Sullivan: Bills' McDermott choked away Super Bowl-caliber season

[Sharky7337]

One of the main concerns is, when does it become players don't trust coaches to make the right calls in critical moments. I don't know how you don't lose the locker room like that.

 

McDermott has brought us back to respectability and he usually improves on his mistakes. I would in no way want to fire or etc at this point. However, I would like to see some accountability on it, or at least answer some of the questions.

[atlbillsfan1975]

53 minutes ago, Greg S said:

If I could have one wish for the Bills it would be for Belichick to coach this team. 

Did Andy Reid have a 3 point lead with 13 seconds left to play and the Bills on their own 25 and lose? Didn't think so.

You are kind of proving the point that coaches will get better. Andy Reid was considered the king of choking when he was in Philly.

[JMF2006]

2 hours ago, QCity said:

Even Jerry is throwing a tantrum. I know, I know, you're not going to click on it (you will). 

 

Sullivan: Bills' McDermott choked away Super Bowl-caliber season

 

BTW if this buffoon is hating on Coach its all the more reason to keep him.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

They kinda did. You'll see when KC destroys these next 2 for the Lombardi. We had em. It's perfectly normal to be livid about it too. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

2 minutes ago, Sharky7337 said:

One of the main concerns is, when does it become players don't trust coaches to make the right calls in critical moments. I don't know how you don't lose the locker room like that.

 

McDermott has brought us back to respectability and he usually improves on his mistakes. I would in no way want to fire or etc at this point. However, I would like to see some accountability on it, or at least answer some of the questions.

Respectability? We've only lost to Mahomes the last 2 years. 

 

People are basically saying the only way to beat Mahomes is to bring in a new coach. 

 

Tom Brady is the only QB to beat Mahomes in the playoffs.

[theRalph]

2 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

Correct assessment, but true journalists like Felser would not use the word choke just to be a dick.

He wasn’t using the word choke to be a dick. He used the word to accurately describe a situation

[Solomon Grundy]

2 hours ago, Buddy Hix said:

Sullivan is 100% correct, McD is a choker. In tight spots McD becomes a deer in headlights. 
I think McD has been amazing as a catalyst for changing the culture at OBD and turning this franchise around, and fans should be thankful. Having said that, I also believe McD just cost this team a championship and he’s shown that he’s reached his ceiling, he’s not the guy to get this team to the next level.

Unfortunately, McD isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future, so we as fans get to sit here and watch Allen’s prime get wasted.

Like I said in a different post, he's learning on the fly. Notice his evolution of being more aggressive offensively. He will learn from this debacle. Pay attention to his postgame interview, you can tell he knew he screwed up. Him and Beane will acquire the talent to finally get this team over the hump

[All_Pro_Bills]

5 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

Andy Reid has his team fully prepared for situations like we saw Sunday night.  We’ve seen that before.  McDermott did not.  And we’ve seen that before too.  That was the difference between the Chiefs or Bills getting to the SB.  And it was the difference last season too even though the Bills were not directly involved.  The pivotal moment came in the Chiefs-Browns game, but KC moved on to the AFCC game against the Bills because other were fully prepared.  Ultimately it’s up to the Pegulas to make sure that McDermott & Co address preparing for such situations moving forward. 

Your preparation assessment is an excellent insight.  Maybe I'm drilling down to far here but it made me think of another disadvantage the Bills might have when it comes to playing the Chiefs.  I'm not suggesting any Jedi mind tricks or stuff like that but I wonder if another problem is that through their past association that Andy Reid knows how Sean McDermott thinks better than anyone else.  

For another example, look no further than how some former Patriot assistants like fired Dolphins HC Brian Flores seem to have good success against Belichik.  Is it because they know very well how the NE HC thinks?  

So rather than suggesting Sean become more aggressive maybe he needs to become more unpredictable?  Because I'll bet that Andy knew in crunch time at the end of the game just exactly what Sean was going to do.   

[Sharky7337]

1 minute ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Respectability? We've only lost to Mahomes the last 2 years. 

 

People are basically saying the only way to beat Mahomes is to bring in a new coach. 

 

Tom Brady is the only QB to beat Mahomes in the playoffs.

 

I don't think you interpreted what I was saying correctly.

 

I mean unless you wanna have a full discourse on why I said respectability instead of a more glamorous and flattering adjective.

 

I was not in support of removing him as our coach. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

1 minute ago, Sharky7337 said:

 

I don't think you interpreted what I was saying correctly.

