Is This McD's Worst Loss?

[corta765]

20 hours ago, Billsfanatic8989 said:

13 seconds was obviously the worst. That was the game that turned me against him for good. 

 

But this is one of the most uninspired regular season losses. 

 

It is wild how the vibes were pretty good post KC... and then they decided to not improve the roster, then run PR to try and save face, and then the team itself looked as inspired as mayo. Strange as it sounds they looked like a team checked out whether it was underestimating Miami or because no one was brought in.

Either way I have been a Beane backer for years and I am now firmly good with him leaving and a general clean sweep. He has successfully wasted a year of Josh's prime with his inaction at WR. I understood 2024 being a reset year etc.. but WR wise even just drafting a few guys would've helped immensely to diversify this group. Instead he was arrogant, doubled down including bashing those who questioned it only to now look like a fool.

[zow2]

Miami fired the GM and kept the coach (for now).

 

Giants fired the coach and kept the GM.

 

I think if things continue to go downhill here, Pegula would fire the coach first and keep the GM for continuity of staff.  It's just easier to find a new head coach and assistants rather than having to backfill so many positions behind the scenes concerning a GM.  

[dpberr]

No.  The January 22, 2023 playoff loss to the Bengals at HOME remains the worst loss IMO.  Win and get to the Championship Game.

 

Nobody in the Bills organization came to play football that day.  

 

Yesterday's game was a copy of that game.  

[frostbitmic]

There are too many bad losses to choose just one.

[Low Positive]

2 hours ago, dpberr said:

No.  The January 22, 2023 playoff loss to the Bengals at HOME remains the worst loss IMO.  Win and get to the Championship Game.

 

Nobody in the Bills organization came to play football that day.  

 

Yesterday's game was a copy of that game.  

I actually think the AFC Championship Game in January 2021 in KC was the worst loss. We were a hot, young team riding a wave and came out like we expected to lose. The second was the AFC CG last year. In both cases, we were a win from the Super Bowl. All other losses, including 13 seconds, pale in comparison. 

[SoonerBillsFan]

On 11/9/2025 at 2:57 PM, Donuts and Doritos said:

Jags loss to Urban Myer was bad. But is this the worst overall team loss under McD?

2nd worst, but the team is regressing and looked totally unprepared in a way we haven't seen 

[DrDawkinstein]

1 minute ago, Low Positive said:

I actually think the AFC Championship Game in January 2021 in KC was the worst loss. We were a hot, young team riding a wave and came out like we expected to lose. The second was the AFC CG last year. In both cases, we were a win from the Super Bowl. All other losses, including 13 seconds, pale in comparison. 

 

Need a whole separate thread for worst playoff losses.

 

Which is telling...

[Gregg]

On 11/9/2025 at 4:17 PM, BillsFan130 said:

1. 13 seconds

2. Urban Meyer loss

3. Colts regular season blow out loss

4. Broncos Monday night game

 

Then you can argue this is probably #5

 

What about losing to Zach Wilson and the Jets twice.

[Low Positive]

Just now, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Need a whole separate thread for worst playoff losses.

 

Which is telling...

But you could do this with every team that is not actively winning Super Bowls. I imagine that no loss hurts all that much if you're a Chiefs or Pats fan, but I wouldn't know. 

[DrDawkinstein]

4 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

But you could do this with every team that is not actively winning Super Bowls. I imagine that no loss hurts all that much if you're a Chiefs or Pats fan, but I wouldn't know. 

 

Maybe. Not sure how many of them have so many games that are total team let-downs so directly attributable to botched coaching/lack of coaching.

 

The Cowboys laying an egg against the Packers comes to mind. And McCarthy isnt there anymore.

[Gregg]

Worst loss in the McDermott era is 13 seconds. Worst loss in franchise history is "Wide Right". 

[zow2]

2 hours ago, dpberr said:

No.  The January 22, 2023 playoff loss to the Bengals at HOME remains the worst loss IMO.  Win and get to the Championship Game.

 

Nobody in the Bills organization came to play football that day.  

 

 

Hey, i was there with my son.  Not the worst game I've seen in person, but certainly the worst playoff game given the stakes.  The game was bad enough, the long drive home in traffic, darkness, snow falling and poor road conditions was just the most depressing thing ever.  My son and I barely spoke a word to each other.

[Low Positive]

2 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Maybe. Not sure how many of them have so many games that are total team let-downs so directly attributable to botched coaching/lack of coaching.

