Post-McDermott Bills Off to Rocky Start Following Bizarre Press Conference Comments
After a disappointing end to their season, the Buffalo Bills lost to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round and failed to advance to the AFC Championship. After coming up short in the playoffs yet again, Bills management made significant changes, just not the one that a majority of Bills Mafia had in mind. In a shocking twist of fate, Buffalo fired head coach Sean McDermott and promoted general manager Brandon Beane to president of football operations. These moves have hefty implications for a team that has maintained the McDermott-Beane status quo for nearly a decade. After the firing, Beane held a press conference with the team’s owner that made even more headlines.
McDermott’s Firing Came as a Shock
Without a doubt, McDermott has felt the brunt of criticisms during his tenure as the Bills’ coach. Since solidifying themselves as one of the league’s top teams this decade, not getting a single AFC Championship victory undoubtedly led to finger-pointing. Some have blamed Josh Allen, some have blamed Beane, and others blamed McDermott. However, when it comes down to getting knocked out of Super Bowl contention by the Kansas City Chiefs in four out of five seasons, comparisons are bound to be made between McDermott and Andy Reid. From 2020-2023, McDermott had all he needed to succeed in the NFL. An All-Pro wide receiver catching passes from an elite quarterback and a top-10 defense seemed to be a great recipe for success. However, year after year, the Bills couldn’t punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, leaving the future of the head coach in doubt. Although when he started to accumulate an aging defense and a lot less starpower for Allen, then fans could truly see that McDermott had a lot of talent to win five straight AFC East titles and seven playoff appearances.
Beane’s Disasterclass as GM Makes Promotion Headscratching Decision
The Bills’ GM earned the nickname ‘Big Baller Beane’ after many seasons of building a team of Pro Bowlers and propelling the Bills into the ranks of contenders. His notable moves are: drafting Allen and Tremaine Edmunds in 2018, drafting James Cook, Khalil Shakir, and Christian Benford in 2022, trading for Stefon Diggs, and extending many key roster pieces such as Allen, Tre’Davious White, Ed Oliver, and Cook. As of late, though, his reputation has soured amongst the fan base. The main gripe among Bills Mafia has been the lack of weapons that he’s surrounded their franchise quarterback with. While it’s true that his trade for Diggs is what propelled Allen into the elite conversation, he’s done little to improve the wide receiver position since then. Drafting Gabe Davis in the fourth round of the 2020 draft has been the closest that Beane has come to acquiring a receiver closest to Diggs’ talents, and that isn’t saying much. The biggest gripes from fans have been why there’s been a lack of interest in acquiring wide receiver talent and why so many over-the-hill former Bills have come back in prominent roles. With a lackluster group of receivers and White, Davis, and Jordan Phillips all playing significant snaps, it can be seen why fans are so frustrated with the end of this season.
Pegula Pours Gas onto the Fire in Dramatic Presser
There seem to be two different kinds of Buffalo sports fans. First are those who wholeheartedly appreciate what Terry Pegula has done in keeping pro sports in Buffalo, and the others who think that they are ruining sports in Buffalo and need to take a step back from operating the teams. The McDermott firing was always going to make headlines, but it’s been taken to the next level through Pegula’s press conference with Beane two days after the firing. Instead of considering past playoff losses that could have been blamed on coaching, Pegula insisted that McDermott’s firing was a result of the loss to the Broncos in the playoffs, but said that the team lost because of a bad call. The call he was referring to was that of a 50/50 ball intended for Brandin Cooks that ended up getting ruled as an interception for Ja’Quan McMillian, which led to Denver’s game-winning drive. Then, when a reporter insinuated that the McDermott firing may have been a power play by Beane to get him promoted, Pegula addressed that directly. “If I sense you’re on a power play, you’re out,” said Pegula. “I don’t like power play people. Any sense at all that he was on a power play, he would’ve been gone.”
Search for New Coach Continues
Dramatics aside, the Bills still need a new head coach. With the AFC and NFC Championships yet to be played, there are still some premier coach candidates still unable to interview for the job. With the likes of Broncos DC Vance Joseph, Rams OC and DC Mike LaFleur, Chris Shula, and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak all still vying for the Super Bowl, it will be interesting to see if the Bills get a chance to interview any of them. No matter who Pegula and Beane pick to carry this franchise into the future, McDermott certainly laid the foundation for a successful culture in Buffalo.
