Sources say ZERO PERCENT chance McD is fired

[T master]

5 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Well said Gregg. Coach McD has clearly topped out, and he shows zero signs of changing. He makes the exact same strategic mistakes game after game. Thats a REAL problem because as the HC nobody is going to overrule him at those critical moments. You can have the best roster in the world, but if the Coach keeps ‘f’ing’ up in the final few minutes you’re going to look back say “woulda….coulda”. Time to thank him and move on! And after you do you’ll still have Josh Allen. So where’s the harm? 

 

The harm is the Bills may become the Cardinals at 2 & 10  at the bottom of the barrel every year again until they find another good HC  ! 

 

When do the players get ripped for their mistakes ? McD didn't drop a TD pass, he didn't miss 2 field goals, he didn't run or throw the wrong route on what would have been the game winning TD . I will give you not using the 20 seconds at the end of the quarter with Josh Allen as your QB .

 

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS !!

 

But even then if the other mistakes wouldn't have happened just on the offense alone none of that would not have mattered those points would have ensured the Bills victory .

 

Then when you add to that the officiating, defensive laps at the wrong time & just the fact that you can't give a team like the Eagles ANY room at all as far as a break because they are that good !! 

[DCofNC]

Might as well just trade Josh to a team where he has a chance to win if true.  What a shame to watch another guy go down as “best to never win anything”.

1 minute ago, T master said:

 

The harm is the Bills may become the Cardinals at 2 & 10  at the bottom of the barrel every year again until they find another good HC  ! 

 

When do the players get ripped for their mistakes ? McD didn't drop a TD pass, he didn't miss 2 field goals, he didn't run or throw the wrong route on what would have been the game winning TD . I will give you not using the 20 seconds at the end of the quarter with Josh Allen as your QB .

 

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS !!

 

But even then if the other mistakes wouldn't have happened just on the offense alone none of that would not have mattered those points would have ensured the Bills victory .

 

Then when you add to that the officiating, defensive laps at the wrong time & just the fact that you can't give a team like the Eagles ANY room at all as far as a break because they are that good !! 

So you are ok with being the team that has to play perfect games because they aren’t good enough.  Got it.

[Gregg]

3 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

If they miss the playoffs, things will get dicey. For Terry, the Bills are a business that needs to stay profitable and relevant. Not playing in January affects the bottom line.

 

It's been mentioned on this board many times but good luck to Terry selling tickets at the new stadium with raised ticket prices and PSL fees. He won't have a problem doing that with a team on the decline. Maybe not this year but if the 2024 season goes south then both Beane and McDermott will be on the hot seat.

[2003Contenders]

McD's biggest problem is that like many defensive-minded head coaches, he cannot step back and realize that as a HEAD COACH his responsibilities must shift, especially depending on the personnel and where the team's talents truly lie.

 

There have historically been many coaches like this in the history of the NFL, coaches who were good or even near-great whose contempt for their own offense allowed their teams to underachieve. Back in the 70s George Allen had a generational talent in Sonny Jurgenson -- and chose to bench him in favor of the game manager Billy Kilmer. Buddy Ryan ascribed to the motto that he only wanted his offense to score 17 points and not turn the ball over because he was confident that his defense could win any such game. Never mind that he had Randall Cunningham, Keith Jackson, Cris Carter, etc. playing on the offensive side of the ball.

 

McD seems to have that same mind-set. It's like he believes he will get more glory/satisfaction if the team wins because of the defense rather than the offense. You know, keep it close and hope that the team can pull it out in the 4th quarter. That may be fine when your offense sucks and you are trying to hide deficiencies hoping that a strong defense can pull it out in the end. Dick Jauron kept us in a lot of close games and finished with multiple 7-9 records with friggin' JP Losman at QB using this concept. But McD can't seem to get it through his head that:

 

1. Right now (especially with all of the injuries on defense) the offense is the better unit.

2. The defense has NOT been doing what is necessary to stop opponents late in the game.

3. The team's record with him as head coach is abysmal in close games

 

So the concept of buttoning down the offense and keeping it close into the 4th quarter actually works AGAINST the team's best interest rather than in favor of it. And I am not sure what can be done to get him to realize this and change his mindset.

 

It does seem like (miscues in the Philly game aside), since the Dorsey firing he's been more open to the offense doing its thing, rather than trying to limit Josh Allen. The playoffs are NOW, given that any loss from here on out could spell doom for the post-season, so we will see how he coaches down the stretch.

 

[T master]

3 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

Might as well just trade Josh to a team where he has a chance to win if true.  What a shame to watch another guy go down as “best to never win anything”.

So you are ok with being the team that has to play perfect games because they aren’t good enough.  Got it.

