A Different Vibe from McDermott

[HomeskillitMoorman]

1 hour ago, Max Fischer said:

You can’t be serious.

 

Some folks must have a severe case of amnesia. When Josh Allen was drafted, this board — and the fanbase — were nearly distraught. Nearly every expert highlighted his major flaws: shaky accuracy, poor decision-making, raw mechanics. He was the definition of a boom-or-bust pick.

 

There was deep skepticism that he could ever harness his physical tools into something consistent. When Allen actually developed into a good quarterback, nearly everyone was stunned — and the Bills’ coaching staff was treated like miracle workers.

 

Let’s not rewrite history.

 

Let's say for a second we all came to an agreement on this issue where you're at...does that change that McD's defenses have been a weakness and let us down in just about every postseason? What if as a defensive coach his defenses just keep costing us huge even more in January? Do we just stay status quo because they hit on the QB even if McD is not the right guy to get us over the hump? 

[Nihilarian]

Does anyone remember the 2023 season?  The Buffalo Bills were 6-6 at one point, and the Miami Dolphins were 9-3. Things were looking pretty bleak for the Bills to win the division that season. While Josh Allen is great...the team was still 6-6 with Diggs getting most of the passes. It is a team sport, and all facets of the team matter!

 

McD stood up and made a change at OC that went against what a lot of the players wanted at the time. Buffalo finished first at 11-6 and won the division. Buffalo swept the Dolphins, winning that last game of the season.

 

In my view, this franchise has been so freaking close to getting to the Super Bowl the last five seasons, and the team keeping them out has mostly been the Chiefs. The winningest NFL team over the last five years. 

 

Some Buffalo Bills fans are just so darn miserable that all they want to do is cry in their beer because the team hasn't made it to the Super Bowl recently.  Why not relish the fact that the team has been on the verge of getting to the big dance nearly every season. 

 

 

 

P.S. In 2021, the Baltimore Ravens lost a ton of players due to injuries and went 8-9 that season. Crap happens! It's kind of foolish to blame that season on the HC or GM. Every season since then, they have also been vying for an SB berth. I can't even imagine what this board would plunge into if this year's Buffalo team had a losing season.

[uticaclub]

4 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

P.S. In 2021, the Baltimore Ravens lost a ton of players due to injuries and went 8-9 that season. Crap happens! It's kind of foolish to blame that season on the HC or GM. Every season since then, they have also been vying for an SB berth. I can't even imagine what this board would plunge into if this year's Buffalo team had a losing season.

Would you want to keep McDermott and Beane if this team has a losing record? Harbaugh won a Super Bowl, so he has earned the leeway of having a losing season.

[Thrivefourfive]

I thought he was boring before Hard Knocks. I can’t believe he’s exceeded my presumptions. 

[RoscoeParrish]

6 hours ago, Nihilarian said:

Does anyone remember the 2023 season?  The Buffalo Bills were 6-6 at one point, and the Miami Dolphins were 9-3. Things were looking pretty bleak for the Bills to win the division that season. While Josh Allen is great...the team was still 6-6 with Diggs getting most of the passes. It is a team sport, and all facets of the team matter!

 

McD stood up and made a change at OC that went against what a lot of the players wanted at the time. Buffalo finished first at 11-6 and won the division. Buffalo swept the Dolphins, winning that last game of the season.

 

In my view, this franchise has been so freaking close to getting to the Super Bowl the last five seasons, and the team keeping them out has mostly been the Chiefs. The winningest NFL team over the last five years. 

 

Some Buffalo Bills fans are just so darn miserable that all they want to do is cry in their beer because the team hasn't made it to the Super Bowl recently.  Why not relish the fact that the team has been on the verge of getting to the big dance nearly every season. 

 

 

 

P.S. In 2021, the Baltimore Ravens lost a ton of players due to injuries and went 8-9 that season. Crap happens! It's kind of foolish to blame that season on the HC or GM. Every season since then, they have also been vying for an SB berth. I can't even imagine what this board would plunge into if this year's Buffalo team had a losing season.

I can guarantee fans in Baltimore did blame their HC and GM going 8-9 and missing the playoffs.

 

Do you actually think there aren’t Baltimore fans out there saying Harbaugh’s seat should be getting warm if he can’t get it done with a HoF QB and the most talented team in the AFC?

