McDermott is feeling the pressure

[90sBills]

3 hours ago, mjt328 said:

The fact that our wins keep coming in the regular season and theirs keep coming in the postseason is just stupid dumb luck.  

When it has happened this often you cannot chalk it up to dumb luck. One team (coaches and players) rises to the occasion while the other wilt. Attributing these losses to dumb luck will only further the same results.

[Beck Water]

3 hours ago, NoSaint said:

I woke up this morning and still can’t fathom saying we’re looking for Josh to become the face of the franchise 

it might be stranger than the 9/11 speech 

 

I'm still waiting for the OP @Ethan in Cleveland to indicate exactly which press conference this is, so that I can give it a listen and put this remark in context.

 

Because there's a pattern around here of people extracting remarks from their context and then getting fluffed up about them.

 

I see 3 candidates on the Bills web site.

Edited March 26 by Beck Water

[Sweats]

11 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

My point was that many of those superstar elite QBs eventually went to an SB and won only ONE SB. My point is that Aaron Rodgers an 11-time pro bowler, all pro-NFL league 4 times MVP played 18 seasons and only one SB. Oh Wait, he is still playing. Brett Favre played 16 seasons with many accolades while only winning ONE SB.

 

IT...IS...A...TEAM...SPORT! Andrew Luck was a generational talent and the best record he ever saw in his 7-year career was 11-5. Never sniffed an SB. 

 

Bill Cowher? He was stuck with super scrubs at QB and still made the SB, didn't win one until he drafted Big Ben...and even then he needed the Bus to help him. 

 

It is challenging to even get to an SB much less win one. Just ask Jim Kelly and Co, et al. Buffalo was very talented, and very lucky in the early 90's with that hurry-up offense and Bruce Smith, Biscuit rushing the passer. They had flaws, which is why they lost all four tho.

 

You need to understand that the very best team in the NFL and the very best HC has been in the Buffalo Bill's way these last four seasons. The ONLY team that has won more games in the entire NFL in the last 5 years than the Buffalo Bills has been the Kansas City Chiefs. 83-63 vs 82-58

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-total-nfl-wins-last-5-years

 

Sean McDermott is not a scrub HC and in fact, has been one of the very best over the last 5 years. The only HC better has been the offensive genius Andy Reid. 

 

Besides, it's not the HC's fault with so many defensive injuries these last few years. Losing the star defensive players like all-pro Matt Milano and Tre White and the team still finished #2 overall defensively in 2022! #6 in points allowed, #4 in yards allowed in 2023, yeah that's right, top 5 last season with McD calling the plays. 

 

What lost that Buffalo, Chiefs playoff game in Buffalo was a missed FG...despite half the defense on crutches that game. The starting 3rd string LBer who they got off the street two weeks previous was forced to leave the game due to injuries... and because they had nobody else to play...he went back in.

 

 

 

 

Correct.......throw in a HC with piss poor clock management, plays not to lose, plays scared and a D that folds like a cheap suit and you're on the right track.

[klos63]

I became a much bigger McDermott fan during the stretch run this past season.  

The team rallied, and he was the leader. 

It was great coaching and I believe he's a top coach in the league.

We will win a super bowl with him. 

[NoSaint]

8 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

I'm still waiting for the OP @Ethan in Cleveland to indicate exactly which press conference this is, so that I can give it a listen and put this remark in context.

 

Because there's a pattern around here of people extracting remarks from their context and then getting fluffed up about them.

 

I see 3 candidates on the Bills web site.

totally fair 

 

but even in a bizarre clumsy wording - it’s a really strange way to describe the entrenched franchise qb. He’d really have to walk it back drastically and immediately for it not to be off putting and that it even slipped would be strange 

[Big Blitz]

I think over 90 percent of the people (myself at the time) wanted him fired for reasons that have nothing to do with how good a head coach he’s been.  And he has been great.  
 

But those reasons were:

 

Falling short in the playoffs - 13 seconds especially 

 

And the terrible start last year especially on offense and the selection of Dorsey as OC - it looked like we weren’t making the playoffs.  
 

 

It looked like it was time to get an offensive mind in here to stop the revolving door and stabilize it hopefully for the rest of Josh’s career with the second most important coach on your staff.  
 

We watched 3 years of Josh quickly turn into 6.  And no SB in that rookie deal window.  And we’re now on OC number 4 in McDs tenure.  
 

Absolutely nothing against McD for me it was just a matter of making painful business decision to maximize Josh and a league that’s an offensive league.  
 

 

 

That said I stated at the time due to catastrophic injuries on D if he got us into the playoffs I’d personally forgive 13 seconds and not complain about it.  
 

If I think he should be fired it’s going to need to be of circumstances that haven’t happened yet because he’s clearly loved in that room and is a great leader of men.  That’s not easy to replace.  

[Nihilarian]

13 minutes ago, Sweats said:

 

 

 

Correct.......throw in a HC with piss poor clock management, plays not to lose, plays scared and a D that folds like a cheap suit and you're on the right track.

