Buffalo Bills: Sean McDermott near middle in NFL.com power rankings

NFL.com released a power ranking list of NFL head coaches and Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott appeared where expected.

Last week we looked at some NFL head coach power rankings courtesy of NFL Mocks. That list had Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott ranked No. 18 overall.

This week saw NFL.com release some similar power rankings. And for those who were upset with the No. 18 overall ranking, that seems to be where he is settled in as of right now.

The list on NFL.com has McDermott ranked No. 19 overall, just ahead of Marvin Lewis and just behind Jay Gruden.

This is a fair ranking, in my opinion, for a second-year head coach. He gets some credit for taking his team to the playoffs in 2017 but he will face his first true test as a head coach this year with the current quarterback situation.

If McDermott and his staff can make this offense perform at a similar or better level compared to last season, he will rise up these rankings next year.

Starting Nathan Peterman last season nearly ruined his reputation, but he kept his team level and didn’t let that one decision derail the season. The Bills may have not beaten the Chargers if Tyrod Taylor had started anyway.

The Bills need consistency at the head coaching spot and winning seasons will surely help McDermott’s job security. He also seems to be on the same page as Brandon Beane, which is a crucial step in building a team according to the same philosophy.

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A bad 2018 season won’t get McDermott fired, but it could get him on the hot seat if he makes more Peterman-like decisions and the team takes a giant step back. On the other side of this, another trip to the playoffs would put McDermott among the greatest to ever coach the team.