Tyler Dunne story on McDermott - 3 parts, 25 interviews, one damning conclusion

[Goin Breakdown]

1 hour ago, jethro_tull said:

Lots of assumptions masquerading as facts typical for the new world media approach.  

There isn't a coach alive (or person really) that such scrutiny wouldn't reveal flaws and perceived weaknesses in one's profession.  Even among tenured coaches like Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Pete Carroll.  

It takes an organization and a team to win.  A team that works together and rises above the imperfections of each individual by complementing each others strengths.  

Such a disgusting hit piece that isn't worth the electrons it is occupying in cyber space.  

Very well said. I can also almost guarantee that this piece would not have been written if the Bills were 11-2. It was in effort to smear a man's name and get his job taken from him. I get it. He isn't the greatest coach in the world. He makes really bad mistakes. So fire him because of that, not because we live in such a divisive time. We're all finger pointers and many of us need to point those fingers in a mirror. 

[hondo in seattle]

55 minutes ago, Rico said:

His career is in free-fall.

Buffalo News -> Bleacher Report -> Blog -> ???

 

The shame of it is that Dunne writes really good human-interest pieces on athletes.  He's got talent.  Sadly, he misused his writing skills on a hatchet job that told a very one-sided story.    

[Rico]

1 minute ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

The shame of it is that Dunne writes really good human-interest pieces on athletes.  He's got talent.  Sadly, he misused his writing skills on a hatchet job that told a very one-sided story.    

I hate human-interest stories.

[Wayne Arnold]

2 hours ago, Mister Defense said:

 

But the thing you miss is that crap is not a real piece of journalism, but a  only a 'man' with a vendetta, listing a slew of criticisms and then smushing these unrelated events together, connecting them (very, very poorly) to make the case against a man he hates. 

 

This person is not a journalist, any more than others with blogs are journalists, just a guy with his own site, charging others to pay for his 'work'.  No true Bills' fan will ever read this idiot's writing again.

 

He has no editor or fellow writers to give him feedback and such,to reign in his worst traits, as a newspaper/magazine/pro-online news organization would.

 

I cannot imagine any fan of the Bills accepting this muckraking as legitimate journalism. 
 

So glad it is now being held up across the country for what it is--trash.

 

You're way too emotional about it.

 

Unless you're related to McDermott, it's weird.

[GunnerBill]

8 hours ago, Peter said:

 

I cannot say for sure, but it is curious that he was about as aggressive a play caller at the end of the game as I recall seeing just a few days after some of the comments in the article.

 

I mean he called an aggressive game at the end vs Denver as well and it cost us the game. He called an aggressive defense all day vs Mac Jones and it allowed him to dink and dunk his way to a win. 

 

The games that McDermott as defensive coordinator has blown this year haven't been because he hasn't been aggressive enough. Quite the opposite. They are because he has been too aggressive.

[Mr. WEO]

10 hours ago, Warcodered said:

Hard to say he was able to be at the exact place and time he needed to be to land his block, which is a penalty, who's to say that still happens if he doesn't have all but his back foot in the neutral zone when he starts.

 

 

come on.  

[GunnerBill]

Whether Toney would, or wouldn't have made the play if he had remained onside is an absolute irrelevance. He was lined up in the neutral zone. Really obviously. I called it before the snap, the refs threw the flag immediately, everything that happened thereafter was a nullity. It didn't happen. We live history through reality not through alternative facts. 

[Bob Jones]

2 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

Whether Toney would, or wouldn't have made the play if he had remained onside is an absolute irrelevance. He was lined up in the neutral zone. Really obviously. I called it before the snap, the refs threw the flag immediately, everything that happened thereafter was a nullity. It didn't happen. We live history through reality not through alternative facts. 

Yesterday afternoon on ESPN, they showed that Toney had been lining up offside like that virtually all game, but they never called it....until that last drive. But like you said, the flag was thrown at the start of the play, so the ref had no idea it would be nullifying a TD.

