GunnerBill

I don't want to speak for @HoofHearted and he will no doubt have his own take but to the way college defenses use linebackers these days and the way NFL teams use them are quite different. So many college linebackers seem to project as sub package players only at the next level because they are great athletes but they lack some instincts. And the ones that don't that are genuine 3 down pro style 'backers in college tend to find they are challenged atheltically in the pros - see Jack Campbell who is currently allowing a passer rating of 135 when targeted in the NFL.

Ben Johnson is the stand out candidate. Brian Johnson interests me much less. I haven't loved the Eagles O this year.

There is some truth in this in that McDermott was hired to rebuild a franchise and a culture that was in the pits. The talent on the team when he arrived was below average but wasn't awful. However, the toxicity in the building in January 2017 was worse than at any point during the drought. The Rex era had been an unmitigated disaster in all possible ways. McDermott was very successful in his rebuild. He has done a very good job as Head Coach. From turning around the culture, to establishing cohesion between coaching and the front office, to winning games, breaking the drought and having a couple of good playoff runs. But if the Bills move on after this season the specification for the next coach will not be a culture builder who has the leadership and force of personality to turn around a failing franchise. That work is done. The Bills would either need a proven winner or someone who can maximise their offensive firepower (in a world where they can also get something resembling the real Josh Allen back, and if they can't do that then the whole thing is moot anyway). You wouldn't hire a Sean McDermott type now if there was a vacancy.

I think my answer is still no, but I don't think it is a stupid question. The Texans have a lot of good young pieces on that team and a good young Head Coach. Ask me in a year and if Stroud keeps developing and Josh keeps flatlining my answer would be different.

He has done a good job turning the programme round, nobody is questioning that. But again it is a bit like the Harbaugh conversation for me.... a guy to turn around the programme isn't necessarily the job spec for the next Bills coach if it comes next spring. And for other reasons too I think he will and should stay in college.

If one goes both go and in any event Brandon will not choose the next coach. Terry has chosen two coaches here. They were both 100% HIS picks. I don't see how the next one won't be. Of your list I also am only interested in Ben Johnson and possibly Slowick - although he is so inexperienced as to be a shot to nothing.

I am not convinced Terry has any clue. I really am not. That he hired McDermott and Beane in the first place was a stroke of luck. They were the right people at the right time. Even if it is time to move on now they were very good hires. The chances of him getting it right again? Slim to none IMO. And before anyone accuses me of it this is not an excuse to keep the status quo. It is just my honest assessment of how much ownership really understand what they are doing.

Certainly possible, if that is the accusation that they are constantly nit picking Josh that they have eroded his confidence. I'm not sure what the evidence for that would be because other than the "learning to protect himself" comments publicly they have always been effusive over him. Of course we don't know what they say in private. But like I say to me something is off with Josh. And it goes beyond the football field.

Haha yep, I noticed that. Weeks 3 and 4 when the team was rolling and people were realising actually Bernard can play (and actually he really can, even in the down turn for the most part he has played well) suddenly he started slipping in this "Edmunds wasn't an impact player and he wasn't a difference maker." When for the last two year especially he'd been a "you just can't see the difference he makes without breaking down the film" guy.

He has always been a homer. I actually think he does know more about football than any of the other guys on GR, not hard, but he starts every discussion trying to prove the organisation right. I'm still not over "don't worry about not improving the receiving room because we have got 'pass catchers' like James Cook (as a rookie) and OJ Howard (didn't make the team)."

The reason the 2nd down blitz worked was because the Bills almost never send an all out blitz like that. It was a good call. To give Russ a look at it and then call the very next blitz the very next down was just bad coaching. That scenario was ideal to run a simulated pressure, rush 4 but drop a lineman out and bring a backer or a corner as the 4th guy.

Has there been a lot of coaches fired under his regime? I mean at one point they had the most continuity - Head Coach, DC and OC in the entire league. This coaching staff has not had a ton of turnover. I would guess actually for a guy that has been here as long as McDermott has they are under the average in terms of firings. From the 2017 staff 3 guys were fired, 1 retired, the rest retained. From the 2018 staff 5 were fired, the rest retained. From the 2019 staff 0 firings, 1 guy left of own accord, otherwise entire staff retained. From the 2020 staff 0 firings, entire staff retained. From the 2021 staff 1 firing, 3 departures to the Giants, 1 retired, rest retained. From the 2022 staff 1 firing, 2 guys left of own accord. In terms of actual firings, even including Dorsey, it is 11 in 6 and a half years. Less than 2 a year. Even if we include the three who left of their own accord (Bill Teerlink, Chad Hall and Leslie Frazier) all of whom it is safe to assume left because of some level of disquiet with the Head Coach over scheme or performance 14 in 6 and a half years would remain well below the average I would think.

I agree with the premise. I disagree with the reason. I don't think you can coach someone's personality out of them. You can coach someone's play but it isn't his play. It is his whole psyche - that comes from within. I repeat what I have said elsewhere. I suspect what is causing this is not related to football.

Agreed. Totally reactionary. This place would fire or cut someone every week. On the question, it is a good one. We know that the Pegulas were integral in the last OC change we made in-season when they fired Greg Roman two weeks into 2016 - after he had taken the offense from 26th to 13th in his one year in charge. They met with players and then Rex and the upshot was Roman was out. I don't rule out that Terry involved himself again but I suspect ultimately McDermott with counsel from Beane is the right answer.

The 2016 Miami game which it would have taken a moron at Head Coach to lose. Luckily for the Fins, Pegula had hired Rex Ryan. Luckily for Buffalo it was the final straw and he fired Rex Ryan after that game.

And in both GWDs stupid blitzes hurt us. I was to take McDermott's playbook and rip the blitz pages out. Because they suck.

Possibly he would. But that wouldn't have made that right. I think it was a question of when, not if.

Yep. Awful call.

Yes. They were both replaced by downgrades.

I don't know. I am leaning towards no. In part because this is an old roster and I am at the stage where I don't think we can win with it. So why bother keeping a Head Coach and General Manager who at best would be in the last chance saloon for the start of a reload / mini-rebuild? On McDermott specifically I also think the DC / HC jobshare has been a failure. He is not doing either job as well as he is capable of as a result. And I just don't see him swallowing his pride and giving the play calling up. I will however repeat I remain sceptical of the view that swap out coaching and everything is rosey. I think the Bills have roster issues and Quarterback who is struggling mentally. I think fresh leadership could trigger a reset. But it is absolutely not a given.

Yep. No team installs an entire new playbook at week 11. I'd be interested to see at the bye whether they tweak some stuff but again it isn't going to be wholesale changes. Just a different guy looking at the call sheet and deciding on the play. We did see when Lynn took over for Roman though that it can lead to an uptick. Because no two people see the way to attack a certain defense exactly the same. I think one of Dorsey's problems this year has been finding a balance with the run game. And I don't mean overall run:pass ratios I mean he has drives where we only run and then drives where we only drop back. I am not sure he has found a flow to his playcalling.

Yep. Ken Dorsey has no excuses. But his buddy Josh Allen has some culpability in his firing. Without doubt.

It had to happen. The DC should step down too. I am fine McDermott coaching out the season as a Head Coach and taking a view then, I feel he probably deserves that. But he should swallow his pride on the DC thing. It hasn't worked. He should hand over playcalling.

I hope you are right. I suspect there is more to it. Like I say, he has been odd all year. Off the field as well.

Twice. The second one was Josh Allen fumble. He dropped it before it even got to Cook.