If you were to ask a handful of Buffalo Bills fans about what their thoughts are on Sean McDermott, there might be a split down the middle on how they feel about him being in charge of the team. However, there is no doubt that he is the best head coach the Bills have had since Marv Levy.
McDermott has led the Bills to the playoffs in all but one season and helped turn around the culture that Rex Ryan hurt in 2015-2016. After spending years working with Andy Reid and Ron Rivera, McDermott got his chance to become a head coach for the Bills in 2017. Right from the start, he and general manager Brandon Beane started changing things in Buffalo.
Players were traded away (Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby) and the Bills started preparing themselves for the future by acquiring draft picks that helped them land multiple franchise players. Since McDermott arrived, the Bills have found their franchise quarterback in Josh Allen, his blindside protector in Dion Dawkins, and multiple solid players across the roster that have provided a huge impact in Buffalo’s success the last 4-5 years.
One big knock on McDermott is his lack of aggressiveness when it comes to playing it safe. There is a big time argument that McDermott plays it safe to avoid losing, rather than keeping his foot on the gas pedal.
Another big knock on McDermott is his playoff success. He has shown that he can come in and clean up a mess. McDermott has also shown that when it comes to regular season football, he is one of the best coaches in the league. However, playoffs are a different story. He has a 5-6 playoff record, which includes three losses to the Kansas City Chiefs.
McDermott now heads into the 2024 seasons with a little bit of an overhaul within the roster. He has almost a brand new secondary, a new defensive coordinator, and the offense is going to look much different with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
At the same time, McDermott has the chance to accomplish something for the first time in his career…
Sean McDermott has a big chance to win the Coach of the Year award
Think about it. McDermott has been getting criticized for his “play it safe” mindset with the superstars he has had the last couple of years. Now the roster doesn’t look as strong on paper as compared to the rest of the AFC East, let alone the NFL.
There are way more doubters than believers in the Bills to win the AFC East for the fifth consecutive year. If McDermott can silence the doubters and stay on top of the division for the Bills, there is no way McDermott will be left out of the conversation for Coach of the Year. Throughout this whole offseason, we have been hearing the chatter about the Bills’ Super Bowl window closing and how McDermott is leaning towards the hot seat.
While it will be a long season, Bills fans are ready to buckle up and get the season rolling. Say what you want about McDermott, he has the tools to be the best head coach in the league but he needs to put all the pieces together.