[FireChans]

I interviewed 25 former players, coaches, and staff to talk about Mike Tomlin. Here’s my blog.

 

”He’s been riding that Super Bowl for over a decade. He’s very arrogant and it’s his way or the highway in that building.”

 

”If things go south, the first thing Tomlin will do is fire his OC. Of course, it can’t be his defenses’ fault.”

 

”He basically ignores the offense. The lockerroom doesn’t respect him, look at how the Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell things turned out. He’s a poor leader.”

 

Subscribe to my blog to read more from these former staff members who clearly have no bias at all when talking about the guy who fired them.

[Rico]

1 minute ago, FireChans said:

I interviewed 25 former players, coaches, and staff to talk about Mike Tomlin. Here’s my blog.

 

”He’s been riding that Super Bowl for over a decade. He’s very arrogant and it’s his way or the highway in that building.”

 

”If things go south, the first thing Tomlin will do is fire his OC. Of course, it can’t be his defenses’ fault.”

 

”He basically ignores the offense. The lockerroom doesn’t respect him, look at how the Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell things turned out. He’s a poor leader.”

 

Subscribe to my blog to read more from these former staff members who clearly have no bias at all when talking about the guy who fired them.

Good idea, maybe after he’s broke again.

[GunnerBill]

7 minutes ago, Rico said:

Good idea, maybe after he’s broke again.

 

'cept he only knows folks in Buffalo and Green Bay.... 

12 minutes ago, FireChans said:

I interviewed 25 former players, coaches, and staff to talk about Mike Tomlin. Here’s my blog.

 

”He’s been riding that Super Bowl for over a decade. He’s very arrogant and it’s his way or the highway in that building.”

 

”If things go south, the first thing Tomlin will do is fire his OC. Of course, it can’t be his defenses’ fault.”

 

”He basically ignores the offense. The lockerroom doesn’t respect him, look at how the Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell things turned out. He’s a poor leader.”

 

Subscribe to my blog to read more from these former staff members who clearly have no bias at all when talking about the guy who fired them.

 

Is yours $8 a pop too?

[Rico]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 

'cept he only knows folks in Buffalo and Green Bay.... 

 

Whaley knows people in Pittsburgh... and desperate times call for desperate measures.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

17 minutes ago, FireChans said:

I interviewed 25 former players, coaches, and staff to talk about Mike Tomlin. Here’s my blog.

 

”He’s been riding that Super Bowl for over a decade. He’s very arrogant and it’s his way or the highway in that building.”

 

”If things go south, the first thing Tomlin will do is fire his OC. Of course, it can’t be his defenses’ fault.”

 

”He basically ignores the offense. The lockerroom doesn’t respect him, look at how the Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell things turned out. He’s a poor leader.”

 

Subscribe to my blog to read more from these former staff members who clearly have no bias at all when talking about the guy who fired them.

Stop giving away so much of your 'content'.  It's bad business practice. 🤨😁

[Coach Tuesday]

10 hours ago, Rico said:

I hate human-interest stories.

That tracks.

[Peter]

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I mean he called an aggressive game at the end vs Denver as well and it cost us the game. He called an aggressive defense all day vs Mac Jones and it allowed him to dink and dunk his way to a win. 

 

The games that McDermott as defensive coordinator has blown this year haven't been because he hasn't been aggressive enough. Quite the opposite. They are because he has been too aggressive.

 

1) He called one blitz after another at the end of the game. The article talked about McD being "paralyzed by fear late in games." Also, the article confirmed that he took over the play calling against KC at the end of the infamous "13 seconds" game.

 

2) As for games lost, we have lost many games this year because the defense gave up game losing drives (with McD calling the defense whether he called an aggressive game or not). If the defense was better at protecting leads (or as McD might say: playing complementary football), we would be sitting pretty  for the playoffs. 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

Tyler who?

