Is This McD's Worst Loss?

[Sweats]

I still can't put 13 seconds into words, so that one has to stay on top.........this past weekend is a close 2nd.

[uticaclub]

Nothing will ever top 13 seconds. If Terry had the balls to fire him after that, there no Damar but there's a Super Bowl appearance 

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

1 hour ago, Donuts and Doritos said:

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

I ultimately chose YES…

 

this one felt like the nail in the coffin to me. 

[RochesterLifer]

Being a regular season loss, especially one that doesn’t individually derail the Bills from the playoffs, this can’t be viewed as McDermott’s worst defeat. However, we may look back and see this as a day of reckoning. 
- The Bills have a pattern of stumbling mid season, then pulling it together after the bye. We have passed the bye, and yesterday looked completely lost.

- Josh also has a pattern of gaining effectiveness and aggressiveness in November. As of November 10, this season’s gain has not yet begun - again, he looked completely lost.

 

For the first time in six years, it is hard for me to see where the Bills are either growing or maintaining. I am as optimistic a fan as you’ll find and I hope like hell that I’m wrong. But, the Bills are showing no answers and yesterday may mark the beginning of the decline.

[dpberr]

16 hours ago, zow2 said:

 

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.

It easily gets my vote for McDermott's worst game because of the lack of preparation (42 pass attempts in bad weather) and the team's lack of interest and effort.  

 

13 Seconds was bad but the team showed up for that game.  

 

 

[Gregg]

16 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

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

 

This is going back in time but the 1980 divisional round loss to the Chargers. The Bills had the lead late in the 4th and then Fouts throw a long TD pass for the game winning score. A year later in the 1981 divisional round vs the Bengals the Bills were driving for the tying score, but a penalty stalled the drive and the Bills lost by 7.

[SoonerBillsFan]

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

 

This is going back in time but the 1980 divisional round loss to the Chargers. The Bills had the lead late in the 4th and then Fouts throw a long TD pass for the game winning score. A year later in the 1981 divisional round vs the Bengals the Bills were driving for the tying score, but a penalty stalled the drive and the Bills lost by 7.

Don't forget the Ronnie Harmon drop against the Browns.  Could have been 5 straight AFCCG for us

[CirclnWagons]

I haven’t seen a beating like the bills took Sunday since my mother caught me smoking behind our barn. My jaw still clicks from time to time 

[Gunsgoodtime]

13 seconds and its not even remotely close.  The amount of stupidity it took to lose that game is shocking 

[Brand J]

I thought we were moving towards a youth movement and speed in the secondary? Why did Hancock only get 10 defensive snaps to Poyer’s 43?
 

Hairston started the game and played every snap; if Benford comes back and McD splits time between Hairston and White again I’ll be at the point where I truly want McD gone at the end of the year.

[Chaos]

 
Nick Faldo was a good golfer early in his career but decided that his swing would never allow him to win a major. So he went to David Leadbetter and asked him to rebuild his swing. Faldo went through a miserable period but he was steadfast in his belief that what he was doing was the right thing. Many outsiders shook their heads in disbelief.
But then it all clicked into place. Faldo went on to win six majors. He knew what he was doing. Sean McVay massive rebuilding after getting to the Super Bowl is a recent similar football analogy. 

The missing link in the McDermott era was not recognizing 3 or 4 years ago, that the problem with the schemes were using wasn't with the offense, but with the defense. The deconstruction of the unstoppable offensive attack that once able to play a perfect game against New England, seems to be related to trying to preserve the concept that our once innovative defensesive scheme (circa 2018) was and is never going to be effective against a string of top tier playoff teams. 

Edited 18 hours ago by Chaos

[BillsFooteball]

Only looked at few replies but no brainer 13 seconds is #1. This should have been changes to regular season loss as all things considered is probably #1

[Richard Noggin]

I'm sure many posters have replied with only the text: "13 seconds" 

 

right?

 

Edit: going to read backwards to make sure we're all sane enough to never forget that playoff debacle despite the offense HUMMING AT A HISTORIC LEVEL.

Edited 10 hours ago by Richard Noggin

[Richard Noggin]

8 hours ago, Chaos said:

 
Nick Faldo was a good golfer early in his career but decided that his swing would never allow him to win a major. So he went to David Leadbetter and asked him to rebuild his swing. Faldo went through a miserable period but he was steadfast in his belief that what he was doing was the right thing. Many outsiders shook their heads in disbelief.
But then it all clicked into place. Faldo went on to win six majors. He knew what he was doing. Sean McVay massive rebuilding after getting to the Super Bowl is a recent similar football analogy. 