 

I mean unless you wanna have a full discourse on why I said respectability instead of a more glamorous and flattering adjective.

 

I was not in support of removing him as our coach. 

The Browns are respectable. The Bills are much better than that.

 

 

[Boatdrinks]

Jerry isn’t wrong here. I’ve never been his biggest fan but his take is spot on. You can’t really call it anything else but a choke job. Just total mismanagement in the final seconds of what should have been one of the biggest wins in franchise history. 

[Haslett_Stomp]

10 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

You are kind of proving the point that coaches will get better. Andy Reid was considered the king of choking when he was in Philly.

 

^ and also early during his tenure with the Chiefs.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Haslett_Stomp

[Boatdrinks]

2 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

No way. That's a toxic environment. That's pretty much how Ralph fired Polian.

 

Criticism is fair, they weren't good in the big moment. 

Has to be a bigger price paid than criticism. 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

I’d say the majority of fans are slow playing it here. Acting like it’s a given that we will be back several times. I’m not sure where that silliness comes from. All your window does is shrink rapidly once you pay the QB. You have to cash in on one of these soon because you never know when you aren’t going back. I’m sick about Sunday because I’m not the guy that just “knows” we will be back. You have to enjoy the ride each time because it could be it at any time. We of all fan bases should understand that. Keep pissing away these chances and all of a sudden you wake up and you are the Phillip Rivers Chargers. We should have won the super bowl this year. That’s not something you get to say to often.

[Freddie's Dead]

Choke is the proper term.  There's simply no other word for the Bills defensive alignment.  When you add the fact that the Bills called a TIMEOUT BEFORE BOTH OF THE CHEFS PLAYS, the defensive calls become even more inexcusable.  Any one of us here would have understood that the sidelines were meaningless since the Chefs had three timeouts.  And don't you change after you give up 19 yards to Hill on the first pass?  It's not like you had time pressure, YOU CALLED A TIME OUT, presumably to talk it over, discuss the possibilities.  When I factor in the timeouts, the defensive alignment is even more inexplicable.  Travis Kelce outcoached both McD and Frazier.  Congratulations, well done.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Just now, Boatdrinks said:

Has to be a bigger price paid than criticism. 

Like what? 

[Dr. Who]

1 hour ago, Donuts and Doritos said:

Article makes very fair points. But as it concedes, McDermott seems to learn from past mistakes, like we all do. It's how players like Josh improved, coaches are no different. Did the coaching screw this one up? Yes. Will McDermott learn from it? Won't know until next year. Changing horses at coach means starting over in team philosophy that could set us back a year or 2, & doesn't guarantee success, see Dallas, Chargers (now & w/ Phillip Rivers), Cleveland, Green Bay, Atlanta. Only time I can think where changing coaches actually worked was Dungy to the Colts (Gruden to Tampa was overrated IMO). Stable franchises don't change coaches like people change clothes. We did that for 17 seasons. McDermott needs to learn & get better at 13 seconds. Odds are he'll have 2 new coordinators to help him do it, and hopefully that is change enough. Go Bills!

Hey, a new member who isn't a troll. Nice post.

[OldBuffalo]

15 minutes ago, colin said:

 

even if this egg is all on McDs face, i agree you can't fire him now (too much disruption).

 

i do think someone has to go tho, most likely frazier (dabol is prolly gone to nyg too).  frazier is on record saying he doesn't like having a back up plan, because it makes the team less confident on what they focused on all week.

 

i think this is the crux of it.  the bills D is a one note band.  they have players who kinda do what they want them to do really well, and they practice the poop out of a few things and do them really well, but against a superior offensive mind, they get jammed up and simply have no answer, both in terms of scheme/execution and the athletes they have assembled to play d (at tremendous cost).  

 

so post frazier, mcd will need to bring in a guy, or help out himself, to make our D work w a plan b.  IMO, we simply need a couple play makers in the front 7, and not spend so much money and picks on slight upgrades.

 

FYI, i was responding to your initial post, i didn't and won't read the sully article LOL.

 

[Boatdrinks]

1 minute ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Like what? 

Someone has to go. Make a big change on defensive side. You just don’t get opportunities like the Bills had to fall into your lap every season. It’s going to be hard to host an AFC title game much less one without Mahomes in it. May never get as good a look at a Super Bowl, even with Josh. 

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, Marvlevydraftdaygenius said:

Jerry is right.  Terry and Kim should say someone has to take the blame you or Frazier one has to go or both.

 

Is Jerry right? Or just channeling people's frustrations? Because that's been his recipe his entire career. Pressing buttons.