Has Sean McDermott's Bills met your personal expectations over the last four season?

[billsfan89]

2021 and 2022 were bummer endings but football in the playoffs is often a crapshoot. So its hard to completely destroy a pair of division titles and a pair of playoff victories because the team didn't win a Super Bowl. Combing that with 2019 and 2020 being very successful building seasons I would say that McD has met expectations overall.

[GunnerBill]

6 hours ago, Rc2catch said:

Everyone wants the Super Bowl. Nothing wrong with that it should be the goal. Sometimes you need the perfect storm to get there. 
Maybe they’ve blown their best or easiest chance, but I don’t think it’s the last chance. You just gotta get hot at the right time. I am content with what they’ve built. Like many fans I question some of the head scratching decisions they’ve made. But they are capable of beating anyone and competing at the highest of levels, I can’t ask for much more than that even if they’ve fallen flat at crucial times. 

 

This is the answer.

[BarleyNY]

McDermott and Beane exceeded my expectations in that they built a team that was capable of winning a championship. But they also fell short of expectations with their failures in the biggest moments. Even when a team has done a great job of putting itself into a position to win it all, that team still needs some good luck. You can’t squander those opportunities and they have. On the coaching side the 13 second debacle was inexcusable. On the FO side the neglect on the offensive side of the ball is where they’ve fallen short. 

[The Jokeman]

We're easily in the discussion in the top teams in the league and obvious in our regular season records and rankings. Yet we've fallen short in the playoffs in part because of poor play and injuries etc. That said I remember times after the Levy era and would take this over some of those times. 

[Gregg]

After 17 years of crap they (McDermott, Beane) have done a good job in turning the franchise around. However, expectations are raised in WNY. They need to eventually bring a championship to Buffalo otherwise it will end up being disappointing in the end.

[HOUSE]

I am not sending any money for his effort

I have very high standards  

 

 

 

..

Edited March 3, 2023 by HOUSE

[PBF81]

9 hours ago, MJS said:

If you expect a superbowl win, you are going to be disappointed almost every season. It's a pretty dumb expectation, honestly. What you can expect is for the Bills to be in contention every year and to be making progress.  

 

The Bills have been in contention. They do need to show they are making progress and adapting each season. The adapting thing is where they fell short the past couple of years.

 

Since they've been in contention, the question then becomes why they didn't achieve the ultimate prize.  I would strongly suggest at looking at the reasons as to why our playoff runs over the past three seasons ended, specifically. 

 

As in why did we lose the 2020 KC playoff game, specifically; 

why did we lose the 2021 playoff game to KC, specifically; 

why did we underachieve in the playoffs this past 2022 season and nearly lose to a 7th-round QB named Skylar Thompson, who's likely to never start in the NFL for any team ever, and get pounded by a Cincinnati team with 60% of its starting OL out, both games at home. 

 

Specifically.  What's the common thread there.  Many are still in the Denial phase on that, which is fine I guess, it simply doesn't change it.  

 

But here's the thing ... 

 

Once the Allen-era in Buffalo ends, whether it's because Allen opts out after three more seasons, whether his career is shortened because of injury, or he cannot simply do the jobs of the QB, RBs, OL, WRs, Defense, and coaches all at once after another half-decade or so, if not sooner from being worn out, if we have not won a Super Bowl, much less even been to one, after four straight with Kelly 30 years ago, a fraction of the QB that Allen is, the latter whom is gifted beyond perhaps any QB that's ever set foot on an NFL field, then every true Bills fan is going to be saying that it was an opportunity squandered BIG TIME!  That failure is going to make Rex Ryan's failure here look like getting the wrong order with DoorDash.  

 

Let's face it, we will in every likelihood never again see a QB that even sniffs how good Allen is.  Kelly was good, but not Allen good, and we've had crap in the NFL era otherwise over 50 other years. 

 

It's like Herb Brooks told the US Men's Hockey Team in 1980 before the title game against Finland trailing 2-1 after two periods, he told the team, "If you lose this game, you'll take it to your f'ing graves!"  I wish Herb Brooks were our coach!  

 

It's not too far off of that here.  If we don't win a Super Bowl/Championship with Allen, it's not likely to ever happen.  Given your sentiment above, there's no argument to that.  

 

If we're not going to expect a Super Bowl win now, with Allen, I don't know when we would reasonably expect one.  If you ask me, any reasons for this expectation are higher than they will ever be again, and quite reasonably at that.  The question is why can't we even have the extent of success of the Kelly/Smith-era teams that went to four straight.  That fact that so many don't seem to think that this expectation is quite reasonable is a little disturbing.  

 

This team has had 6 seasons to "make progress."  We're not progressing, we're diminishing.  "The Process" has failed!  