I realize you hate the guy because he hasn't lived up to your expectations and yet being the second-most winningest NFL HC in the last five years isn't good enough for you.  Defensive injuries? The ONLY HC better has been Andy Reid over the last five years who has never made a mistake in his life. 

 

Sucks to be you!

[Coach Tuesday]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Do I think it plays a part? Sure. But there is also a good degree of randomness to them. 

 

There is randomness to which side recovers a fumble but that's about it.  McD's playoff philosophy, especially when Leslie was his DC, was "we're not going to change what got us here."  That's a terrible philosophy in the playoffs against elite playcallers and game planners and it probably explains the turnover discrepancy @HappyDays cited.

[Sweats]

2 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

I realize you hate the guy because he hasn't lived up to your expectations and yet being the second-most winningest NFL HC in the last five years isn't good enough for you.  Defensive injuries? The ONLY HC better has been Andy Reid over the last five years who has never made a mistake in his life. 

 

Sucks to be you!

 

 

 

 

I'm happy that you are satisfied with mediocre, however, i expect a little more, so.....

[Nihilarian]

You Bills fans that want Bill Belichick...really? The guy who just ruined his last QB by hiring an ex-DC to be his OC?

 

Whatever magic Ole Bill had lost when Tom Brady left NE. Bill told the Patriots owner that Tom Brady was no longer any good as a QB so he got rid of him for Mac Jones. Oh Yeah, didn't Brady win another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Bucs?

 

Didn't the Patriots just fire Ole Bill for a 4-13 season...and you want to hire him for Buffalo? Shows me what the haters know about pro football. 

4 minutes ago, Sweats said:

I'm happy that you are satisfied with mediocre, however, i expect a little more, so.....

Get a grip on reality! The second-most-winning NFL coach over the last five years is NOT mediocre! 

 

Another reality is that the current Buffalo Bills owner isn't changing his HC anytime soon... no matter how much fans cry and whine. 

[Sweats]

12 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

You Bills fans that want Bill Belichick...really? The guy who just ruined his last QB by hiring an ex-DC to be his OC?

 

Whatever magic Ole Bill had lost when Tom Brady left NE. Bill told the Patriots owner that Tom Brady was no longer any good as a QB so he got rid of him for Mac Jones. Oh Yeah, didn't Brady win another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Bucs?

 

Didn't the Patriots just fire Ole Bill for a 4-13 season...and you want to hire him for Buffalo? Shows me what the haters know about pro football. 

Get a grip on reality! The second-most-winning NFL coach over the last five years is NOT mediocre! 

 

Another reality is that the current Buffalo Bills owner isn't changing his HC anytime soon... no matter how much fans cry and whine. 

 

 

 

 

........2nd best with nothing to show for it is the definition of mediocre, with a hint of inept.

[JGMcD2]

Working in professional sports is such a weird place to be. You get hired knowing you're going to get fired and there really isn't anything you can do to stop it.

 

Your success hinges on so many unpredictable factors, in this case, the performance of 53(ish) individuals that you're required to get to pull in one direction. More often than not, you're getting fired because of a metaphorical angry mob with torches and pitchforks upset with your performance. It can be justified, some other times it is not.

 

Fans view success as binary - "Win a Super Bowl" or "We Suck". Unfortunately, it's much more nuanced than that, but fans (short for fanatic: a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause) have a hard time acknowledging all of the factors. Realistically, most fans have no clue what really goes into the operation - roster rules, salary cap, official rules, etc. They just look at everything through a very narrow-minded viewpoint of Super Bowl or Bust. 

 

The point being made by Sean McDermott isn't some sort of deflection, it's acknowledging they've objectively had a tremendous amount of success throughout his tenure despite not being crowned Super Bowl Champions. That's because success in the NFL is more of a spectrum as opposed to 0s and 1s like @Ethan in Clevelandwould like to believe. 

[Shaw66]

16 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

 

Fair point regarding Fouts and Coryell who was ahead of his time but could not win the big game.

This is the point where your argument, and others, go wrong fundamentally.  

 

There is no evidence that Coryell COULD NOT win the big game.  The evidence is that he DID NOT win the big game.  

 

Marvin Lewis DID NOT win it, either.  

 

There is no logic that proves that McDermott cannot win it.  None.  

 

McDermott is virtually universally recognized by knowledgeable pro football observers as one of the best coaches in the league.  It is only disgruntled Bills fans who think he isn’t.  

 

And one more thing.  People who argue that McDermott has failed because he hasn't won with a great QB are wrong.  Last season was the first season where Allen began to run the offense like a great QB, and he didn't do it consistently.  He's improving, but he still can't do it like Mahomes.  And if you watch the video of Kincaid's targets, it's clear that Allen isn't accurate enough. 

 

McDermott's QB is good but not good enough to support an indictment of McDermott's coaching ability.  

[Gregg]

14 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

You Bills fans that want Bill Belichick...really? The guy who just ruined his last QB by hiring an ex-DC to be his OC?

 

Whatever magic Ole Bill had lost when Tom Brady left NE. Bill told the Patriots owner that Tom Brady was no longer any good as a QB so he got rid of him for Mac Jones. Oh Yeah, didn't Brady win another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Bucs?

