

But I want to see what he does this off-season.  Will he tell Beane to draft a QB with a high pick?   Will he replace his struggling offensive coordinator?   How will  he shore up the D?  And so on...

 

 

 

 

[ddaryl]

He has made some mistakes but he has taken a roster purged team and kept them performing at better than expected levels. Looking forward to seeing if McD / Beane can move us forward instead of th eusual sophmore slump we get with the last 10 HC's we've had

Edited December 12, 2017 by ddaryl

[BillsFan130]

Overall I'm dissapointed with him but definitely not saying fire him or anything like that.

 

Yes they are 7 and 6 but let's be honest, the bills could easily be at 4 and 9 or 5 and 8 if it weren't for a few very fortunate breaks throughout the year. 

 

I think his preparation is pretty descent but his game time decisions are just mind boggling to me. Starting with his clock management, then to how conservative he usually plays things. Also don't like how he traded a lot of talent for draft picks.

 

Like I said, not saying fire him as that would be dumb but I really hope he improves on those last points I brought up next year. Because those game time decisions aren't good enough in my books