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, Peter said:

 

1) He called one blitz after another at the end of the game. The article talked about McD being "paralyzed by fear late in games." Also, the article confirmed that he took over the play calling against KC at the end of the infamous "13 seconds" game.

 

2) As for games lost, we have lost many games this year because the defense gave up game losing drives (with McD calling the defense whether he called an aggressive game or not). If the defense was better at protecting leads (or as McD might say: playing complementary football), we would be sitting pretty  for the playoffs. 

 

And on the critical 4th down he showed blitz and backed out. He definitely called a better drive at the end of the game than he has done other times this year but the problem with his play calling so far this season as DC has definitively NOT been a lack of aggression, whatever Tyler Dunne says. It has been too much aggression. In late game scenarios I always think the play is blitz early, simulate late - i.e. get it into the QBs head early in the drive that you are coming, but on the critical downs play coverage. Now obviously you can't be predictable but as a general rule that is the approach I think is most effective. McDermott has often been guilty of doing it the other way, simulating early and so the QB gets two or three looks at where you might come from and then actually blitzing late in drives. And it has hurt us. 

 

The defensive playcalling all season hasn't been good enough as far as I am concerned. Just not sure I think Sunday was a sign more aggression is the answer. 

[Coach Tuesday]

4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

And on the critical 4th down he showed blitz and backed out. He definitely called a better drive at the end of the game than he has done other times this year but the problem with his play calling so far this season as DC has definitively NOT been a lack of aggression, whatever Tyler Dunne says. It has been too much aggression. In late game scenarios I always think the play is blitz early, simulate late - i.e. get it into the QBs head early in the drive that you are coming, but on the critical downs play coverage. Now obviously you can't be predictable but as a general rule that is the approach I think is most effective. McDermott has often been guilty of doing it the other way, simulating early and so the QB gets two or three looks at where you might come from and then actually blitzing late in drives. And it has hurt us. 

 

The defensive playcalling all season hasn't been good enough as far as I am concerned. Just not sure I think Sunday was a sign more aggression is the answer. 

From what I’ve read this week it sounds like they did a better job of preparing and practicing 2 minute defense last week, including the blitz choreography.

[Rico]

39 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

That tracks.

I remember a few years back, someone posted a thread on Off The Wall about Empathy... looked pretty popular, many pages long.

 

I never clicked on it, so I don't know if it was any good.

[Johnnyp566]

On 12/9/2023 at 3:46 PM, Turk71 said:

Imagine you are paid millions of dollars per year to run an organization and yet you are stupid enough to think the 9/11 hijackers are a great motivational example of teamwork?

  He shows it over and over on game days and this story just confirms it. How much proof that McD is an idiot do people need? 

 

An idiot who’s brought this team to the playoffs 5/6 years and turned a train wreck of a franchise around.. sounds like an idiot to me. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

On 12/12/2023 at 8:10 AM, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

Tyler who?

It's a 'pen name'.  The author is really named Tyler Kroft, ex Bills TE, with an axe to grind against One Bills Drive. 

[Beck Water]

On 12/10/2023 at 7:35 PM, RoscoeParrish said:

 

 

 

When I saw Josh Allen's post game where he talked about McDermott as one of the best people on the planet, I thought he seemed as though he were containing anger.  He's made it clear since that he considers he has a solid relationship with McDermott - maybe not a 'buddy' relationship where they smoke cigars and trade stupid bets and BBQ together like he did with Daboll, but a solid coaching relationship with a personal "I care about you off the field" component.  

 

Then this from Mitch.

 

It's clear that whoever Dunne quoted as saying McDermott has "zero" relationship with any of the offensive players because he's "mentally physically and psychologically incapable" of it, is mistaken.  Period.  McDermott clearly said the right thing at the right time for Mitch Morse, and Morse will never forget it.

