Buffalo Bills: Did Sean McDermott call defense on 13-second Chiefs drive?

After a week that was filled with controversy for the Buffalo Bills with Stefon Diggs skipping the first practice of minicamp, it would seem controversy will not be stopping any time. One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Buffalo Bills during the Sean McDermott era was what happened at the end of the AFC Divisional Round game against the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2021 season.

In what is considered one of the greatest playoff games ever the Bills and Chiefs would go back and forth. It seemed like the Bills were about to advance to the AFC Championship Game when Josh Allen found Gabe Davis for his fourth touchdown of the game. This would give Buffalo a 36-33 lead with only 13 seconds left in regulation.

Unfortunately, the Bills would not only see their lead slip away but their season as well. The Chiefs would be able to go 44 yards on three plays to get in position for Harrison Butker to connect on a 49-yard field goal to tie the game as time expired in regulation.

The Chiefs would end up winning the coin toss in overtime and Patrick Mahomes would drive the offense down the field to secure the win.

NFL Insider claims it was Sean McDermott who called the Buffalo Bills defense on the :13 second drive

On Friday, NFL Insider Michael Lombardi was on The Pat McAfee show and made a rather surprising claim that it was not Leslie Frazier but in fact, it was Sean McDermott who called the defense on that final drive.

""13 seconds in Kansas City, [Sean] McDermott took over the play calls on that drive that ended in a field goal. That did not sit well with Leslie Frazier. The next year he kept calling the defense. This year Sean McDermott wanted to call the defense and Leslie for whatever reason said no.""

- Michael Lombardi

Lombardi went on to say that McDermott's desire to call the defense this season was one of the reasons Frazier elected to step away from football this offseason. This would be the first time I have heard this as there weren't many people with the Bills to discuss what happened after that game.

Since joining the Buffalo Bills, Sean McDermott has been one of the most successful head coaches in football. He has turned the Bills franchise around by ending the playoff drought in his first season and won the AFC East the past three seasons.

If this is true, it seems he is entering this season under the most pressure he has in his head coaching career. If the defense struggles with McDermott calling the plays, the hot seat is going to get very hot.