FilthyBeast Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 This will no doubt spur some interesting discussion. I'm still very critical of McDermott and skeptical of his long term viablity, but you can't argue that he doesn't belong in the top 10 based on his body of work and having him here at #5 says he's among the NFL's elite head coaches: https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/article/goal-line-stand/nfls-best-coaches-2022?utm_tags=Edge1477 Quote 5. Sean McDermott Career Record: 49-32 (.605) With The Bills Since: 2017 Last Year’s Ranking: 6 Sean McDermott’s coaching career has been one of seemingly unsolvable questions. What do you do with a problem like Bill Belichick? Like Patrick Mahomes? It’s one down, one to go after 2021. Three: That’s how many passes the Patriots attempted in their Week 13 victory in Buffalo. Zero: The number of times the Bills punted in their Week 16 and Wild Card revenge victories. McDermott narrowed his backfield committee and cut Josh Allen loose for the rubber matches, resulting in a pair of beatdowns that won’t soon be forgotten in New England. As he always has throughout his five years in Buffalo, McDermott found the answers. The same appeared true for the Chiefs in Week 5, where the Bills rolled into Arrowhead and won 38-20. It wasn’t as simple in the Divisional Round, where 13 seconds and a coin flip reminded how narrow the margins are against the current colossus of the AFC. But if Belichick was a mountain, that is a mole hill. The Bills have closed the gap on the Chiefs, and McDermott deserves a ton of the credit. He controls his defensive side of the ball and has overseen the proper adjustments on offense. This is a fully modern attack, with a fully modern quarterback in Allen leading the way. McDermott does not stand in the way of progress, football or his own. His reward should soon be a Lombardi. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 17 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said: This will no doubt spur some interesting discussion. I'm still very critical of McDermott and skeptical of his long term viablity, but you can't argue that he doesn't belong in the top 10 based on his body of work and having him here at #5 says he's among the NFL's elite head coaches: https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/article/goal-line-stand/nfls-best-coaches-2022?utm_tags=Edge1477 I like McDermott a lot and am not very critical of him. But I don't think I'd put him in the Top 5. Not yet at least. 4 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 It's the right top 4. I'd probably go Tomlin #5. I get he has his own game management issues and probably should have won more than 1 Lombardi with the talent he had had at his disposal, but no losing seasons and a ring? He is #5. McDermott and Shanahan #6 and #7. I can see arguments both ways on the order. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Blitz Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 20 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said: This will no doubt spur some interesting discussion. I'm still very critical of McDermott and skeptical of his long term viablity, but you can't argue that he doesn't belong in the top 10 based on his body of work and having him here at #5 says he's among the NFL's elite head coaches: https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/article/goal-line-stand/nfls-best-coaches-2022?utm_tags=Edge1477 Switch Tomlin and Harbough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 1 minute ago, Big Blitz said: Switch Tomlin and Harbough. Personally I'd have Harbaugh #2. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris heff Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 1 hour ago, GunnerBill said: It's the right top 4. I'd probably go Tomlin #5. I get he has his own game management issues and probably should have won more than 1 Lombardi with the talent he had had at his disposal, but no losing seasons and a ring? He is #5. McDermott and Shanahan #6 and #7. I can see arguments both ways on the order. Remember that time Tomlin tried to trip Jacoby Jones? Tomlin is a jerk, who without Ben will never win anything again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwhit34 Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Tomlin is overrated. He has not kept pace with the way the game is played today. Punting in + territory, not going for it on 4th down, I think he's okay but not top 5-6 anymore. McDermott at around 4-5 is about right by me. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJS Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Top 5 GM and a top 5 head coach. Both have done great things to turn this organization around and into one of the most respected around the league. Pretty amazing. Keep stacking the wins and go get a championship now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GETTOTHE50 Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 What a crap list of coaches. McDs strengths: willingness to adapt, building culture + accountability, sustaining motivation + focus, and clapping. Negatives: Piss poor adjustments after defensive timeouts. Too many times have they called the wrong defense after a TO. I think he’s in a fair spot there, Zac Taylor deserves to be higher up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Formerly_of_Roch Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 3 hours ago, hondo in seattle said: I like McDermott a lot and am not very critical of him. But I don't think I'd put him in the Top 5. Not yet at least. I don't know, looking at the list the only ones you could argue that maybe should be in front of him is Tomlin and Carroll, but more based on lifetime achievement, not on what they've done lately. Hell Stefanski is ranked #13, putting McD 8 slots ahead looks OK to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDIGGZ Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 For culture I think he's top 5 for sure. Guys want to play hard for him and he preaches love for one another which makes for a great locker room. For game management he might be bottom 5 unfortunately. I know he tries but some guys just have a mind for that kind of stuff and some don't. 