 

 

[MJS]

8 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

 

Since they've been in contention, the question then becomes why they didn't achieve the ultimate prize.  I would strongly suggest at looking at the reasons as to why our playoff runs over the past three seasons ended, specifically. 

 

As in why did we lose the 2020 KC playoff game, specifically; 

why did we lose the 2021 playoff game to KC, specifically; 

why did we underachieve in the playoffs this past 2022 season and nearly lose to a 7th-round QB named Skylar Thompson, who's likely to never start in the NFL for any team ever, and get pounded by a Cincinnati team with 60% of its starting OL out, both games at home. 

 

Specifically.  What's the common thread there.  Many are still in the Denial phase on that, which is fine I guess, it simply doesn't change it.  

 

But here's the thing ... 

 

Once the Allen-era in Buffalo ends, whether it's because Allen opts out after three more seasons, whether his career is shortened because of injury, or he cannot simply do the jobs of the QB, RBs, OL, WRs, Defense, and coaches all at once after another half-decade or so, if not sooner from being worn out, if we have not won a Super Bowl, much less even been to one, after four straight with Kelly 30 years ago, a fraction of the QB that Allen is, the latter whom is gifted beyond perhaps any QB that's ever set foot on an NFL field, then every true Bills fan is going to be saying that it was an opportunity squandered BIG TIME!  That failure is going to make Rex Ryan's failure here look like getting the wrong order with DoorDash.  

 

Let's face it, we will in every likelihood never again see a QB that even sniffs how good Allen is.  Kelly was good, but not Allen good, and we've had crap in the NFL era otherwise over 50 other years. 

 

It's like Herb Brooks told the US Men's Hockey Team in 1980 before the title game against Finland trailing 2-1 after two periods, he told the team, "If you lose this game, you'll take it to your f'ing graves!"  I wish Herb Brooks were our coach!  

 

It's not too far off of that here.  If we don't win a Super Bowl/Championship with Allen, it's not likely to ever happen.  Given your sentiment above, there's no argument to that.  

 

If we're not going to expect a Super Bowl win now, with Allen, I don't know when we would reasonably expect one.  If you ask me, any reasons for this expectation are higher than they will ever be again, and quite reasonably at that.  The question is why can't we even have the extent of success of the Kelly/Smith-era teams that went to four straight.  That fact that so many don't seem to think that this expectation is quite reasonable is a little disturbing.  

 

This team has had 6 seasons to "make progress."  We're not progressing, we're diminishing.  "The Process" has failed!  

Having an expectation of a superbowl win any year is dumb, including during the Kelly years. Thinking your team has a good chance is reasonable (if your team actually has a good chance, which the Bills do).

 

I think a more reasonable expectation would be that the Bills win at least one superbowl during the Josh Allen era. But going into every single season expecting a superbowl win is not reasonable. Not for any fanbase. Not even for the Patriots in their prime.

 

In fact, it's a completely unhealthy mindset for fans, in my opinion.

[dpberr]

Exceeded expectations so much I have new expectations.  

 

He, and everyone at OBD for that matter,  has impressively taken a long mediocre franchise to the verge of greatness. 

 

I now want the very good to become the great.   

[Dopey]

1 hour ago, PBF81 said:

 

Since they've been in contention, the question then becomes why they didn't achieve the ultimate prize.  I would strongly suggest at looking at the reasons as to why our playoff runs over the past three seasons ended, specifically. 

 

As in why did we lose the 2020 KC playoff game, specifically; 

why did we lose the 2021 playoff game to KC, specifically; 

why did we underachieve in the playoffs this past 2022 season and nearly lose to a 7th-round QB named Skylar Thompson, who's likely to never start in the NFL for any team ever, and get pounded by a Cincinnati team with 60% of its starting OL out, both games at home. 

 

Specifically.  What's the common thread there.  Many are still in the Denial phase on that, which is fine I guess, it simply doesn't change it.  

 

But here's the thing ... 

 

Once the Allen-era in Buffalo ends, whether it's because Allen opts out after three more seasons, whether his career is shortened because of injury, or he cannot simply do the jobs of the QB, RBs, OL, WRs, Defense, and coaches all at once after another half-decade or so, if not sooner from being worn out, if we have not won a Super Bowl, much less even been to one, after four straight with Kelly 30 years ago, a fraction of the QB that Allen is, the latter whom is gifted beyond perhaps any QB that's ever set foot on an NFL field, then every true Bills fan is going to be saying that it was an opportunity squandered BIG TIME!  That failure is going to make Rex Ryan's failure here look like getting the wrong order with DoorDash.  

 

Let's face it, we will in every likelihood never again see a QB that even sniffs how good Allen is.  Kelly was good, but not Allen good, and we've had crap in the NFL era otherwise over 50 other years. 

