A Different Vibe from McDermott

[newcam2012]

1 hour ago, Fleezoid said:

 

I listened to the Night Cap on WGR driving home last night and they did the replay of McDermott's presser and I got the same vibe. Opposite the OP, I think it was the same old McDermott using the same old words/phrases..."process", "getting better", "always looking to improve."

 

But what hit me the most was how he sounded so much like Don Granato. Obviously McDermott is so much more successful, but listening to Granato on WGR several times driving home in the past, I realized last night it sounded eerily similar. 

 

I started out as a big supporter of McDermott, but the last few years I've been on the fence. I guess I'm still on the fence, but I'm getting awfully close to falling off. It just feels like we may have seen his ceiling. He's done a fantastic job make the Bills a consistent winner. I'm just not sure he can get us across the finish line. 

Well stated!

[BVBILLS]

41 minutes ago, tigerthelion said:

I'd take a Superbowl or two even if it meant a dysfunctional team for a while afterwards. 

If the Bills won a SB, I wouldn't care if they won another game for 10 years. -Signed a Bills fan of 50 years 

[Nihilarian]

35 minutes ago, Buffalo Boy said:

13 seconds wasn’t on “ depleted defense” it was on the coach. And no other team has lost to them in the playoffs so egregiously and with such a QB performance 

And THAT coach is long gone from Buffalo. If we as fans know anything, it's that this HC allows his assistants a free hand to run their schemes the way they want.

 

From the start in 2017, OC Rick Dennison ran things his way until he was fired. Look at what Daboll did with the passing offense while neglecting the run. Then Ken Dorsey took over from Daboll, running that same passing playbook, and yet he was fired after the team went 6-6 in 2023. New OC Joe Brady helped Buffalo build a stout run game, and this helped both the QB and overall offense immensely while allowing Josh Allen to still do his thing at times. 

 

Has the Buffalo defense run a "prevent defense" again now that Leslie Frazier is gone? I haven't seen it. The overall concept of a Tampa two scheme has been with the Buffalo Bills under McD, but things change when coordinators change. The Buffalo Bills have run one of the most complicated pass-defensive schemes. McD is NOT calling the plays. He did, however, call them in 2023, and considering all the defensive injuries that season, the Buffalo defense was still a top 10 unit. It fell off in 2024 and still led the league in turnover ratio under a rookie DC. 

 

I get it. The buck stops with the HC, but some of you Bills fans need to holster the hate and dislike for arguably the very best head coach this franchise has ever seen in the NFL. The best team in the NFL over the last five seasons has been the KC Chiefs, and even they have lost two Super Bowls along the way. The number two team in the NFL has been the Buffalo Bills, and has had great difficulty in gaining home-field advantage over the Chiefs. Losing to the Chiefs in the playoffs is rough on Bills fans. They have two former NFL head coaches as their OC & DC, and meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills have changed coordinators with the OC new from 2023 and the rookie DC this past season. 

 

The head coach can't control injuries to his players, and for the most part, his schemes are only as good as his players. The reality of the current situation is that this upcoming game against one of the very best teams in the NFL is probably a loss, considering the injuries to the Buffalo secondary and the new players in the defensive line. Unless, of course, someone puts on a cape and pulls this one out. 

 

We all want this win. However, I'm not ready to cut and run if we lose. I'll attempt to keep my bleating to a minimum if we do lose.

 

Go Bills! 

[newcam2012]

45 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Totally worth it.

 

We're on year 9 with Josh. A ton of great plays and highlights, and great games, but no Lombardi yet.

 

If we had to bring in another coach to win the SB, but sacrifice the culture after, totally worth it.

 

Oh, Daquan Jones isnt having team dinners? Still won the Super Bowl

Conner McGovern isnt making everyone pizzas anymore? Still won the Super Bowl

 

Heck, if we won the Super Bowl, got through the parade, and then Josh announced he was retiring, we'd still be left with the best decade of our lives as Bills fans.

 

We missed out on Vrabel and Harbaugh so we're stuck hoping McD, the king of consistency, is somehow going to make a drastic change. But if I had to put money on it, I'd predict another let down due to weak coaching in the playoffs, and then McD fires Babich as the fall guy and then promotes from within to run the same crappy system in the same crappy way.

Ground hog day...

[newcam2012]

2 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

And THAT coach is long gone from Buffalo. If we as fans know anything, it's that this HC allows his assistants a free hand to run their schemes the way they want.