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sierra Foothills Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 From the linked article: 1 Belichick 2 Reid 3 McVay 4 Harbaugh 5 McDermott 6 Tomlin 7 Shanahan 8 LaFleur 9 Vrabel 10 Reich 11 Carroll 12 Taylor 13 Stefanski 14 Staley My first thought is that it's awfully hard to split a team's success between the coach and the GM. They're either successful together or unsuccessful together. It's hard to think of an example of where you think "the coach is doing a great job but the GM sucks" or visa versa. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 (edited) 4 hours ago, FilthyBeast said: This will no doubt spur some interesting discussion. I'm still very critical of McDermott and skeptical of his long term viablity, but you can't argue that he doesn't belong in the top 10 based on his body of work and having him here at #5 says he's among the NFL's elite head coaches: https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/article/goal-line-stand/nfls-best-coaches-2022?utm_tags=Edge1477 I’m having a hard time reconciling the bold. I’m glad you’re not my parent! He’s very near the top of the league, and he gets some bonus points in my mind for culture stuff that goes beyond game days. . Edited April 5, 2022 by Augie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sierra Foothills Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Regarding McDermott, as the stakes are raised, the scrutiny increases. As the scrutiny increases it's inevitable that flaws become more apparent. That said, I feel McDermott is definitely a Top 5 coach and I'm glad he's our coach. Unfortunately the worst moment of his Bills' tenure was after the debacle in Kansas City. I thought he handled it poorly with the vague comments about "execution." It came off as blame shifting. McDermott should have simply said this: "I want to make it clear that I bear complete and total responsibility for the communication breakdowns at the end of regulation and in overtime. It doesn't matter exactly what happened and I'm not gonna get into exactly what happened. What I will say is that what happened is entirely my fault and I will take the steps necessary to ensure these mistakes never happen again." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerDave Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 9 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said: It's hard to think of an example of where you think "the coach is doing a great job but the GM sucks" or visa versa. I can think of one: Belichick the coach and Belichick the GM 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 8 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said: Regarding McDermott, as the stakes are raised, the scrutiny increases. As the scrutiny increases it's inevitable that flaws become more apparent. That said, I feel McDermott is definitely a Top 5 coach and I'm glad he's our coach. Unfortunately the worst moment of his Bills' tenure was after the debacle in Kansas City. I thought he handled it poorly with the vague comments about "execution." It came off as blame shifting. McDermott should have simply said this: "I want to make it clear that I bear complete and total responsibility for the communication breakdowns at the end of regulation and in overtime. It doesn't matter exactly what happened and I'm not gonna get into exactly what happened. What I will say is that what happened is entirely my fault and I will take the steps necessary to ensure these mistakes never happen again." I honestly think that people should look again at what he did say. Because he said "I don't want to get into specifics, but we can execute better and that starts with me." I don't get this obsessive need for some sort of self flagellation in order to satisfy a lust for what I call the social media version of accountability. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 9 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said: From the linked article: 1 Belichick 2 Reid 3 McVay 4 Harbaugh 5 McDermott 6 Tomlin 7 Shanahan 8 LaFleur 9 Vrabel 10 Reich 11 Carroll 12 Taylor 13 Stefanski 14 Staley My first thought is that it's awfully hard to split a team's success between the coach and the GM. They're either successful together or unsuccessful together. It's hard to think of an example of where you think "the coach is doing a great job but the GM sucks" or visa versa. This is fair, althought I will say this... the two AFC South teams are GM success more than HC success IMO. Jon Robinson in Tennessee is one of the most underheralded GMs in football. The reason they have the second longest active streak of consecutive winning seasons across two coaching regimes is because he constantly stacks that roster with good football players. I think Vrabel is a good motivator but he has good talent. Not sold he is a good Xs and Os guy. And in Indy the guy to blame for the QB pickle they are in is Frank Reich. He pounded the table for Rivers and even more bizarrely Carson Wentz. Chris Ballard has done a nice job in the draft for the most part but they keep spending assets chasing has beens at QB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sierra Foothills Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 9 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said: McDermott should have simply said this: "I want to make it clear that I bear complete and total responsibility for the communication breakdowns at the end of regulation and in overtime. It doesn't matter exactly what happened and I'm not gonna get into exactly what happened. What I will say is that what happened is entirely my fault and I will take the steps necessary to ensure these mistakes never happen again." 24 minutes ago, GunnerBill said: I honestly think that people should look again at what he did say. Because he said "I don't want to get into specifics, but we can execute better and that starts with me." I don't get this obsessive need for some sort of self flagellation in order to satisfy a lust for what I call the social media version of accountability. I disagree Bill. iMO McDermott was not emphatic enough and he was not unequivocal enough. That was more noticeable from the video... if you read the words they had a different effect than actually hearing them spoken. His mea culpa (thanks K-9!) was unsatisfying, like an insincere apology and that's why many fans and media felt it was insufficient. And more importantly what did the players and coaches feel about his comments? The leadership aspect is the most concerning thing about his post mortem (thanks K-9!). Part of it is McDermott's limitations as a speaker... he could have said more in fewer words and in less time. And the team would likely respond better to a more effective message than the passive finger pointing that was implied. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg S Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 13 seconds soured me on McDermott and Frazier. I would put him in the 6-10 category on the list. He's a good coach and he played a huge part in changing the culture of the organization. But if he wants to be in the top 5 then go win a Lombardi. I realize the Bills will lose games next season like everyone else but stupid s*** like 13 seconds can't ever happen again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machine gun kelly Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 14 hours ago, FilthyBeast said: This will no doubt spur some interesting discussion. I'm still very critical of McDermott and skeptical of his long term viablity, but you can't argue that he doesn't belong in the top 10 based on his body of work and having him here at #5 says he's among the NFL's elite head coaches: https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/article/goal-line-stand/nfls-best-coaches-2022?utm_tags=Edge1477 Thank you FB. I think it’s you who puts this article out each year, and it’s a fun read. I think McD is exactly where he deserves to be at 5. No one is going to outdo in these rankings BB and Andy Reid at 1 and 2. McVeigh has done a great deal with his bought talent, and is unconventional how he has built a team. Harbaugh in my view is underrated and deserves to be ahead of McD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Deek Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 It’s an interesting list for sure. I’m not sure I’d slot everyone right where they have them but it doesn’t look all that far fetched. Putting Belichick at the very top seems out of place to me. Is he really the best coach, right now? The other one that jumped out at me was Vrabel. It feels to me like it wasn’t long ago when he was on the hot seat and yet there he is in the Top 10? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Tuesday Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 1 hour ago, GunnerBill said: I honestly think that people should look again at what he did say. Because he said "I don't want to get into specifics, but we can execute better and that starts with me." I don't get this obsessive need for some sort of self flagellation in order to satisfy a lust for what I call the social media version of accountability. While I agree with that point, I also found it unseemly to hear McD waxing about “fairness” when asked about the proposed (now approved) new OT rules. Come on, brah, handle your business. Tomlin’s answer was much better. A defensive coach like McD shouldn’t need to (1) invest so many resources (high picks and cap dollars) into his side of the ball, and (2) appeal to “fairness” after he couldn’t execute a JV defensive strategy to seal what would’ve been the most important win for the franchise in 30 years. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeskillitMoorman Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 11 hours ago, KDIGGZ said: For culture I think he's top 5 for sure. Guys want to play hard for him and he preaches love for one another which makes for a great locker room. For game management he might be bottom 5 unfortunately. I know he tries but some guys just have a mind for that kind of stuff and some don't. I think this is pretty accurate. He was a good coach for where we were when he came on board in terms of helping to build the culture. I do. think he's a liability for us now though in terms of game management and I'm terrified of having anything come down to his call/strategy in a big game. It's just an opinion because we'll never know for sure...but I'll probably always believe he cost us a Super Bowl this season. Not even just the 13 seconds, but I thought we really got conservative in the 1st half of that game But sometimes with a great player like #17 leading the way, you can overcome those liabilities and still win it all, and I'm just hoping we can do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 1 hour ago, SoCal Deek said: It’s an interesting list for sure. I’m not sure I’d slot everyone right where they have them but it doesn’t look all that far fetched. Putting Belichick at the very top seems out of place to me. Is he really the best coach, right now? The other one that jumped out at me was Vrabel. It feels to me like it wasn’t long ago when he was on the hot seat and yet there he is in the Top 10? I don't think hes the best. I'd actually put McVay there, but he is still in the top 3. Winning 7 games without a passing game 2 years ago was pretty impressive My list would be: McVay Reid Belicheck Harbaugh McDermott Tomlin Lefluer Shannahan Reich Vrabel To your point about Vrabel, There are simply not many great coaches right now. He had a team, missing their best player for most of the season winning the number one seed in a very good AFC. He's a good coach. I think his biggest mistake this year was trying to run Henry so much in the playoff game. He was clearly rusty, go with what got you there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProcessAccepted Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 13 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said: My first thought is that it's awfully hard to split a team's success between the coach and the GM. They're either successful together or unsuccessful together. It's hard to think of an example of where you think "the coach is doing a great job but the GM sucks" or visa versa. I'm pretty sure Jauron would still suck no matter who was GM 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProcessAccepted Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 (edited) Personally I'm a huge fan of McD. He's not perfect but he has the ability to identify issues & then learn from his mistakes. A trait required for sustained elite level leadership. He's level headed, consistent, never too high and never too low. He has changed this team into a group that expects to win and embraces adversity. Look at the way the team played when we lost Tre. The culture that has been forged since McD arrived should not be undervalued. I remember year one he called the offense out for not celebrating big plays like the defense does. It's an all in type of effort. Last 5 years has 4 playoff appearances & 3 playoff wins. Cast your mind back to the 17 straight years of meh before this man arrived. We're the Vegas favorite to win it all this season. Again the Buffalo Bills are the favorites to win it all. That does not happen without a elite level coach. Edited April 5, 2022 by ProcessAccepted 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Sean in my book will always get an A+ for being a players coach and administrator of all things process & culture. But as an in-game tactician he gets a solid C. Crap like that 13 seconds can never happen again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 15 hours ago, MJS said: Top 5 GM and a top 5 head coach. Both have done great things to turn this organization around and into one of the most respected around the league. Pretty amazing. Keep stacking the wins and go get a championship now. More importantly......the #1 QB in the league !!!! Go Bills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilthyBeast Posted April 5, 2022 Author Share Posted April 5, 2022 19 hours ago, Augie said: I’m having a hard time reconciling the bold. I’m glad you’re not my parent! He’s very near the top of the league, and he gets some bonus points in my mind for culture stuff that goes beyond game days. . My point is that regardless of personal opinion, McDermott deserves to be in the top 10 conversation because of his body of work alone: - 2 straight division titles - 1 AFCCG appearance - playoffs in 4 of 5 seasons including 3 in a row. - top 10 regular season defenses nearly every year. However where I stop short of believing he's truly a top 5 HC in this league is several things: - Winless on the road in playoffs (0-4) - Questionable situation football awareness (i.e. hail murray/13 seconds in chiefs PO game) - Still a very poor overall record against teams that are .500 or better - I would still put any coach with a SB title over him in these rankings, including guys like Tomlin and Carroll. McDermott has a lot to overcome this season given the lingering stench of the Chiefs debacle and fact that history is not on his side in terms of getting to/winning a SB after 5 years with the same team. But if he accomplishes this it says a lot about who he really is and critics will be silenced for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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