THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Coach of the Year

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

7 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Lately, I’ve been admiring how elegantly good McDermott’s team is. In particular, I’ve been admiring what a special coach McDermott is.

 

Stop there, just for a moment. I’m not saying McDermott’s perfect, and I’m not here to start a discussion about his strengths and weakness. I’m just looking at the exceptional thing he has done, and comparing it to other coaches and situations around the league.

 

When McDermott came to Buffalo, he took a team with a 15+-year history of failure, a team that lacked any real leadership at the top. Rex Ryan had left nothing to build on in terms of organization. There was some talent, but the overall talent level was thin.

McDermott took the team to the playoffs in his first season, suffered through one tough season, and has been in the playoffs every year since. He’s won five straight division titles. That’s a truly amazing coaching job.

 

“A brutal loss, a volatile locker room, and weird Zoom: Inside the Bears’ firing of Matt Eberflus.” That’s how ESPN introduces a recent lead story. Think about how much different the Bears organization is, right now, compared to the Bills. Think about the dysfunction at the Jets.

 

McDermott took a team in turmoil, turmoil not unlike what Chicago and the Jets (and several other teams, too) are in these days, and immediately took them to the playoffs. He took one year to get Josh Allen acclimated to playing in the NFL, now he has a team that is a solid favorite to make the playoffs every year. 

 

McDermott’s excellence is seen not just in his record. It’s apparent in how his players play. They are focused on their jobs and they do them as well as they can, play after play. They block together on offense, they play integrated defense. They may get beaten on a play every now and then – that happens to everyone, but they don’t confuse assignments, they aren’t out of position, and they don’t run from contact.

 

Look at how they run the quarterback sneak. The Bills are behind only the Eagles in efficiency on that play. Yes, it helps to have a strong, athletic quarterback who, if he weren’t the ball carrier, is big enough to be one of the pushers. Watch instead how the interior linemen always get the push needed for the first down. That’s not easy to do, but the Bills have developed that skill.

 

Look at the way the linebackers and defensive backs cover the entire field. Yes, they give up completions, but they’re rarely out of position. Being in position means at least they can make the tackle, occasionally they can defend the pass, and occasionally they even can intercept. And their spacing is so good that often it’s not a one-on-one tackle, because a second tackler arrives quickly, then a third. That’s quality defensive play.

 

The Browns-Broncos game on Monday showed two teams who are executing at a much lower level than the Bills. Those teams have some good athletes who fly around and make plays, but they lack the consistent excellence the Bills play with. Quarterbacks often fail to understand the defense, make inaccurate throws, take unnecessary sacks. Receivers’ routes leave them closely covered, and the receivers fail to fight for receptions. Defenders are out of position, don’t pursue, don’t gang tackle. Those teams aren’t executing because they aren’t coached to execute at that level.

 

The Bills are executing a plan for a team, not for a collection of players. The players have learned the plan, and newcomers to the team learn the plan within a year or two. Look at Taylor Rapp: A year ago, he wasn’t the stud that I had hoped he would become. He made some plays, but he also missed plays, too. It took him a year to work into the defense. Now, Rapp seems always to be where he needs to be. He understands his role, and he understands that he can trust his teammates to understand and execute theirs. Executing that role allows Rapp’s skills to come out. I’ve been impressed all season by his tackling, and there was none better than his shoe-string play on McCaffrey on Sunday night, except maybe the forced fumble on the goal line later.

 

The Bills execute at an extremely high level, and that is happening because Sean McDermott teaches everyone – the coaches and the players and all of the supporting cast – to do their jobs at a high level. It began the season he arrived, and he’s been raising the Bills’ level of play ever since.

 

McDermott’s done an impressive job, and he hasn’t finished.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were every-day people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

Nice write up, Shaw. Now get down and make me a snow angel ! 

[US Egg]

1 hour ago, Buffalo ill said:

I like what I'm seeing, but pump the brakes until the season is wrapped up.

Don’t be crashing the party.

[Jay_Fixit]

Thought the Rockpile Review retired?

[Beast]

McDermott has proven to be a good head coach. Until one of his teams beats a team that they are on par with in a playoff game, he won’t be considered anything more than that.

Edited December 4 by Beast

[Ballhawk]

"Look at how they run the quarterback sneak. The Bills are behind only the Eagles in efficiency on that play. Yes, it helps to have a strong, athletic quarterback who, if he weren’t the ball carrier, is big enough to be one of the pushers. Watch instead how the interior linemen always get the push needed for the first down. That’s not easy to do, but the Bills have developed that skill."

