Firing Dorsey did not solve Bills' number 1 problem: Sean McDermott (damning Warren Sharp article)

[Mango]

10 minutes ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

I'm really not shocked at all the national media is not giving the Bills a shot in the next three games... we seem to be at our best when we are underdogs, and this month is certainly the month for Brady to prove he can be the man.

I 100% agree here. It feels like we sleep walk through games when we’re hyped. Even when we win. Sometimes it feels like we struggle to flip the switch come the playoffs. Sort of reminds me of the 2007 Sabres who won the Presidents Trophy. 
 

This season I was sorta hoping for us to play quality balanced football, maybe come in as the 3-4 seed, but come in as we start to get hot. Similar to Eli’s Giants or Brady’s Bucs. 
 

That said, I didn’t want it to look like this. 

[Pasaluki]

If only Warren Sharp actually was

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

By all means you’re right, let’s get Dorsey back.

 

Nah I'm good.

[DC Greg]

12 hours ago, FireChans said:

I would argue this game was damming for Warren Sharp and Kenneth Dorsey.

 

Well luckily McD wasn't forced into any critical game management situations since we know how those turn out. He's always seemed fine when the Bills are blowing somebody out. It's the tight games especially at the end when he's going to take timeouts that hurt not help, challenge bad plays to cost timeouts, have 12 guys on the field, call bad defenses that play into the opponents hand and cost the Bills the game on the final drive, etc.

Brady had an excellent first game as coordinator, and the team really rallied and responded this week. It was awesome to see. Nothing changes for McD on me from this. He is directly responsible for at least two losses on the season so far that were defeat he snatched from the jaws of victory (NE and DEN). If the Bills don't go 5-2 down the stretch and make the playoffs, he should be canned. And if they do make the playoffs, I'll understand them sticking with him, but nothing changes for my opinion. He's thoroughly proved himself to be the coach who will choke when faced with critical head coaching decisions in big games, and I think Pegula would be delaying the inevitable if he sticks with him.

[Mister Defense]

On 11/15/2023 at 3:31 PM, Logic said:

https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/sean-mcdermott-buffalo-bills-ken-dorsey/

 

A tiger cannot change his stripes.

Ultimately, neither can Sean McDermott.

The 2020 Bills came so close to winning it all. Their offense was nearly unstoppable. It didn’t resemble anything Buffalo had seen in decades. And it was the first time they made it to the AFC Title game since 1993.

But instead of running it back with minor tweaks, McDermott said in his post-season press conference that he wanted to “start over” and do so by “running the ball better.”

The direction of the Bills has been a downward spiral ever since that fateful day.

Want to know why that 2020 season seems so different and magical than what the Bills have seen since, particularly in recent years?

Because that was the only year McDermott truly took a step back from the offense and let someone else give it a spin with full impunity.

As I’ll detail below, that was OC Brian Daboll’s ticket to ride anything at the park. Super Bowl or bust. But if it busts, regardless of whether it got *this close* to a Super Bowl, the fun is over. Back to basics.

And since that AFC Championship loss, the blame from the top has gone everywhere:

First, it was Daboll. He left after 2021.

Then it was defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. He left after 2022.

Now it is Ken Dorsey, who was fired at the midpoint of this 2023 season.

Ironically, Dorsey’s firing came after a home loss to the Broncos that was both predictable and ultimately the fault of the head coach....

 

------------------------


That's just the beginning of the article, but I highly suggest reading the whole thing. 

Yikes.

 

 

The Bills did not become a great team under Daboll in 2021 until, and a result of, moving  to Singletary as their featured back and committing to the run for the first time that season.  This then opened up things for Allen and the other skilled players on offense. That once 7-6 team became a powerhouse, the best offense in the NFL at that point, in my view, and all the result of making their offense more diverse--and physical.

 

During that stretch, after the slow start, the Bills had the best rushing attack in the NFL.

 

Did you see the Jets game yesterday?

 

You don't think that running the ball more is one of the most important answers this year either?

 

McDermott made a huge mistake in hiring Dorsey, did not do his vital homework, and then in keeping him as OC for this year, and then in not firing him weeks ago this year.  But his 'meddling' in the offense was not too heavy handed or obtrusive, but dramatically too lenient and accepting. It is more nonsense conventional wisdom that seems completely lacking in facts to back it up.

 

Did you watch the game yesterday, with the new OC?  Did that change your perspective on the Dorsey firing and McDermott's need to meddle in the offense this year?

 

And it is just the beginning of the changes we will see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Mister Defense

[Dan Darragh]

On 11/20/2023 at 5:36 PM, Logic said:

It seems to be the way of the world in online journalism these days, for better or worse. Modern readers have such short attention spans and will click away from something incredibly quickly if it doesn't immediately grab their attention, or so the theory goes, anyway.

Gone are the days of erudite and eloquent journalism or of journalism as art, at least as it relates to sports writing. Dr Zimmerman, Sharp is not. Unfortunately, it's all about clicks and "minutes spent on website" and ad revenues these days.

I wonder if one of the problems is the inability of the writer to sustain a complex series of thoughts in his tik-tok-addled mind.

[Big Turk]

Part of the reason why 2020 hasn't happened again offensively is because the league has adjusted to teams defensively and are forcing long drives far more than they did back then.  Points are down over 3 points per team on average, meaning over 6 points per game, yards are down, passing is down.  

 

Teams are not going to just let you throw the ball over their heads every play anymore.  Defenses have improved in terms of schemes and player types to defend the pass happy attacks.  