 

From the start in 2017, OC Rick Dennison ran things his way until he was fired. Look at what Daboll did with the passing offense while neglecting the run. Then Ken Dorsey took over from Daboll, running that same passing playbook, and yet he was fired after the team went 6-6 in 2023. New OC Joe Brady helped Buffalo build a stout run game, and this helped both the QB and overall offense immensely while allowing Josh Allen to still do his thing at times. 

 

Has the Buffalo defense run a "prevent defense" again now that Leslie Frazier is gone? I haven't seen it. The overall concept of a Tampa two scheme has been with the Buffalo Bills under McD, but things change when coordinators change. The Buffalo Bills have run one of the most complicated pass-defensive schemes. McD is NOT calling the plays. He did, however, call them in 2023, and considering all the defensive injuries that season, the Buffalo defense was still a top 10 unit. It fell off in 2024 and still led the league in turnover ratio under a rookie DC. 

 

I get it. The buck stops with the HC, but some of you Bills fans need to holster the hate and dislike for arguably the very best head coach this franchise has ever seen in the NFL. The best team in the NFL over the last five seasons has been the KC Chiefs, and even they have lost two Super Bowls along the way. The number two team in the NFL has been the Buffalo Bills, and has had great difficulty in gaining home-field advantage over the Chiefs. Losing to the Chiefs in the playoffs is rough on Bills fans. They have two former NFL head coaches as their OC & DC, and meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills have changed coordinators with the OC new from 2023 and the rookie DC this past season. 

 

The head coach can't control injuries to his players, and for the most part, his schemes are only as good as his players. The reality of the current situation is that this upcoming game against one of the very best teams in the NFL is probably a loss, considering the injuries to the Buffalo secondary and the new players in the defensive line. Unless, of course, someone puts on a cape and pulls this one out. 

 

We all want this win. However, I'm not ready to cut and run if we lose. I'll attempt to keep my bleating to a minimum if we do lose.

 

Go Bills! 

When do you say enough is enough? Let's look at the last 3 playoff exits. 

 

(1) 13 seconds. McD ripped the heart out of his players and fans. This disaster is 100% on him. No other way to put it. 

 

(2) Lost to Cincinnati in home playoff loss. I know Hamlin excuse is in full effect. What's not debatable is the team was flat, unprepared, and game planning was atrocious. To make it worse, the Bills had a free dress rehearsal in Cinci and learned nothing from it. Cincinnati was throttling the Bills defense. McD's game plan in the playoff game was atrocious.

 

(3) Another loss to KC. We fans have been clamoring for a home playoff game vs the Chiefs instead of being in Arrowhead. Yet, McD and the coaching staff lose again. What makes you think McD can lead this team past KC? He can't! The players most specifically Josh Allen will have to win despite McD. That should be clear in all fans minds. 

 

Three years and counting. When is enough enough? 

[HomeskillitMoorman]

4 hours ago, T master said:

What the yah hoo hater fans that want instant gratification that would complain about something even when this team wins a SB will never understand is a 7 year HCing career you are still learning things each and every year but all of that be damned if you are the HC of the Buffalo Bills !!

 

No matter if you've taken the team from the dregs of the league to have a winning team every year makes no difference to the haters . Like the guy that was the second one here to post after your initial post it's apparent he is one of those that I speak of and I cannot wait to say to all the haters here when he leads this team to a SB victory that they can go P**S up a rope !! 

 

But like I said no matter the out come win or lose those folks won't give him any credit because that's just the way those folks are no matter what good comes from any situation they will follow their own personal narrative of doom and gloom no matter the leader of the team .

 

But as long as he continues to do what he has been doing I'm sticking by him he's a Bills DNA guy through and through !! GO BILLS !!!

 

The whole "people would still complain if we won the SB" thing is so lazy and disingenuous. You're acting as if people who criticize McD have nothing rational to stand behind. He's a defensive coach whose defense has let us down in 6 straight postseasons. He has a QB that overall has been lights out in the playoffs and he's only a little better than .500 in those games and 0-4 vs the Chiefs, all 4 in which his D has gotten completely smoked by them even in seasons where they are not doing that to the rest of the league. He mismanaged one of those in which he was given a lead with 13 seconds left. 

 

It's fine if you happen to like the guy or if you want to try to defend any of those things. I don't care if people disagree with me about football and am happy to debate.

