Buffalo Bills: Where does FanSided put Sean McDermott in HC rankings?

Where does FanSided rank Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott alongside the rest of the NFL?

The off-season is full of power rankings from quarterbacks to kickers to general managers now to head coaches. FanSided’s Brad Weiss took a deep dive into ranking the NFL’s head coaches and gave credit where it’s due to the Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott.

Weiss ranked McDermott as the NFL’s No. 17 head coach, considering that he’s been in this position for just two years, that’s a fair ranking. He said, in his article “Ranking the best NFL head coaches heading into the 2019 season;”

"In his first season in Buffalo, McDermott led the Bills to a playoff berth, their first since 1999, ending the longest playoff drought in the NFL. — McDermott has proven that he can win at the NFL level, and the Bills has a solid offseason, so they could be players in the Wild Card discussion in the AFC this season."

McDermott’s No. 17 ranking puts him ahead of some accomplished head coaches, including Jacksonville Jaguars’ Doug Marrone, Houston Texans’ Bill O’Brien, and New York Jets’ Adam Gase. However, he nearly fell short of making it as Weiss’ best in the NFL, as the Atlanta Falcons’ Dan Quinn, Los Angeles Chargers’ Anthony Lynn, and Indianapolis Colts’ Frank Reich were the three in front of him.

But McDermott is on a path to success. Since being hired by Buffalo after the 2016 season, he’s been the catalyst for improvement in Western New York. Though he’s not the offensive innovator so many teams are clamoring for, he’s a smart coach that has built a foundation for success with the Bills.

McDermott’s coaching philosophy goes far past the X’s and O’s. For him, it’s been about building a winning team that believes in each other. The idea of creating a locker room that thrives off of chemistry, leadership, and hard work is what McDermott has instilled in the team. The results? A Bills team that is much better than their individuals or record.

In 2017, McDermott took an understaffed Bills team to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. In 2018, when many figured the Bills would go through a massive rebuild, he kept his squad competitive despite a litany of injuries to the tune of a 6-10 record. As a defense orientated head coach, it’s no surprise that he’s built up a nearly elite defense, finishing second in the NFL in yards allowed in 2018.

Though McDermott’s 13-17 head coaching record isn’t pretty, he’s returned the Bills to relevance via hard-work and team chemistry. In 2019, he’ll have the opportunity to make that record a positive one. His defense is improved, and his offense, led by Josh Allen, has the potential to be the best it’s been in a long time.