The missing link in the McDermott era was not recognizing 3 or 4 years ago, that the problem with the schemes were using wasn't with the offense, but with the defense. The deconstruction of the unstoppable offensive attack that once able to play a perfect game against New England, seems to be related to trying to preserve the concept that our once innovative defensesive scheme (circa 2018) was and is never going to be effective against a string of top tier playoff teams. 

 

Love this post at first, but it ignores two things:

 

First, it ignores how many plays and points the offense is leaving out there each week. The running game is ELITE at times. But, something is wrong in the passing game, and it's not as simple as bad WRs (although that's certainly an issue). I've wondered about the QBs and WRs coaches, and the backup QB, and if there's anyone truly preparing Allen for the nuances each week, while also repeatedly reminding him to take the small stuff early and often. Daboll was hard on Allen, which I think he 100% needs. I hated Daboll's sequencing and lack of run-pass sync, but he was interpersonally the right guy to coach 17. 

 

Second, it ignores what the defense looked like, starting post-bye, when McD took over and we still had Oliver for a couple plays and Hoecht for a handful more quarters. They were doing some things. Sure, we can roll our eyes at the Panthers results because of the Red Rifle. But those Chiefs results were pretty cool. Granted, the Chiefs are super one dimensional on offense, and that's where McD's defenses can actually be effective. Nevertheless, we've seen his desire to be more multiple and aggressive, finally. Not sure he has the horses now to do much but hang on and hope his offense scores a billion points (except for the offense's deliberate, plodding design now).

[QCity]

Not even close. If our 2 best offensive players don't turn the ball over 3 times we probably win.

 

It's going to take a lot to dethrone 13 seconds.

[BVBILLS]

The UNFORGIVABLE 13 seconds epic choke by the Bills defensive head coach will never be topped by CHOKING to the 2-7 fins during the regular season who have a lame duck coach after they just fired their gm with back up secondary and traded one of their best defenders away! C'mon man!!!!

 

13 seconds was actually MUCH worse than the music city miracle when you think about it. MCM was only ONE PLAY!

 

 

Edited 10 hours ago by BVBILLS

[TFBillsfan]

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

I’d add the playoff loss to Houston as well. Another game where the D choked.  
 

The regular season loss to New Orleans where they ran it down our throats. See a pattern developing.

 

I’d also add losing to NE in the wind game, where McDermott was too afraid to throw the ball but let Mac FN Jones beat you with a pass. 

[Chaos]

8 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Love this post at first, but it ignores two things:

 

First, it ignores how many plays and points the offense is leaving out there each week. The running game is ELITE at times. But, something is wrong in the passing game, and it's not as simple as bad WRs (although that's certainly an issue). I've wondered about the QBs and WRs coaches, and the backup QB, and if there's anyone truly preparing Allen for the nuances each week, while also repeatedly reminding him to take the small stuff early and often. Daboll was hard on Allen, which I think he 100% needs. I hated Daboll's sequencing and lack of run-pass sync, but he was interpersonally the right guy to coach 17. 

 

Second, it ignores what the defense looked like, starting post-bye, when McD took over and we still had Oliver for a couple plays and Hoecht for a handful more quarters. They were doing some things. Sure, we can roll our eyes at the Panthers results because of the Red Rifle. But those Chiefs results were pretty cool. Granted, the Chiefs are super one dimensional on offense, and that's where McD's defenses can actually be effective. Nevertheless, we've seen his desire to be more multiple and aggressive, finally. Not sure he has the horses now to do much but hang on and hope his offense scores a billion points (except for the offense's deliberate, plodding design now).

It does not ignore the offense leaving points on the field. It actually specifically says the offense is broken. Previously it was not broken. A logical person does not thing the defense somehow was fixed, because it played well against an Andy Dalton led defense.  And the defense played so great against the Chiefs (who have a lot of other losses. Sidenote - the 2025 Chiefs are not the same as the 2023 Chiefs) that they gave up a 4th and 18, and let the Chiefs stay in the game until the last play.  

[GunnerBill]

I think it's his worst regular season loss since he decided to start Nathan Peterman in the middle of a playoff chase in 2017. 

[Augie]

The results of the poll tell us recency bias is a real thing with 66% currently saying it’s McD’s worst loss. I’m sick and tired of hearing about 13 seconds (and hope some of you seek help) but I’ve put that in the rear view mirror. There’s no way a regular season loss in Miami is worse than that. 

 

 

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Edited 1 hour ago by Augie