 

But what you are saying is the equivalent to me just saying that you're a McD Stan who loves him more than the team and that you'll be on your knees for him no matter what he does...instead of actually debating it in football terms. You're trying to turn it into this being some psychological exercise of anyone who doesn't like McD is some kind of intentionally fatalistic depressed cynic that wants the Bills to lose so they can keep complaining about him...when really it's the opposite...they're venting because they WANT the Bills to win it all and some thing being rid of him would be the best path to that. 

 

I disagree with people who want to keep McD but I give them enough credit as Bills fans to believe they really think keeping him is the best path forward to winning it all. We just happen to disagree on that. If we lose again this year and McD's defense and/or game management is a big reason again and we fired him and won the SB next year with a different coach, I'm not going to try go find all the people who defended him and tell them to go "p**s up a rope". That's just such a childish way to look at this. 

Edited September 4 by HomeskillitMoorman

[Avisan]

The number of you absolute geniuses on here that seems to assume that if we change coaches we'll just gently stroll our way into a Superbowl win is mind-blowing.

 

The Saints under Payton with Brees, one of the all time greats, regularly missed the playoffs.  Phillip Rivers was an incredible talent and didn't get many opportunities in the postseason relative to his ability.  It's unfortunate that we happened to ascend at the same time as another dynasty, but it's where we're at.

 

If there were some magical Chiefs-destroying coach in this league, he would be employed and *regularly beating the Chiefs.*

[Big Turk]

10 hours ago, newcam2012 said:

I've been advocating a coaching change right after 13 seconds. It became clear as day the guy doesn't haven't it. The following years have confirmed this. He doesn't have what it takes. He's a very good coach but not good enough. He's a great guy but it's time to move on. Change is needed. Who has confidence this guy and his defense can hold up vs KC or Baltimore? 

Sometimes change is a good thing and badly needed. 

 

Uhh...it's held up twice against Baltimore in the playoffs. 

[Mark80]

15 hours ago, QB Bills said:

We get at least one of these threads every season.

 

He's the same guy he's always been and always will be. The Bills will have to win the super bowl in spite of him, not because of him.

The lack of respect from some fans for the best coach in our teams history is laughable.

[Southern McButterpants]

31 minutes ago, BVBILLS said:

If the Bills won a SB, I wouldn't care if they won another game for 10 years. -Signed a Bills fan of 50 years 

Just one before I die (and time is getting short).

[26TrapDraw]

14 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

Why would there not be? You have the most productive player in NFL history in both the regular and post-season and you continuously fail him due to your defense allowing the most points ever of any team in playoff elimination games over a 5 year period.

 

He should feel pressure and if that doesn't drive him to be better, then I don't want him here.

This a 100% the numbers are the numbers and that stat right there is most disconcerting. Allen and the offense are doing enough to win a superbowl in the post season. The Defense however has been atrocious in the post season. I know they addressed some things on Defense this offseason. If they’re fall on their face in the playoffs again on Defense but play a great game on offense who should get the blame? It should be McDermott and maybe he feels like if it doesn’t get done on D this year it will be.

[BillsBruce]

Coachspeak for "I'm pretty effing worried about the secondary."  (As am I.)

[Gregg]

18 minutes ago, Mark80 said:

The lack of respect from some fans for the best coach in our teams history is laughable.

 

Saban and Levy had more success than McDermott. If winning counts (and it does) then Saban is #1. He coached B2B AFL championships in Bills history. The only coach to actually win something here.

[Buffalo Boy]

1 hour ago, Mark80 said:

The lack of respect from some fans for the best coach in our teams history is laughable.

Sometimes your “ best” isn’t good enough.

When your best isn’t good six years running, maybe it’s a sober dose of reality and not a lack of respect.

[T master]

6 hours ago, uticaclub said:

People have given McDermott a lot of credit over the years, but its ***** or get off the pot time.

Can't tell what group you come from I suggest you go root for the Browns for a while then come back and see exactly how good we have it . Yah it sucks that we haven't been to the SB as of yet but the HC can only do so much and the biggest share is on the players .

 

I suppose you are also a Knorwood hater blaming the SB against the giants on his miss instead of seeing the entire picture of how the D let the team down time and time again . 

 

I would rather be a part of a winning team every year than what transpired before McD got here . Prior to his arrival as you have apparently forgotten every 3 + years there was a HC ing change, scheme changes, player changes and NO PLAY OFFS AT ALL because there was no stability .

 

I guess as they say you can't make every body happy and as I said you will probably still complain about something if and when they do make it to the big game .

 

Oh and how many teams recently that change coaching staffs go from the bottom to the top and sustain it ? 