 

The Cowboys laying an egg against the Packers comes to mind. And McCarthy isnt there anymore.

The Packers lost at home to the Panthers the week after we rolled them. The Falcons got rolled by these same Dolphins, but at home. The Bengals gave up 38 points to the Jets in a home loss and Joe Burrow being out had nothing to do with it. The Rams lost to Mac Jones and the 49ers at home. The Jags just choked a 29-10 lead going into the 4th quarter by giving up 26 points to the Texans. That was this week. The Lions lost at home to the Vikings and JJ McCarthy. I know we live in a Bills bubble, but this has really evolved into an "any given Sunday" league where no team is safe. That being said, this Sunday sucked really bad and was the third-worst regular-season loss of the McDermott/Allen era. 

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

On 11/9/2025 at 3:57 PM, Donuts and Doritos said:

Jags loss to Urban Myer was bad. But is this the worst overall team loss under McD?

Why not put this in poll form? Would’ve been interesting seeing the results. This was definitely the worst REGULAR season game, but as other posters mention, 13 seconds was the F up of epic and monumental proportions. 

[Donuts and Doritos]

8 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Why not put this in poll form? Would’ve been interesting seeing the results. This was definitely the worst REGULAR season game, but as other posters mention, 13 seconds was the F up of epic and monumental proportions. 

Ask and you have received. Good idea. 1st time making a poll in here. Thanks & Go Bills!

[DrDawkinstein]

19 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

The Packers lost at home to the Panthers the week after we rolled them. The Falcons got rolled by these same Dolphins, but at home. The Bengals gave up 38 points to the Jets in a home loss and Joe Burrow being out had nothing to do with it. The Rams lost to Mac Jones and the 49ers at home. The Jags just choked a 29-10 lead going into the 4th quarter by giving up 26 points to the Texans. That was this week. The Lions lost at home to the Vikings and JJ McCarthy. I know we live in a Bills bubble, but this has really evolved into an "any given Sunday" league where no team is safe. That being said, this Sunday sucked really bad and was the third-worst regular-season loss of the McDermott/Allen era. 

 

Yes, teams lose. Half of them lose every Sunday. That's not the point.

 

Rams loss (wasnt this week) was 26-23 OT loss against a division rival. The Lions lost at home to the Vikes 27-24. Not a blow out. I can handle a close, hard fought loss against a division opponent. Both the 9ers and Vikings are talented playoff teams.

 

Packers lost 16-13, and it was 7-6 at the half, again, close, hard fought game.

 

None of the games you mention were blow outs where the clearly better team just failed to show up across all 3 phases against a weak and feeble division rival.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by DrDawkinstein

[SoonerBillsFan]

29 minutes ago, Gregg said:

Worst loss in the McDermott era is 13 seconds. Worst loss in franchise history is "Wide Right". 

But I think we can agree that 13 seconds is #2 now for the team.  Music city throw up and the 3 other SB losses are after that

[Low Positive]

Just now, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Yes, teams lose. Half of them lose every Sunday. That's not the point.

 

Rams loss (wasnt this week) was 26-23 OT loss against a division rival. The Lions lost at home to the Vikes 27-24. Not a blow out. I can handle a close, hard fought loss against a division opponent.

 

Packers lost 16-13, and it was 7-6 at the half, again, close, hard fought game.

 

None of the games you mention were blow outs where the clearly better team just failed to show up across all 3 phases against a weak and feeble division rival.

The Packers only managed 13 points against a team that we scored 40 on. At home! We would be just as upset about that as we are today. But I'm splitting hairs and by no means want to argue that yesterday wasn't bad. I think McDermott should have been fired this morning for not preparing his team, but that was never going to happen. 

[Uncle Stucky]

Not. Even. Close. 
 

McD will live in infamy for 13 seconds. 
 

13 seconds might be the worst loss in the last decade of the NFL. 

[Low Positive]

3 minutes ago, Uncle Stucky said:

Not. Even. Close. 
 

McD will live in infamy for 13 seconds. 
 

13 seconds might be the worst loss in the last decade of the NFL. 

I would agree if it had been the AFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl. But it was only the divisional round, with a game against the Bengals waiting. We probably would have lost that game. I will always argue that the loss the year before that, when the Bills were riding high into KC after two playoff wins, was worse. McDermott and Daboll called a horrible game, and neither had the team believing that they could actually win the game. It was the classic case of a team just being happy to be there. In many ways, that set the tone for the rest of the McDermott era in Buffalo.