I've got a lot of love for Mitch Morse and how he stabilized josh with his mature leadership while he was here but I feel like QB sneaks on short yardage improved mightily with the move to McGovern. Morse was getting blown up and a lot of those successful QB sneaks were Josh getting it on the second effort. Glad to see this year us actually get "the push needed for the first down."

[SoMAn]

I think there are a few things that differentiates McD from coaches who find themselves on the hot seat after a couple of years.

He's extremely organized. Seems to have a plan, then executes it.

His overall life/work philosophy, part of which is to be the best you that you can be and find ways for constant improvement.

He's incredibly gracious with no hint of an overblown ego. He stands up for his players, never pointing fingers.

 

Following the negative column about McDermott was published last year, the Bills went on a tear to secure the 4th consecutive division title. May be coincidence, but I have to believe that was his players getting behind him, showing their love and support for the head man.

 

[Clark Rotary]

Love that you called out the QB sneak.  

In the past we gave the opposing D time to penetrate by handing off to a running back way too often, actually giving the opposing team more time to react by moving the ball out of the hands of our linebacker/QB unicorn.  But it takes a great plan and seamless execution to actually make it happen. 

 

Also Rapp, from a loose cannon last year who was a menace to players on both teams to a solid contributor who occasionally makes a game-changing play!  

[Don Otreply]

Thanks Shaw66, great read, McDermott has done an excellent job with the the talent that wasn’t let go, and the guys Beane has brought on board, feels like a special year to me, 

[Hawaii50]

19 hours ago, Heitz said:

Soooooo, we’re not firing him? 🤔🤔🤔

It's a week to week league.  We'll see how he does this week. 

[Michael1962]

I agree he has done an amazing job.  Hopefully he will evolve to the point where  he "could take his'n and beat your'n"

[WideNine]

McD had it easy this year.

 

Took long enough for his OC Brady (first full season) to get this offense on track with his (mostly new) receivers and OL shakeup.

 

His new DC who was also new to the role took way too long acclimating to calling the defense (new to that too). 2-3  whole games...terrible.

 

...and how his coaching staff handled the normally reliable Bassamatic that needed to be de-yipped.

 

Hey, someone has to try to let the air out of Shaw's tires 😁

 

[Boatdrinks]

7 hours ago, Michael1962 said:

I agree he has done an amazing job.  Hopefully he will evolve to the point where  he "could take his'n and beat your'n"

And take your’n and beat his’n ! Love it - great Bum Phillips reference there. 

[hondo in seattle]

On 12/4/2024 at 6:05 AM, SoMAn said:

I think there are a few things that differentiates McD from coaches who find themselves on the hot seat after a couple of years.

He's extremely organized. Seems to have a plan, then executes it.

His overall life/work philosophy, part of which is to be the best you that you can be and find ways for constant improvement.

He's incredibly gracious with no hint of an overblown ego. He stands up for his players, never pointing fingers.

 

Following the negative column about McDermott was published last year, the Bills went on a tear to secure the 4th consecutive division title. May be coincidence, but I have to believe that was his players getting behind him, showing their love and support for the head man.

 

 

Dunne said that the ex players and coaches he talked to (25 in total) were "universally exasperated and saddened for those still in Western New York."   Hmm.  I don't need their empathy.  We're doing just fine.  

 

Last I heard, Dunne still stands by his article.  But it was like interviewing 25 Hamas officials about the Israeli government and claiming it's fair and balanced reporting. 

 

Dunne's criticisms of McD's outmoded coaching style is funny.  Most NFL fans in the NFL would love a "relic" who could produce 5 consecutive division championships and a current 10-2 record.  I'd like Dunne a lot more if he manned up and admit he was wrong.  Instead, he'll probably claim that he helped transform McD into a better leader.  

 

 

[Savage]

On 12/3/2024 at 5:17 PM, Forward Progress said:

The coach of the year award doesn't go to the best coach... it goes to the coach of the team that most exceeded pre-season expectations.

 

Daboll won it in 2022, now he's on the hot seat

Vrabel won it in 2021, fired at the end of last season

Matt Nagy won it in 2018, fired two years later

 

Are these coaches better than Andy Reid, who won it once in 2002 with the Eagles or McDermott who has not won?  Absolutely not!!  

 

If you are the coach of a team with playoff expectations (even if the expectations are because of your coaching), you won't win this award.

 

Just like the NFL MVP, coach of the year is another narrative award.

I agree on the criteria for coach of the year,

 

just like league MVP goes to the player who means the most to his team.

 

if that isn’t Josh Allen, then no one should get it.

 

if it weren’t for JA17, the Bills would be bottom feeders, mediocre at best.