Ray Stonada

I agree. Dorsey was not exactly a scapegoat; he deserved to be fired. But McDermott is the scapegoat for this: he lets our coordinators screw up because he doesn't know how to fix it. He let Dorsey go pass happy all game even when we're running for 9 yards per carry. He let Smiley keep kicking to Mims even though he was gashing us on every return. A good head coach walks over and says "Hey Matthew, don't kick it to this guy anymore" or "Ken, run the ball or your @@@ is grass" or even, "Leslie, remember, we don't need to defend the sidelines here." It's not easy to make the right calls in the heat of an NFL game. It's really hard and only a few people have the cold-bloodedness to see what's happening and think of the answer to it in seconds. I know I couldn't do it. But that's what great coaches need, and what puts their players in situations to succeed. McDermott is not good at it and that's why everything feels much harder than it should be. By now our players feel if it's close, we will probably lose because our coaches. They play almost depressed. And, because McDermott doesn't admit this, he doesn't improve. He's no better in the fourth quarter of tight games now than in 2017. Nick Siriani rehearses different end-of-game scenarios in practice constantly. Sean Payton has wrinkles for these moments. His team played the kneel downs and rushing on the field goal team perfectly to use up all remaining clock, and they were lined up with 10 seconds to spare. Has McDermott ever surprised people with the brilliance of his in-game coaching, or his game planning for a great opponent? Have we ever won a big game that we shouldn't have, because of him? Nope.

I tend to agree with Matthew Fairburn: ”McDermott seems allergic to taking accountability. When asked about having too many men on the field at the end of the Broncos game, he said it was special teams coordinator Matt Smiley who made the decision to send the field goal block unit onto the field. Yet McDermott is the head coach of the team and the coordinator of the defense that needed to be subbed out. The lack of communication and preparation in that moment falls on him and him alone. But he couldn’t even say it. “This isn’t a new issue. After the Bills’ devastating loss in the final 13 seconds of the AFC Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, McDermott kept pointing to issues with execution on the kickoff and on defense. That’s code for blaming the players. Go back to 2017 when McDermott benched quarterback Tyrod Taylor after McDermott’s defense allowed 47 points in a loss to the New Orleans Saints. He said that decision was about “becoming a better football team,” but he had to reverse that decision a week later when Nathan Peterman threw five interceptions in a 54-24 loss. This is his pattern. Even after Monday’s loss, he repeatedly praised the defense — ostensibly patting himself on the back — and pointed to the injuries more than once… “When the Bills are tied or leading by one score in the fourth quarter this season, McDermott’s vaunted defense drops to 28th in EPA/play, according to TruMedia. In the biggest moments, McDermott wilts.” https://theathletic.com/5064917/2023/11/15/buffalo-bills-sean-mcdermott-ken-dorsey/ I do think Dorsey is more responsible than McDermott for the offense being too difficult for players to run well, and for the maddening play calls that neglected rushing even when it worked great, and overused the shotgun with no motion, no trickery, and no play action. But that doesn’t mean McDermott is a good situational coach. Or that he doesn’t scapegoat others to save his job. He has needed to fire guys every season, so why do we keep making terrible strategic errors every season? Zero blitzing twice in a row, throwing away tons of timeouts, benching and disciplining players inconsistently/unfairly, being unprepared in game-ending situations every time. He is winless in overtime for his career. That says a lot about his strategic incompetence versus other coaches.

“When the Bills are tied or leading by one score in the fourth quarter this season, McDermott’s vaunted defense drops to 28th in EPA/play, according to TruMedia. In the biggest moments, McDermott wilts.” https://theathletic.com/5064917/2023/11/15/buffalo-bills-sean-mcdermott-ken-dorsey/

You talk a lot of sense, Dopey.

This. McD thinks he’s so smart but actually it’s a strained reach that backfired.

Diggs has been truly awesome for us. Like a talented big brother. He has CARED more about what happens to the team than anyone. And so yeah, he’s been right all along. All the way back to the AFC championship game in his first season here.

Cook did most of it.

Josh looks so checked out, we’re seeing what McD can do without an all-world QB. Mediocre or worse results.

He’s making excuses for his defensive idiocy, calling two straight zero blitzes. And his team having 12 men on the field for the game losing field goal. Head coach is responsible for that.

What do you think it is? I’m really confused as he’s regressed pretty hard this year.

McD is such a bad in-game coach

Alright don’t kick to Mims! McD, your D gonna get the stop?

Ok, three timeouts, plenty of time. Get Cook in there, go up tempo. Save the season.

Hard to root for a team with these coaches we have. Impossible to win making it so tough on ourselves.

The Bills: take what works. Do the opposite. Definition of overthinking. LET THE PLAYERS PLAY.

Terrible blitz call. We owned Wilson downfield until that.

WHY NOT RUN

Something you don’t understand, bro.

Taron is our MVP tonight

Josh looks like he’s tanking. Bizarre.

That’s on Josh.

McD will bench a guy for a mistake but leave players in who are clearly playing worse (Von, Gabe, etc.). If he had some balls he would bench Josh Allen for a series after one of these boneheaded picks, just to wake him up.

Von is ineffective. The second he comes out for Rousseau we have a different D.

Von should not be on the field on third and 2!!

We have an effective offense. Give Ben Johnson this O and we would score 35/game.