The Buffalo Bills are going into today’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs at 5-2, hoping to get to 6-2, but they will need to take down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to do so. Buffalo is coming off a huge 40-9 win over the Panthers, but now they will be very much tested against the Chiefs and this is the time where Sean McDermott can start to show any doubters that he can get the Bills back to a true contender.
There’s only been two games this season where Buffalo controlled the game and truly dominated their opponents; Week 2 vs. Jets, and last Sunday against the Panthers. Other than that, they have been in close games and they sustained two losses from them.
Head coach Sean McDermott has taken some heat this season due to the performance of the defense. Coaches are judged based on a lot of factors, but whichever side of the ball they tend to lean more towards really gets evaluated.
With McDermott being a defensive-minded coach, it’s not a great look when your side of the ball is the one that’s struggling.
Recent HC power rankings show Sean McDermott must deliver for Bills in Week 9
Lou Scataglia from NFL Spin Zone put together a power rankings list for head coaches going into the Week 9 games, and McDermott is in a spot where he has to prove that he belongs to be higher on the list. Scataglia has McDermott at No. 14 overall, behind coaches like Todd Bowles (No. 12), Liam Coen (No. 10), Nick Sirianni (No. 8), and Mike Vrabel (No. 2).
"Among the Buffalo teams across this last half-decade, the 2025 team honestly feels the weakest right now. I am not sure Sean McDermott has much more in the tank as a head coach, either. He feels maxed out."Lou Scataglia, NFL Spin Zone
Some fans may agree with this statement, some may not. However, we can’t deny the fact that while McDermott has been a great culture setter for the Bills and has helped bring back joy to Bills fans, getting over the obstacles in critical moments has not been his greatest strength and it’s cost Buffalo at times.
Even with the Bills being at 5-2, it doesn’t feel like a great 5-2. If McDermott wants to start to prove that the Bills are for real moving forward, today is the day to prove it against Buffalo’s biggest challenge this decade.