This season has definitely changed how I view McDermott.
I was in the "we need to be better" camp lately, but when you look around the league McDermott is just as good as almost anyone else, IMO. Andy Reid is a class of his own, but there's only 1 Andy Reid. I still say he's the uncrowned GOAT.
Last night during the Lions/Packers game I was ranting about how much I cannot stand LeFleur, and how he squandered back to back MVP seasons by Rodgers and his teams never show up in the playoffs, and someone watching the game with me said "well, you could say all the same things about McDermott..."
To some degree, but there are a couple huge caveats:
1. Allen was and is still early in his career. Rodgers was an established HOF level player (thus back to back MVP seasons)
2. McDermott's defenses typically enter the playoffs decimated with injuries. Lefleur's offenses did not.
3. McDermott has never had the #1 seed. Packers did.
4. McDermott has to compete in a much tougher conference, especially in recent memory. Most of the top QBs are in the AFC, although there are some young and up and coming QBs in the NFC. We have to get past Jackson, Mahomes, and Burrow, let alone the 2nd tier guys.
The main thing people can legitimately say against McDermott is that he hasn't found a way to get past the Chiefs dynasty in the playoffs. I think he will this year, but that remains to be seen.
If you take emotion out of it, there is a LOT of mediocre to bad coaching in the NFL. There's also quite a few flash in the pan type guys like Doug Pederson, who caught lightning in a bottle once, looked like great coaches, then flamed out.
In fact, Pederson is a great example of "just get to the game." If you get to the Super Bowl you have a chance to win it, no matter what. But you have to just get there.
I would go this far, with the NFL the way it is, so much talent, single elimination, the way a game can shift on a penalty, fumble, missed kick...: you could regather a 4 win team in February, get everyone back in town, and put them in the Super Bowl against either conference champion, and I think it would be a hell of a game still.
So, you just need to get there, and McDermott is definitely good enough to get there. More to the point, he's good enough to get there more than once, and the more times you're IN the Super Bowl, the more times you have a chance to win the Super Bowl.