 

Didn't the Patriots just fire Ole Bill for a 4-13 season...and you want to hire him for Buffalo? Shows me what the haters know about pro football. 

Get a grip on reality! The second-most-winning NFL coach over the last five years is NOT mediocre! 

 

Another reality is that the current Buffalo Bills owner isn't changing his HC anytime soon... no matter how much fans cry and whine. 

 

McDermott, No. Granato, very possible.

[Jauronimo]

19 hours ago, freddyjj said:

@Ethan in Cleveland I dunno, maybe move out of Cleveland to improve your perspective?

He could pull his head out of his own ass for immediate improvement in perspective before he thinks about leaving Cleveland.  Baby steps to out of Ohio. 

7 minutes ago, Sweats said:

 

 

 

 

........2nd best with nothing to show for it is the definition of mediocre, with a hint of inept.

What is 0.500 on this scale?

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Imagine if this board was around in the late 80’s through 90’s. 

[Sweats]

7 minutes ago, JGMcD2 said:

Working in professional sports is such a weird place to be. You get hired knowing you're going to get fired and there really isn't anything you can do to stop it.

 

Your success hinges on so many unpredictable factors, in this case, the performance of 53(ish) individuals that you're required to get to pull in one direction. More often than not, you're getting fired because of a metaphorical angry mob with torches and pitchforks upset with your performance. It can be justified, some other times it is not.

 

Fans view success as binary - "Win a Super Bowl" or "We Suck". Unfortunately, it's much more nuanced than that, but fans (short for fanatic: a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause) have a hard time acknowledging all of the factors. Realistically, most fans have no clue what really goes into the operation - roster rules, salary cap, official rules, etc. They just look at everything through a very narrow-minded viewpoint of Super Bowl or Bust. 

 

The point being made by Sean McDermott isn't some sort of deflection, it's acknowledging they've objectively had a tremendous amount of success throughout his tenure despite not being crowned Super Bowl Champions. That's because success in the NFL is more of a spectrum as opposed to 0s and 1s like @Ethan in Clevelandwould like to believe. 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, these poor, poor coaches making millions of dollars a year getting fired and seemingly finding another coaching job the next day is very unfortunate.........my friggin heart bleeds for them.

[JGMcD2]

4 minutes ago, Sweats said:

 

 

 

 

Yeah, these poor, poor coaches making millions of dollars a year getting fired and seemingly finding another coaching job the next day is very unfortunate.........my friggin heart bleeds for them.

Sweats, try a little positivity one time man, you’re bringing down the mood. 

 

Did I say these poor coaches? I just said it’s a weird place to be. Not for nothing, most of the coaches on staff aren’t making millions of dollars. There are plenty of guys in those offices typically making much less than even six figures and undoubtedly feel the things I’m describing above. 
 

 

[Ballhawk]

20 hours ago, julian said:

In general it’s hard to win in this league, when you have a Josh Allen it’s easier to win than 30 other teams, the truer statement is it’s hard to win a championship in this league when one side of the ball continually fails to show up in the playoffs.

 

But you won’t hear him say that because that side of the ball is his baby.

Honestly, in the modern day NFL I don't think any defense can be counted on to win a championship. The rules continue to favor the offenses. If anything I thought the adjustments McDermott and Beane made halfway through last year to improve the defense gave the Bills a real chance. People forget there were plenty of games (like the first game of the year against the Jets) where the defense kept a woeful (and healthy) offense in the game.

 

Come crunch time on the modern NFL, the best offenses are unstoppable. When the Chiefs took over in the SB, needing a touchdown in overtime, with 4 downs, plenty of time and modern NFL rules to protect them, it didn't matter what defense would have been out there. The 85 Bears could have played that series and they would have been scored on (and have committed about 10 fouls!).

 

I always find it funny when people blame one side of the team as though the performance of the O and D are not connected. McDermott still has to prove his team can finish and win the Superbowl, but he's proven he's a capable leader and coach. 

Edited March 26 by Ballhawk

[RunTheBall]

Too many people discount the importance of luck once you get to the playoffs. Teams are very evenly matched and all it takes is one weird bounce of the ball, one key defender to get dinged at the wrong time, etc.

 

Our O has been good enough to get to the SB for a couple years now. Josh plays outstanding in the playoffs even if there are bumps along the way in the regular season.

 

I think our downfall recently has been 1) Key defensive injuries and 2) Our “star” offensive/defensive players not stepping up and making a play in the playoffs when it needs to be made. Edmunds never made a play in 5 years, Von was toast last season, Oliver does a disappearing act every year in the playoffs, Bernard and Milano weren’t available and both are playmakers. Josh played well but Diggs drops a bomb, Sherfleid (not a star) drops 2 bombs. Josh can’t be the only guy on the team raising his game in the playoffs.

 

The difference between us and KC in the playoffs is Chris Jones pushing O-line back into Josh so he couldn’t step up and hit a wide open Shakir. KC defensive stars make plays in the playoffs, ours disappear or aren’t even on the field.