 

Given how vehement the man-of-few-words Big Ed has been, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a story there too.  Maybe McDermott reached out to him after his 2020 DWI arrest/charges (charges dropped in August after blood test results showed no substances) and offered timely words of belief and encouragement that Ed will never forget, either.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Beck Water

[Fleezoid]

On 12/12/2023 at 8:10 AM, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

Tyler who?

 

Tyler Done.

[NewEra]

2 minutes ago, Fleezoid said:

 

Tyler Done.

Bingo.

 

I hope that $674 you made in monthly (and already cancelled) subs was worth your soul

[Rico]

28 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Bingo.

 

I hope that $674 you made in monthly (and already cancelled) subs was worth your soul

What a blunder.

[stevestojan]

I don’t think this worked out the way TyTy was hoping. 

[Royale with Cheese]

Dunne

Dunne Dunne

Duuuuuuuuunnnnneeee

 

I was curious on how the players would respond and it looks favorable to McDermott.

 

McDermott still does have a lot disgruntled players/coaches so that's still a bit concerning IMO.

 

If we go on run.....Dunne might have to start applying to like Enterprise Rent a Car.

[zow2]

Really one of the dumber “hey look at me, i’m an amazing Journalist with an incredible investigative chops” articles i’ve ever seen.

 

I mean he chose to do this big expose’ on a god fearing vanilla milk toast coach. while he may be intense and with flaws, to the many people that know Sean he’s always sounded like a really good man.

Im sure there are several other coaches around the league that have much juicier behind the scenes material for a big article.

[Beck Water]

17 minutes ago, stevestojan said:

I don’t think this worked out the way TyTy was hoping. 

 

I think that's probably TBD (to be determined).  I think he was hoping it would draw in subscriptions.  It probably did. 

Now the question is how many of them will find enough other content (or just be lackadaisical) to not cancel.

[Beck Water]

15 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Really one of the dumber “hey look at me, i’m an amazing Journalist with an incredible investigative chops” articles i’ve ever seen.

 

I mean he chose to do this big expose’ on a god fearing vanilla milk toast coach. while he may be intense and with flaws, to the many people that know Sean he’s always sounded like a really good man.

Im sure there are several other coaches around the league that have much juicier behind the scenes material for a big article.

 

I think the intent of the article was to identify questionable coaching decisions for which McDermott was accountable, and to raise questions about whether he has the coaching abilities to lead the team and make winning decisions in "crunch time".  And it did that****...but it did so much else that it ultimately detracted from that intent.

Whoever it was upthread who pointed out that Dunne would probably have benefited from an editor probably has it right.  That's not intended to be a knock on Dunne's talent as a writer. 

Edit: ****and just to be clear, those are fair questions and until/unless we win the Superbowl and continue to contend, those questions will remain

Edited December 14, 2023 by Beck Water

[Rico]

1 hour ago, zow2 said:

Really one of the dumber “hey look at me, i’m an amazing Journalist with an incredible investigative chops” articles i’ve ever seen.

 

I mean he chose to do this big expose’ on a god fearing vanilla milk toast coach. while he may be intense and with flaws, to the many people that know Sean he’s always sounded like a really good man.

Im sure there are several other coaches around the league that have much juicier behind the scenes material for a big article.

He had a golden opportunity to do the same kind of story at the end of the Drought Era on Russ Brandon and Doug Whaley… and he blew it. 

[stevewin]

2 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

When I saw Josh Allen's post game where he talked about McDermott as one of the best people on the planet, I thought he seemed as though he were containing anger.  He's made it clear since that he considers he has a solid relationship with McDermott - maybe not a 'buddy' relationship where they smoke cigars and trade stupid bets and BBQ together like he did with Daboll, but a solid coaching relationship with a personal "I care about you off the field" component.  

 

Then this from Mitch.

 

It's clear that whoever Dunne quoted as saying McDermott has "zero" relationship with any of the offensive players because he's "mentally physically and psychologically incapable" of it, is mistaken.  Period.  McDermott clearly said the right thing at the right time for Mitch Morse, and Morse will never forget it.