 

If it means not being 2 & 10 or a version of that every year YEP !! Would it be better for Josh to be on a team like the Cardinals or for the Bills in a small market to be the Cardinals ?  Or be a winning franchise that can generate money for the shield which is the prime directive .

 

The Bills were on the sales block or thought to be for years because being a small market/losing team they couldn't hold up their end of the deal to the NFL in making money now they are and where the rest of the NFL would rather have them than in a drought .

 

No matter what Josh and the Bills are good for the NFL but would be better if they did in fact bring a SB trophy home to Buffalo which i think we have a better chance in this situation .

[TheFunPolice]

the more I think about it the more I'm fine with it

 

Not enthusiastic, but fine. We're just never going to get an offensive minded HC, and Allen will be at a disadvantage because of it. 

 

That doesn't mean we can't win. If Kelce drops the pass in the 13 seconds game (which happens in the league) then we win that game and probably go to the Super Bowl. So it's not impossible. Allen is just going to have a disadvantage that Mahomes, Lawrence, Jackson and Burrow won't, although I don't think Zach Taylor is actually a good HC. 

 

It doesn't have to not work. Look at Demeco Ryans in Houston. Then again, every time the QB and offense looks great the OC leaves for a HC job. 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by TheFunPolice

[Billl]

1 hour ago, zow2 said:

 

Why?  Because businesses are either growing...or they are slowly dying.  Big corporate business does not stay stagnant unlike the little used bookstore down the street.

 

It's not like Terry has made any rash decisions here.  He's given McDermott free reign for several years, with a top-2 QB in the entire NFL.  It would almost be owner malpractice to not kick the can and see if a new offensive minded coach, a new voice, could elevate them over the top while Allen is still in his prime.

Remember before the season started when this board was on fire raging against the "national media" for having the temerity to suggest that the Bills were likely to take a step back this season?  The "narrative" was that Buffalo had an aging roster and that it was likely going to catch up with them.  Nobody on here wanted to hear that, so it was largely disregarded while expectations rose ever higher.

 

Fast forward a few months, and the Bills have taken a step back and find themselves fighting for their playoff lives.  Suddenly the fans are shocked and want to fire a coach for having a down season and finishing second in the division after winning it three straight times.

 

In any given season, there are maybe a half dozen teams with a championship caliber roster.  Of those, only one actually wins it all.  The Bills had a championship caliber roster the last two seasons. They don't this year.  No coach was going to win a title with this roster unless, against all odds, one of the oldest rosters in the league had remarkable injury luck.  Predictably, that didn't happen.  

 

The organization made a decision to push all in for one more run this year instead of revamping the roster.  It's a defendable decision, but it was a longshot that hasn't worked out.  Now, it's time to rebuild.  McDermott (and Beane) had a plan when he came in to build a championship quality team, and he did it.  They didn't win it all, but they were very much in the mix.  I think he deserves another chance to go back to the drawing board and try again, and the fanbase needs to understand that 2024 and 2025 are likely to be rough. 

 

You've got a guy who has proven he can build a team up from nothing to a legit contender.  One 9-8 type season shouldn't erase that.  If it does, the franchise deserves what it gets if/when the new guy inevitably is worse, IMO.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Billl

[LABILLBACKER]

14 minutes ago, T master said:

 

The harm is the Bills may become the Cardinals at 2 & 10  at the bottom of the barrel every year again until they find another good HC  ! 

 

When do the players get ripped for their mistakes ? McD didn't drop a TD pass, he didn't miss 2 field goals, he didn't run or throw the wrong route on what would have been the game winning TD . I will give you not using the 20 seconds at the end of the quarter with Josh Allen as your QB .

 

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS !!

 

But even then if the other mistakes wouldn't have happened just on the offense alone none of that would not have mattered those points would have ensured the Bills victory .

 

Then when you add to that the officiating, defensive laps at the wrong time & just the fact that you can't give a team like the Eagles ANY room at all as far as a break because they are that good !! 

Belichick didn't tolerate mistakes.  He just put the fear of God in you or cut you.  Mistakes are made because of an extreme lack of focus. And the #1 job of a head coach is to keep your team focused.  The players are a product of their coaching leadership or lack therof.

[BananaB]

25 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I have absolutely no idea what the ‘keep the coach’ crowd think he’s being criticized for….so let me make it simple: He is flat out TERRIBLE at late game decision making! That’s not something he’s going to delegate in 2024 or beyond. 

They think Allen and the O should do it all so they ain’t in that position for McD to lose late. Just like McDermott himself.  
 

Part of what made the Pats great in the early 2000s was all about finishing close football games on both sides of the ball. You’re not gonna play perfect football every week but it is crucial to play your best in the final minutes when the game is on the line. 