[T master]

5 hours ago, twoandfourteen said:

“Instant gratification”?

 

McDermott has had seven seasons with arguably the best QB in NFL history and has not even managed a Super Bowl appearance. 

 

Allen turns 30 in May. He has three — maybe four, if he doesn’t get hurt — years left in his prime before a rapid decline sets in. 

 

How much longer are you going to give McDermott and Beane to keep “learning things”?

 

I don’t even care if they win the ring or not right now, but they HAVE to get to the Super Bowl this year — otherwise Terry needs to throw both of them overboard. 

Yes he has and they have been the best years since the 90's but the thing you all seem to forget and want to go back to is what was . Changing a HC, his staff, schemes every 3 yrs to see IF that is the answer you have learned little or nothing at all from the past ...

[Max Fischer]

17 hours ago, QB Bills said:

We get at least one of these threads every season.

 

He's the same guy he's always been and always will be. The Bills will have to win the super bowl in spite of him, not because of him.

 

It's amazing how many fans do not appreciate McDermott. *Maybe* another coach could have won a Super Bowl over the past few years, but you have NO idea if that's true. In fact, any other coach could have led the team to worse outcomes. However, I do think there is ample evidence that this moribund franchise just so happened to turn around to become perennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders since he arrived. 

[T master]

2 hours ago, HomeskillitMoorman said:

 

The whole "people would still complain if we won the SB" thing is so lazy and disingenuous. You're acting as if people who criticize McD have nothing rational to stand behind. He's a defensive coach whose defense has let us down in 6 straight postseasons. He has a QB that overall has been lights out in the playoffs and he's only a little better than .500 in those games and 0-4 vs the Chiefs, all 4 in which his D has gotten completely smoked by them even in seasons where they are not doing that to the rest of the league. He mismanaged one of those in which he was given a lead with 13 seconds left. 

 

It's fine if you happen to like the guy or if you want to try to defend any of those things. I don't care if people disagree with me about football and am happy to debate.

 

But what you are saying is the equivalent to me just saying that you're a McD Stan who loves him more than the team and that you'll be on your knees for him no matter what he does...instead of actually debating it in football terms. You're trying to turn it into this being some psychological exercise of anyone who doesn't like McD is some kind of intentionally fatalistic depressed cynic that wants the Bills to lose so they can keep complaining about him...when really it's the opposite...they're venting because they WANT the Bills to win it all and some thing being rid of him would be the best path to that. 

 

I disagree with people who want to keep McD but I give them enough credit as Bills fans to believe they really think keeping him is the best path forward to winning it all. We just happen to disagree on that. If we lose again this year and McD's defense and/or game management is a big reason again and we fired him and won the SB next year with a different coach, I'm not going to try go find all the people who defended him and tell them to go "p**s up a rope". That's just such a childish way to look at this. 

Then WHO ???????? Name me one, And I want a guarantee that the next guys record would be better and that we would go to a SB !!

 

Do you. remember who else was a defensive coach that whipped our ass every year for 20 yrs ? Can you say Bellicek ?? Oh and the coach that beat us in the first Bills SB against the Giants was a defensive coach so that doesn't hold any water sorry ...

[QB Bills]

19 minutes ago, Max Fischer said:

 

It's amazing how many fans do not appreciate McDermott. *Maybe* another coach could have won a Super Bowl over the past few years, but you have NO idea if that's true. In fact, any other coach could have led the team to worse outcomes. However, I do think there is ample evidence that this moribund franchise just so happened to turn around to become perennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders since he arrived. 

And you attribute this to McDermott? Your pet hamster could coach this team to the playoffs with Josh Allen as QB.

[HomeskillitMoorman]

13 minutes ago, T master said:

Then WHO ???????? Name me one, And I want a guarantee that the next guys record would be better and that we would go to a SB !!

 

Do you. remember who else was a defensive coach that whipped our ass every year for 20 yrs ? Can you say Bellicek ?? Oh and the coach that beat us in the first Bills SB against the Giants was a defensive coach so that doesn't hold any water sorry ...

 

How could I possibly guarantee that with anyone I would name? Just like you can't guarantee that McD will win a SB here. And I wouldn't ask that because it's silly. 

 

And I didn't say a defensive coach can't win it, I said McD is a defensive coach whose defense has let us down for 6 straight years in the postseason. His side of the ball has been our big weakness and liability in the most important games every year. That didn't happen with Belichick's defenses on the Giants or Patriots. 

 

I'm starting to think you don't even read what people are writing here.