 

Given how vehement the man-of-few-words Big Ed has been, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a story there too.  Maybe McDermott reached out to him after his 2020 DWI arrest/charges (charges dropped in August after blood test results showed no substances) and offered timely words of belief and encouragement that Ed will never forget, either.

One of the other things that struck me from the Josh PC comments was he said something to the effect of how McD has grown.   In the aftermath of Hamlin there were multiple players who said words to the effect that it brought out a side of McD they had never seen before (impliction the "human element").  It made me realize that many of the "sources" in the story were commenting on their experience from years ago, and it was used to characterize him as he is today.  While still not without faults - he isn't necessarily the same coach/person today that he was for some/many of those source accounts

Edited December 14, 2023 by stevewin

[Wayne Arnold]

4 minutes ago, stevewin said:

One of the other things that struck me from the Josh PC comments was he said something to the effect of how McD has grown.   In the aftermath of Hamlin there were multiple players who said words to the effect that it brought out a side of McD they had never seen before (impliction the "human element").  It made me realize that many of the "sources" were commenting on their experience from years ago, and it was used to characterize him as he is today.  While still not without faults - he isn't necessarily the same coach/person today that he was for some/many of those source accounts

 

Is your assertion that he's a better coach now? Because the results don't seem to reflect that.

[DrDawkinstein]

18 minutes ago, Rico said:

He had a golden opportunity to do the same kind of story at the end of the Drought Era on Russ Brandon and Doug Whaley… and he blew it. 

 

We dont need an exposé to know what jackasses those guys are tho.

[Royale with Cheese]

4 minutes ago, Wayne Arnold said:

 

Is your assertion that he's a better coach now? Because the results don't seem to reflect that.

 

He's undefeated since this article came out.

[DrDawkinstein]

 

1 hour ago, zow2 said:

Really one of the dumber “hey look at me, i’m an amazing Journalist with an incredible investigative chops” articles i’ve ever seen.

 

I mean he chose to do this big expose’ on a god fearing vanilla milk toast coach. while he may be intense and with flaws, to the many people that know Sean he’s always sounded like a really good man.

Im sure there are several other coaches around the league that have much juicier behind the scenes material for a big article.

 

Hence why myself and others point out that this wasnt "personal", it was all about Sean the "Professional"

 

Juicy and scandalous a la Russ Brandon would be about that person and their character.

 

The McD piece was all about gaffs as a coach, not a person.

 

1 minute ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

He's undefeated since this article came out.

 

He definitely coached Toney to line up Offside.

 

Or maybe the article did what McD the coach couldnt do, rally and motivate his players. We've been saying "This is the loss they needed to light a fire" for 2 years. Maybe this article was it.

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by DrDawkinstein

[Royale with Cheese]

1 minute ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

 

Hence why myself and others point out that this wasnt "personal", it was all about Sean the "Professional"

 

Juicy and scandalous a la Russ Brandon would be about that person and their character.

 

The McD piece was all about gaffs as a coach, not a person.

 

 

He definitely coached Toney to line up Offside

 

McDermott probably asked Toney to move up on the ball on the next play because he was blocking his view.

 

Then when he saw the flag, Toney knew at the moment that he was duped.  

[Rico]

7 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

We dont need an exposé to know what jackasses those guys are tho.

Maybe not Rusty, but back in the Drought Era, there were a LOT of Whaley fans who were just shocked when he got fired. 

[GunnerBill]

9 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

The McD piece was all about gaffs as a coach, not a person.

 

 

I'm not sure I totally agree with that. I think it was critical of his character. Most of the anonymous sources weren't, they were about him the coach. But some of Dunne's language was definitely personal.

[without a drought]

6 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

McDermott probably asked Toney to move up on the ball on the next play because he was blocking his view.

 

Then when he saw the flag, Toney knew at the moment that he was duped.  

I think you're giving Toney too much credit, someone explained it to him later.