 

Do you think every single other NFL fan base is just like the pillar of patience and understanding to a fault?

 

Do you know any other fans or just Bills fans?

[JerseyBills]

On 9/3/2025 at 8:50 PM, PoundingDog said:

I know you don't get much from McDermott, the prototypical coach speaking guy. But somehow I detect a different tone starting this year's first Wednesday presser. Notice how he repeated the theme of looking to get better as the season goes along. I believe he said it 4 times in this single presser. Not much of the type he typically says like "in order to win, you have to have the fundamentals" blah blah. You can take it two ways. For those looking for positives, you can say McDermott matured in that it really does not matter how you start, it's how you finish, as in playing your best going into the playoff and having injury stuff lining up for you. For those looking for negatives, you may say McDermott is already preparing us for a loss coming Sunday because he's focusing on the big picture of finding the right guys and preparing the young guys, especially rookies that we have to count on, for later in the playoff.

 

 

 

I got that sense a cpl days ago, he was talking about Buffalo as a city and the disrespect it gets as a city and how hard it is to go to 4 straight SBs, he caught himself getting overly emotional and just stopped talking but you can tell he was fired up..

I said then, he's likely very different behind closed doors, in a good way,set an amazing culture, look at all the former guys coming back , on the PS no less.. He's hungry for that Lombardi,  I can only imagine what goes through his head being so close year after year. 

[T.E.]

2 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

I can only imagine what goes through his head being so close year after year. 

"We'll get it done this year as long as we allocate all our draft picks and free agency signings to the defensive line and secondary."

Edited September 5 by T.E.

[nuklz2594]

Who would you want to replace the hc? A retreat former nfl coach? A shiny new college coach?

[RoscoeParrish]

4 minutes ago, nuklz2594 said:

Who would you want to replace the hc? A retreat former nfl coach? A shiny new college coach?

What if Joe Brady gets poached after this year?

 

If the offense is great, again, and the defense falters in the biggest stage, again, then would you rather keep McD and find a new OC, or elevate Brady and hire a new DC?

 

Thats a serious question coming from someone who thinks McD is a good coach. Because that’s the inflection point coming unless we win it all.

[Augie]

9 hours ago, uticaclub said:

Would you want to keep McDermott and Beane if this team has a losing record? Harbaugh won a Super Bowl, so he has earned the leeway of having a losing season.

 

Barry Switzer won a stinking Super Bowl. Using that as your only measuring tool is ridiculous and simple minded. 

14 minutes ago, nuklz2594 said:

Who would you want to replace the hc? A retreat former nfl coach? A shiny new college coach?

 

This never gets a good answer from the perpetually dissatisfied. 

[RoscoeParrish]

13 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Barry Switzer won a stinking Super Bowl. Using that as your only measuring tool is ridiculous and simple minded. 

 

This never gets a good answer from the perpetually dissatisfied. 

I wouldn’t call myself perpetually dissatisfied but it is answered just above your post.

[Augie]

11 minutes ago, RoscoeParrish said:

I wouldn’t call myself perpetually dissatisfied but it is answered just above your post.

 

So your answer is a 35 year old guy who had never been a HC and has only been an offensive coordinator for one year? That’s quite a gamble with so much at stake. How long are you willing to give him to see if he pans out? How many years of Josh’s career are you willing to risk wasting? 

[DrDawkinstein]

Just now, Augie said:

 

How long are you willing to give him to see if he pans out? How many years of Josh’s career are you willing to risk wasting? 

 

We've already wasted 8 years. How many more are you willing to risk on the known quantity that has proven he cant get it done?

 

Why is McD so different that he gets an indefinite timeline, but you want to cap anyone else?

 

If you're worried about wasting Josh's career, then welcome aboard.

 

 

 

Edited September 5 by DrDawkinstein

[RoscoeParrish]

6 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

So your answer is a 35 year old guy who had never been a HC and has only been an offensive coordinator for one year? That’s quite a gamble with so much at stake. How long are you willing to give him to see if he pans out? How many years of Josh’s career are you willing to risk wasting? 

It would be 2.5 years at that point of being a very good OC and a very good fit for Josh Allen.

 

He’s still a McD disciple when it comes to the culture in the building. It’s not like it’s hiring a complete outside voice.

 

I don’t see what the gamble is, honestly. The offense is still very very very good and maybe the defense still plays very poorly in the playoffs against the Chiefs?  Maybe the defense is a little worse in the regular season too?