 

McD is partially right...running the ball well WILL open up more passing windows for the Bills to throw into as well as potentially opening up deep shots when the defense gets tired of giving up 5-6-7 yards a play.  

 

There needs to be a balance and what that balance is changes every game...this week we ran more than we passed and it worked out well.  Most weeks that won't happen, but we can't have 45 passes and 15 runs and think that is going to work most games.  Defenses have become too good at defending you if you become one dimensional now and ESPECIALLY if it's from your own doing not because they were stopping your run game.

 

IMO, when the Bills are at their best offensively, teams are off balance because they are doing both and doing both well...along with sprinkling in some designed runs for Allen.  When the Bills willingly limit themselves by becoming too pass happy and don't use any designed runs they are basically helping the defenses and making it easy for them.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Big Turk

[hondo in seattle]

On 11/20/2023 at 8:44 AM, DC Greg said:

 

Well luckily McD wasn't forced into any critical game management situations since we know how those turn out. He's always seemed fine when the Bills are blowing somebody out. It's the tight games especially at the end when he's going to take timeouts that hurt not help, challenge bad plays to cost timeouts, have 12 guys on the field, call bad defenses that play into the opponents hand and cost the Bills the game on the final drive, etc.

Brady had an excellent first game as coordinator, and the team really rallied and responded this week. It was awesome to see. Nothing changes for McD on me from this. He is directly responsible for at least two losses on the season so far that were defeat he snatched from the jaws of victory (NE and DEN). If the Bills don't go 5-2 down the stretch and make the playoffs, he should be canned. And if they do make the playoffs, I'll understand them sticking with him, but nothing changes for my opinion. He's thoroughly proved himself to be the coach who will choke when faced with critical head coaching decisions in big games, and I think Pegula would be delaying the inevitable if he sticks with him.

 

McD is the Head Coach.    The way I look at it, he’s responsible for ALL the losses we’ve had since his hiring.

 

And all the wins.

[jester43]

On 11/15/2023 at 3:58 PM, FireChans said:

I did. It's cherry picking and riding the "Fire McD" wave.

 

Criticism has been RAMPANT on the Bills inability to be less "Josh Allen-centric."  That's consistent since 2020. There's only one way to do that, run the ball. We have tried to get better in that regard.

 

 

 

NO.  The one way to do that is acquire a REAL WR2.  the Bills have tried everything imaginable to improve the roster other than improve the 2nd most important position.  And here we sit 6-5 with leagues toughest remaining schedulte facing us.  Having two superstar WRs would do a lot to mitigate mcdermott's mismanagement of clock/timeout's/challenges etc.  i personally believe they won't do it because Coach McTroops hates managing diva receivers (like Diggs).

Edited November 21, 2023 by jester43

[Since1981]

Jan 2017 Sean was hired. 
I suppose seven yrs is long enough for all of us to know much. I just don’t think he believes in building or running a team around team’s greatest asset. In business terms, he is a stellar first level manager, but he’s not a visionary entrepreneur leader. 

[hondo in seattle]

19 minutes ago, Since1981 said:

Jan 2017 Sean was hired. 
I suppose seven yrs is long enough for all of us to know much. I just don’t think he believes in building or running a team around team’s greatest asset. In business terms, he is a stellar first level manager, but he’s not a visionary entrepreneur leader. 

 

I disagree.  McD is a good leader.  But he's up against other talented football leaders, some of whom have better & healthier rosters.  

[Since1981]

39 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

McD is a good leader

3 coordinators in 18 months 

and unless I’m mistaken, no improvement in his results. 

[H2o]

The buck starts and stops at Sean. He has passed it around to the other coordinators as much as possible. Dorsey probably deserved it, and I'm fairly certain we were all done with the Tampon 2 defense. Still, all of this is under McDermott's watch. The AFC title game debacle, 13 seconds, the friction with Daboll, the meddling, the hirings on the staff, the firings on the staff, the performance in against the Bengals in last year's Playoffs, it's all him. At some point he has to be held accountable. 

[Long Suffering Fan]

33 minutes ago, Since1981 said:

3 coordinators in 18 months 

and unless I’m mistaken, no improvement in his results. 

 

I mean, by counting Dabol you are making it sound as if McD failed in that hire.  When someone does so well that he gets hired away as a head coach that should count for McD, not against.

 

And, to say no improvement in results....isn't it too early to make that statement about Brady?

[Figster]

19 hours ago, Long Suffering Fan said:

 

I mean, by counting Dabol you are making it sound as if McD failed in that hire.  When someone does so well that he gets hired away as a head coach that should count for McD, not against.

 

And, to say no improvement in results....isn't it too early to make that statement about Brady?

The Bills went over 2 decades without getting into the playoffs before the McBeane regime. Revolving door at the QB position. We now have one of the best QB's in the league. Elite. Making the playoffs has become the norm. McD deserves credit for all of it. 

 

 Mike Tomlin of the Steelers just fired his OC under similar circumstances.  Let the season play out people.

 

A win against the high flying Eagles on Sunday and its on like a MOFO.   

[Jukester]

On 11/21/2023 at 2:27 PM, H2o said:

The buck starts and stops at Sean. He has passed it around to the other coordinators as much as possible. Dorsey probably deserved it, and I'm fairly certain we were all done with the Tampon 2 defense. Still, all of this is under McDermott's watch. The AFC title game debacle, 13 seconds, the friction with Daboll, the meddling, the hirings on the staff, the firings on the staff, the performance in against the Bengals in last year's Playoffs, it's all him. At some point he has to be held accountable. 

Go figure. Another one to add to the list lol