The buzz about Sean McDermott’s Bills job security is growing louder

With the firing Tuesday morning of New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, the NFL’s coaching carousel has officially kicked off, leaving fans and analysts alike wondering the same question: Who’s next? There are certainly a handful of names who have been and remain on the hot seat… Nick Sirianni in Philadelphia, Brian Daboll in New York, Doug Pederson in Jacksonville. The list goes on. But what about one of the longest-serving coaches in the league? What about Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills?

Although Sean McDermott has led the Bills to four consecutive AFC East titles and six Playoff appearances in his seven full seasons in Buffalo, there is growing speculation that the lack of postseason success could soon result in a change in leadership in Western New York. With every postseason elimination, or now, with every problematic regular season loss, like the one Buffalo suffered last Sunday, it seems like Sean McDermott’s seat will only get warmer.

NFL insiders Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler had the following conversation in a Tuesday morning column on ESPN.com:

“Is it time to talk about Sean McDermott after Buffalo’s Week 5 debacle in Houston, Dan?” Fowler asked. “I received several texts from people involved in the hiring cycle asking if McDermott would be in the right position. I responded that I hadn’t felt that way, but that Sunday’s ending – a 23-20 loss after the Bills led 17-3 at halftime – just wasn’t good.”

“Yes sir, the lyrics certainly fly there. The job in Buffalo is definitely the early leader for ‘Job that potential head coaching candidates and their agents hope will open,’” Graziano responded. “I’ve heard many on the outside speculate that McDermott could be in trouble if the Bills fail to reach the Super Bowl, but I have never heard from within the Bills organization that it has ever been a consideration.” to get rid of him.”

It makes sense that potential coaching candidates would see Buffalo as one of the best possible job openings in the league. Since the arrival of McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane, the Bills have been a pillar of stability in a typically hostile environment. Consider that McDermott, in his eighth season, is tied with Sean McVay for the fourth-longest head coach in the league, trailing only Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Andy Reid. Each of those four coaches has a Super Bowl to their name.

And it’s not like other ownership groups wouldn’t want or want to move on as head coach after less than seven seasons without a Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles could decide to fire Nick Sirianni this Monday with a loss on Sunday to the Cleveland Browns, and Sirianni coached the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance. two years ago. In many other cities, Sean McDermott would already be dead.

The Bills’ Super Bowl hopes continue to rest on the shoulders of Josh Allen

Being from Buffalo, New York and spending the first eighteen years of my life there, I feel that I have always been pretty well connected to the collective mentality of the Bills Mafia, even though I do not identify as a member of the mafia. myself. It’s not hard to tell which coaches and quarterbacks, especially the fan base, are behind it, and which are not. Josh Allen’s approval rating is about as high as it can get for a QB who not produced a Super Bowl title.

Most in Western New York will die on the hill where Allen is the manand I don’t necessarily disagree with that. For my money, he’s the second-best quarterback in the NFL, and he’s well deserved that distinction. Even a rough performance against Houston won’t change that.

There isn’t nearly as much consensus on Sean McDermott.

Some Bills fans will insist that it was McDermott who held this team back. Others will say it was his presence that provided the consistency this franchise so desperately lacked. Honestly, I can see both sides.

On the one hand, this is a franchise that has lacked stability for decades, and the importance of that cannot easily be underestimated. The last coach to last more than four seasons in Buffalo was Marv Levy. Before McDermott, the longest-tenured head coach in the post-Levy era was Dick Jauron, going 7-9 for three straight seasons before being fired in year four after a 3-6 start.

On the other hand, eventually someone has to take the blame, and the fans in Buffalo won’t let it be Josh Allen. Last year it was Ken Dorsey, who was ousted as offensive coordinator midway through the season. Who will it be this year?

History says it will be Sean McDermott.