[T master]

1 minute ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Belichick didn't tolerate mistakes.  He just put the fear of God in you or cut you.  Mistakes are made because of an extreme lack of focus. And the #1 job of a head coach is to keep your team focused.  The players are a product of their coaching leadership or lack therof.

 

Then that means if McD is on the hot seat Belichick is in a world of S**T no matter what he has done for the team because they suck all over the place .

[Negan]

39 minutes ago, T master said:

People here act as if McD is the worst coach since Hank Bullough was here when he is the second winningest coach in franchise history which one would think would allow him a bit of grace from the fans for such a difficult season all around .

 

This happens to teams every year ! Last year the Vikings were 13 & 4 overall for the season and won a lot of their games by 1 score & this season they are 6 & 6 just like the Bills . I'm sure there are other teams past & present that have experienced the same type of things .

 

I feel that stability with in a franchise is a top priority . The Bills through out the drought years didn't have any you could almost bet that every 2 to 3 years they would have a new coach .

 

The last winning coach we had was fired by the owner because he was a football guy that made football decisions best for the team, despite his winning record he was fired and the rest as they say is history .

 

Seeing as the Bills are no longer bottom dwellers I'll ride this one out and see where McD & Beane can take it . 

 

 

The viking also don't have a generational unicorn as their QB.  This Bills team should be competing for a Super Bowl victory every year.  But no we're not, we can't even make the SB with McDermott as the head coach.  This team now guided by McDermott is just competing to make the playoffs.  Welcome to purgatory, but this time we have the QB just not the HC.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Negan

[ProcessTruster]

17 hours ago, 34-78-83 said:

Fired or not fired, I just pray that those of you that think every bounce of the football is McD's fault (with zero actual evidence or correlation) get fed up and either stop making every single one of your posts about it or find another team to root for.

agree.  if they beat the Chiefs, McD will suddenly be the greatest coach of all time.  I guess that's why they call them fanatics! 

[Negan]

2 minutes ago, ProcessTruster said:

agree.  if they beat the Chiefs, McD will suddenly be the greatest coach of all time.  I guess that's why they call them fanatics! 

What about 12 men on the field and :13 seconds, those aren't just bounces of the football and bad luck.  Those are criminally negligent decisions at the top.

[UKBillFan]

3 minutes ago, Billl said:

Remember before the season started when this board was on fire raging against the "national media" for having the temerity to suggest that the Bills were likely to take a step back this season?  The "narrative" was that Buffalo had an aging roster and that it was likely going to catch up with them.  Nobody on here wanted to hear that, so it was largely disregarded while expectations comes ever higher.

 

Fast forward a few months, and the Bills have taken a step back and funds themselves fighting for their playoff lives.  Suddenly the fans are shocked and want to fire a coach for having a down season and finishing second in the division after winning it three straight times.

 

In any given season, there are maybe a half dozen teams with a championship caliber roster.  Of those, only one actually wins it all.  The Bills has a championship caliber roster the last two seasons. They don't this year.  No coach was going to win a title with this roster unless, against all odds, one of the oldest rosters in the league had remarkable injury luck.  Predictably, that didn't happen.  

 

The organization made a decision to push all in for one more run this year instead of revamping the roster.  It's a defendable decision, but it was a longshot that hasn't worked out.  Now, it's time to rebuild.  McDermott (and Beane) had a plan when he came in to build a championship quality team, and he did it.  They didn't win it all, but they were very much in the mix.  I think he deserves another chance to go back to the drawing board and try again, and the fanbase needs to understand that 2024 and 2025 are likely to be rough. 

 

You've got a guy who has proven he can build a team up from nothing to a legit contender.  One 9-8 type season shouldn't erase that.  If it does, the franchise deserves what it gets if/when the new guy inevitably is worse, IMO.

Individual decision making has probably cost the Bills decision making this year, rather than an ageing roster. The coaches not organising Special Teams correctly leading to 12 men; if that hadn’t happened the Bills would be 7-5. The abysmal defense in the final series against Mac Jones and the Pats. All they had to do was keep to a simple game plan, as Jones is a dreadful QB. Instead they allowed him to waltz down the field. So make that 8-4.

The abysmal final series against the Eagles is nearly as unforgivable (the near 60 yard FG being down to penalties against the Eagles than brilliant defense), followed by a member of the Philadelphia offense coming out expressing shock at how easy the Bills defense made it in OT in terms of play calling. Better calls and it’s 9-3.

 

And that’s just this season. That’s despite Josh’s Met Life meltdown, the Jet Lag against the Jags and a weak performance at the Bengals. Play call after play call after play call. And we go back through the horrors of yesteryear if needed.