 

It's like Herb Brooks told the US Men's Hockey Team in 1980 before the title game against Finland trailing 2-1 after two periods, he told the team, "If you lose this game, you'll take it to your f'ing graves!"  I wish Herb Brooks were our coach!  

 

It's not too far off of that here.  If we don't win a Super Bowl/Championship with Allen, it's not likely to ever happen.  Given your sentiment above, there's no argument to that.  

 

If we're not going to expect a Super Bowl win now, with Allen, I don't know when we would reasonably expect one.  If you ask me, any reasons for this expectation are higher than they will ever be again, and quite reasonably at that.  The question is why can't we even have the extent of success of the Kelly/Smith-era teams that went to four straight.  That fact that so many don't seem to think that this expectation is quite reasonable is a little disturbing.  

 

This team has had 6 seasons to "make progress."  We're not progressing, we're diminishing.  "The Process" has failed!  

 

 

[Bills!Win!]

I would’ve found a Super Bowl loss acceptable. The fact they didn’t make it there is disappointing. However, we haven’t tasted the Super Bowl yet so it gives me hope that this team is still “humble and hungry.”

 

I’m disappointed but I still Billieve 

[PBF81]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

Having an expectation of a superbowl win any year is dumb, including during the Kelly years. Thinking your team has a good chance is reasonable (if your team actually has a good chance, which the Bills do).

 

I think a more reasonable expectation would be that the Bills win at least one superbowl during the Josh Allen era. But going into every single season expecting a superbowl win is not reasonable. Not for any fanbase. Not even for the Patriots in their prime.

 

In fact, it's a completely unhealthy mindset for fans, in my opinion.

 

I think that you're splitting hairs here.  Any of us would take a mere one SB win during the Allen era.  But what, we're to go into each season, as fans, expecting exactly what then?   How do you divide that then, take a Vegas type gamble resign yourself to a specific year in terms of expectations?  

 

Otherwise, what I see in your point is that we all expect to win the SB every year that Allen's here, which is ridiculous.  Your position implies that we should all simply take what comes and be happy with whatever the outcome.  Who are you to impose that standard upon the millions of other Bills fans?  

 

Because what I'm reading between the lines here is how so many fans are simply excited to be posting winning seasons and playoff appearances, despite not winning.  

 

My point is that there are reasons for not winning, but not changing anything and allowing that opportunity to slip away is a waste.  As is said, doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.  

 

For fans that are happy with merely making the playoffs and an entertaining regular season, great, fantastic even, but they have no right to impose their standards for expectations upon those what aren't satisfied with simply and and who want more.  It's wrong to impose anything like that upon others.  

 

Either way, I have no idea how we should expect a singular Championship win without having that hope every season, at least until we do.  That's the implication of your statements.   How does a fan separate that?  Because it's funny, at the beginning of all of the recent seasons here, anyone challenging the notion that cannot win it all is lambasted.  That contradicts what you're saying here.  Just sayin'.  

 

 

10 minutes ago, Bills!Win! said:

I would’ve found a Super Bowl loss acceptable. The fact they didn’t make it there is disappointing. However, we haven’t tasted the Super Bowl yet so it gives me hope that this team is still “humble and hungry.”

 

I’m disappointed but I still Billieve 

 

The question is about McD.  Has he then met your expectations?  That's the question posed.  

[PBF81]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

Having an expectation of a superbowl win any year is dumb, including during the Kelly years.

 

BTW, were you around then to attend playoff games?  

 

I can tell you that there was indeed an expectation that we would win a Super Bowl.  In fact, we had a better team than the Giants and even than the Cowboys in the fourth SB.  The reason why we lost had little to do with talent available.  We easily had the better QB, possibly in all four since Rypien was a statue behind the best OL in the history of the game.  

 

You're way off about that statement.  We went to games, home, away, on TV, expecting to win every game.  That included the Super Bowls.  

[MJS]

1 minute ago, PBF81 said:

 

I think that you're splitting hairs here.  Any of us would take a mere one SB win during the Allen era.  But what, we're to go into each season, as fans, expecting exactly what then?   How do you divide that then, take a Vegas type gamble resign yourself to a specific year in terms of expectations?  

 

Otherwise, what I see in your point is that we all expect to win the SB every year that Allen's here, which is ridiculous.  Your position implies that we should all simply take what comes and be happy with whatever the outcome.  Who are you to impose that standard upon the millions of other Bills fans?  

 

Because what I'm reading between the lines here is how so many fans are simply excited to be posting winning seasons and playoff appearances, despite not winning.  

 

My point is that there are reasons for not winning, but not changing anything and allowing that opportunity to slip away is a waste.  As is said, doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.  

 

For fans that are happy with merely making the playoffs and an entertaining regular season, great, fantastic even, but they have no right to impose their standards for expectations upon those what aren't satisfied with simply and and who want more.  It's wrong to impose anything like that upon others.  