 

Do you consider that some massive gamble? Or any more of a gamble than losing Brady and possibly hiring the next Ken Dorsey who needs to be fired midseason to prevent missing the playoffs?

 

Joe Brady may get half as long as McD has had to win a SB in Buffalo. 3-4 years?

Edited September 5 by RoscoeParrish

[DrDawkinstein]

Just now, Augie said:

This never gets a good answer from the perpetually dissatisfied. 

 

False. Plenty of posters have provided viable options over the last few years. Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson.

 

The Bills with Josh would be the most attractive job opening maybe in the history of the NFL. We could pull any top candidate. We wont. But we could.

 

The idea that we'd end up with some lesser quantity is based in nothing but fear and PTSD from the Ralph era.

 

 

 

42 minutes ago, RoscoeParrish said:

What if Joe Brady gets poached after this year?

 

If the offense is great, again, and the defense falters in the biggest stage, again, then would you rather keep McD and find a new OC, or elevate Brady and hire a new DC?

 

Thats a serious question coming from someone who thinks McD is a good coach. Because that’s the inflection point coming unless we win it all.

 

Promoting Brady and hiring a Spags/Fangio type would be ideal.

 

(Actual ideal would be just winning a SB with McD, but...)

[Buffalo Boy]

1 hour ago, nuklz2594 said:

Who would you want to replace the hc? A retreat former nfl coach? A shiny new college coach?

Brady

And a D coordinator who can adapt his scheme as necessary 

[RoscoeParrish]

12 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

False. Plenty of posters have provided viable options over the last few years. Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson.

 

The Bills with Josh would be the most attractive job opening maybe in the history of the NFL. We could pull any top candidate. We wont. But we could.

 

The idea that we'd end up with some lesser quantity is based in nothing but fear and PTSD from the Ralph era.

 

 

 

 

Promoting Brady and hiring a Spags/Fangio type would be ideal.

 

(Actual ideal would be just winning a SB with McD, but...)

Ideal is absolutely winning it all with McD and putting this all to rest. He is a good coach and I think a good guy, and if he was ever let go in Buffalo, I wouldn’t have a bad thing to say about his time here. Better coaches than McD haven’t had the special touch to put together a championship run and he deserves massive credit for his work in turning around the Bills. I also believe he would be an upgrade for a lot of teams in the NFL and not a coach I’d want to see in the division.

 

I guess to me, McD’s OC hiring track record is that 50% of them end up fired and 25% of them have been fired midseason because the season was on the ropes and we were .500 in November.
 

So when we are talking about a gamble of letting McD go, we also need to consider the gamble of McD hiring the next OC if Brady is gone. That seems obvious to me.

Edited September 5 by RoscoeParrish

[Buffalo Boy]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

This never gets a good answer from the perpetually dissatisfied. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

BB No

Johnson No

Harbaugh No

Vrabel No

 

We have had chances to attempt to upgrade and all you McD apologists crapped all over them

 

Edited September 5 by Buffalo Boy

[SoonerBillsFan]

1 hour ago, nuklz2594 said:

Who would you want to replace the hc? A retreat former nfl coach? A shiny new college coach?

Who was McDermott and Beane before they got here?  No one was banging the table for them.

 

I have no issue giving someone else a chance with Allen as QB

[T master]

16 hours ago, uticaclub said:

We have Josh Allen and play in the AFC East, making the playoffs nearly a guarantee. Any coordinator would have achieved similar results with a team led by Josh Allen. The year after Josh leaves, this will be a three-win team, with or without McDermott.

Did McD take this team to their first play offs in 17 yrs with Tyrod Taylor at QB and a bunch of misfit players ? There was no JA 17 one the team that year ...

 

Yes there was a little luck involved which is what this team has had absolutely none of, then having to win games with the refs against you quite possibly the NFL so the Chiefs could make a 3rd SB , certain coordinators making bad calls in the 13 second game, and such .

 

It all starts with the a good leader that has changed the culture and 1 that is in lock step with the GM to bring in players and other coaches to help lead the team to stay winners every season & IMHO that's McD & will be until he decides to leave on his terms not a bunch of arm chair week end warriors that think they know more than a man that has lived every ounce of his life for football .

 

Let's just hire Rex back how bout it ??