 

The issue with the Bills is coaching, and McDermott is learning from mistakes previously made. Instead he’s been hiding behind the likes of Milano, Jones, White and a younger Hyde and Poyer to make great plays. Now they’re injured on ageing the truth is being exposed.

[BananaB]

6 minutes ago, ProcessTruster said:

agree.  if they beat the Chiefs, McD will suddenly be the greatest coach of all time.  I guess that's why they call them fanatics! 

No he won’t. He has beat the Chiefs numerous times in regular season, unless we beat them in the playoffs it doesn’t really matter. He won’t have his shot at that this year. 

[zow2]

21 minutes ago, Billl said:

The organization made a decision to push all in for one more run this year instead of revamping the roster.  It's a defendable decision, but it was a longshot that hasn't worked out.  Now, it's time to rebuild.  McDermott (and Beane) had a plan when he came in to build a championship quality team, and he did it.  They didn't win it all, but they were very much in the mix.  I think he deserves another chance to go back to the drawing board and try again, and the fanbase needs to understand that 2024 and 2025 are likely to be rough. 

 

You've got a guy who has proven he can build a team up from nothing to a legit contender.  One 9-8 type season shouldn't erase that.  If it does, the franchise deserves what it gets if/when the new guy inevitably is worse, IMO.

 

I get what you're saying.  I would choose different wording because this Bills team with a Top-3 QB in the entire league, will not be a rebuild.  They will be in reload mode with some older expensive players getting moved and some new, younger players coming in.  But they should still be a dangerous club with Allen.

[Cheektowaga Chad]

Question: do you pause and actually think before answering the following

 

Would Sean McDermott prefer to have Tyrod Taylor at QB over Josh Allen? 

 

 

[BillsVet]

2 hours ago, Gregg said:

Pegula is the owner. If he GAVE all the power to McDermott, then he could just as easily take it back. He doesn't have to regret anything just fix it.

 

Sure, it's that easy.  To a fan that is.    

 

Try looking at it from a business and operational perspective.  If Pegula fires McD that means:

 

1. Eating 34M+ (I've read McD makes 8.5/per) of salary from a contract extended a few months ago through 2027.  

2. Starting the process to interview HC candidates and hire another guy which TPegs hasn't really excelled at.

3. Paying that new HC market rate in addition to the cost to fire McD.  

4. Probably needing to hire another GM because Beane and McD are a package deal.  So, going through the GM interview process potentially.  And making sure the new GM and HC can work together because that's kind of important for a NFL franchise.  

5. That new leadership will introduce significant changes in the football operation, including new schemes and personnel priorities.  

6. Having all the scouting done in the fall on college and pro prospects needing to be done by the new group.       

7. Oh, and the guy leading this is in his early 70s with an ailing wife who winters in FL while the new stadium is being built that is costing more money than he'd originally expected.  

 

Yeah, it's easy.  

 

And for the record, I'm in favor of firing McD.  

Edited December 1, 2023 by BillsVet

[mannc]

9 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

Sure, it's that easy.  To a fan that is.    

 

Try looking at it from a business and operational perspective.  If Pegula fires McD that means:

 

1. Eating 34M+ (I've read McD makes 8.5/per) of salary from a contract extended a few months ago through 2027.  

2. Starting the process to interview HC candidates and hire another guy which TPegs hasn't really excelled at.

3. Paying that new HC market rate in addition to the cost to fire McD.  

4. Probably needing to hire another GM because Beane and McD are a package deal.  So, going through the GM interview process potentially.  And making sure the new GM and HC can work together because that's kind of important for a NFL franchise.  

5. That new leadership will introduce significant changes in the football operation, including new schemes and personnel priorities.  

6. Having all the scouting done in the fall on college and pro prospects needing to be done by the new group.       

7. Oh, and the guy leading this is in his early 70s with an ailing wife who winters in FL while the new stadium is being built that is costing more money than he'd originally expected.  

 

Yeah, it's easy.  

 

And for the record, I'm in favor of firing McD.  

McDermott richly deserves to be fired but, for all the reasons you’ve cited, it would just be too heavy of a lift for this organization right now.  I do think that could change if the last five weeks of the season turn out to be a disaster…by the way, I think it would be possible for Beane to effectively fire McDermott, simply by recommending to Terry that they get a new coach.  That would short-circuit some of the issues you've identified.  

Edited December 1, 2023 by mannc

[Saxum]

1 hour ago, Jim said:

Wait. Rick Dennison had more power in the Bills organization, circa 2017, than Seanny Boy? Wow.

 

Guess that there really isn’t ANYTHING that’s McDermott’s fault. Thanks for correcting me!

 

I understand English is not your first language.  I will try to use smaller words as I do with my 3 year old godchild. 

Never said there really isn’t ANYTHING that’s McDermott’s fault.