 

Either way, I have no idea how we should expect a singular Championship win without having that hope every season, at least until we do.  That's the implication of your statements.   How does a fan separate that?  Because it's funny, at the beginning of all of the recent seasons here, anyone challenging the notion that cannot win it all is lambasted.  That contradicts what you're saying here.  Just sayin'.  

You are putting a lot of words into my mouth. I meant what I wrote and not anything else.

 

If a fan is angry that the team didn't win the superbowl, thay means superbowl was their expectation. There are fans angry at the Bills organization every single year, which means YES, those fans DO expect a superbowl win every single year.

 

You have to be more nuanced as a fan. Do I want a superbowl? Absolutely. Do I get disappointed when they don't make it? Of course. Do I look at specific areas of the team that need to improve? Always. Can I appreciate the succes the team has had even though they haven't gotten that superbowl yet? Yes.

 

Do I lash out in anger and demand one of the most successful head coaches in franchise history be fired and declare that the the team is horrible and probably won't even make the playoffs next year? No, because that is unreasonable and unrealistic. Fans like that are blinded by their unrealistic expectations.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

I would say he met my expectations until last year. I felt he reverted back to more conservative than the previous 2 years. More punting and less aggressive play calling on both sides of the ball.

 

 

15 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

Yep. I wanna watch quality football. Playoffs every year. Consistently contending.

 

Winning the Superbowl is all that matters so if we have to have some down years then its worth it.

 

 

[Gregg]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

I would say he met my expectations until last year. I felt he reverted back to more conservative than the previous 2 years. More punting and less aggressive play calling on both sides of the ball.

 

 

 

Winning the Superbowl is all that matters so if we have to have some down years then its worth it.

 

 

 

I would like Allen to have a career similar to what Ben had with the Steelers. The Steelers usually made the playoffs, won a bunch of division titles and also won 2 Super Bowls in Ben's career. If Allen can have a career like that then Bills fans should be satisfied.

[Your Brown Eye]

I would say, that he exceeded my expectations of him when he was first hired. The expectations most recently have fallen short, but when he was first hired, he exceeded them.

[MPL]

I'll put it like this: 4 years ago, we were two years into the McDermott era. We had a 9-7 drought-breaking season and 6-10 cap management/retooling year under our belt. I don't think I would have predicted in the spring following the 2018 season that this team was about to embark on 4 of the most thrilling seasons I've experienced as a fan — which dates back to when my memories first started sticking (roughly 1992). In that sense, McD has exceeded my expectations in every way. 

Am I disappointed in how each of the past 3 seasons have ended? Sure. Is some of that on McD? Probably. Playoff football is a whole different beast. It seems like the difference between winning it all and getting bounced is a razor thin margin — a flip of the coin, a weird bounce of the ball, a miraculous catch. Over the years, I've watched a lot of really great football teams not win the Super Bowl (the 07 Patriots, the 98 Vikings, every Bills team that ever made it) and I've watched a lot of not historically great football teams win it (the 07 Giants, the 2011 Giants, the 2017 Eagles). 

I will say, my one fear is that after this past season, this team could start to hit a psychological wall — a little subconscious doubt that starts to creep in. I guess this is why most teams that win the Super Bowl do so while the head coach and starting QB are both within the first five years of their tenure together (at least, that seems to be the recent trend). 

So, long answer, but McDermott has exceeded my expectations, but I also acknowledge the possibility that the current version of this coach/team won't get over the hump. I don't believe that this possibility justifies blowing things up at this point.

My expectation is that 2023 is going to be a step back while we get the cap under control and 2024/2025 will be our next — and maybe final — opportunity with both McDermott and Allen. After that, who knows? 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Just now, Gregg said:

 

I would like Allen to have a career similar to what Ben had with the Steelers. The Steelers usually made the playoffs, won a bunch of division titles and also won 2 Super Bowls in Ben's career. If Allen can have a career like that then Bills fans should be satisfied.

 

id rather he have career like Tom Brady, but if we have to be more up and down to do t than so be it. Look at the eagles, who won one and then regressed but came back stronger and had a real chance to win this Superbowl.

 

 

[Gregg]

Just now, Buffalo Barbarian said:

 

id rather he have career like Tom Brady, but if we have to be more up and down to do t than so be it. Look at the eagles, who won one and then regressed but came back stronger and had a real chance to win this Superbowl.

 

 

 

Every NFL player would love to have a career like Brady. Josh is going on year 6 and hasn't played in a Super Bowl yet. To match Brady is realistically not going to happen. Think Ben, Payton, Eli is what I am hoping for Josh. Win a couple of Super Bowls along with a great career that ends up in Canton. I don't know if Eli will make it. Payton is there and Ben will be there.