Lance Lysowski: Sean McDermott's firing a necessary step for Bills to reach next level
"It's a significant gamble to fire someone who had the Bills in the divisional round six straight years, but the status quo could not continue. Pegula could not stand back and hope next season ended differently.," Lance Lysowski writes.
buffalonews.com
After a heartbreaking loss that brought tears to his quarterback's eyes, Sean McDermott walked to the podium in Denver and resoundingly criticized the officials' handling of a controversial call in overtime.
"I'm standing up for Buffalo, damnit!" McDermott said shortly after his ninth season ended with a 33-30 defeat in the AFC divisional round.
No one knew how Bills owner Terry Pegula would react. Josh Allen will be 30 years old at the start of the 2026 season, when the doors will open to their $2.1 billion stadium on Abbot Road. McDermott led the Bills to eight playoff appearances, including seven straight, but the context within their crushing postseason exits could not be ignored.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott applauds his team against the New York Jets
during the second half at Highmark Stadium game on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
The postgame defiance became McDermott's last stand.
Less than 48 hours into their offseason, Pegula fired McDermott and tabbed general manager Brandon Beane as the man in charge of finding the next coach of the Bills. Among active NFL coaches, McDermott ranked sixth in wins and second in winning percentage. Each of the Bills' last three playoff losses were by a combined 9 points.
Not only did the Bills retain Beane as general manager, but he received a promotion. As president of football operations, Beane will oversee the coaching staff and, according to a news release, "all facets" of football operations.
"Sean has done an admirable job of leading our football team for the past nine seasons," Pegula said in a statement. "But I feel we are in need of a new structure within our leadership to give this organization the best opportunity to take our team to the next level. We owe that to our players and to Bills Mafia."
Pegula remained patient after the debacle of 13 seconds in the AFC divisional playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on January 23, 2022. A missed field goal the following year prevented the Bills from forcing overtime, halting their season before the conference championship game. Last January, McDermott's defense got torched by Patrick Mahomes for 32 points. And, most recently, Buffalo allowed three passing touchdowns to Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
Officiating wasn't to blame for the Bills' loss. Sure, Allen committed four uncharacteristic turnovers and the offense gave the ball away a season-high five times, but it became clear that McDermott's defense was not championship-caliber. Nix barely got touched. In-game adjustments by McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich were ineffective. Switching to man coverage in the second half exposed the lack of depth caused by injuries.
Pegula couldn't ignore the big picture. McDermott's defensive scheme does not hold up to the eye test. Look at the four teams that advanced to the conference championship games. New England, Denver, Seattle and the Los Angeles Rams put quarterbacks in a headlock to move one win away from Super Bowl LX. The owner also had to consider the fallout if he brought back McDermott, most notably whether the Bills would lose offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who is widely respected across the locker room.
Fans grew tired of the wide receiver screens Brady called, and he made some poor decisions in key situations earlier in the regular season. You can't ignore the production, though. The play-caller helped Allen win NFL MVP. Bills running James Cook led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2024 and, this season, he became the first Buffalo player to win the rushing title since O.J. Simpson in 1976.
Allen loves Brady. The players love Brady. The Bills were 3-1 in games when their defense allowed at least 200 rushing yards. There are imperfections with Brady's play-calling. He can be too predictable and too cute with the solutions he hands his quarterback. But the exceptional production cannot be ignored. Buffalo does not rally from double-digit deficits against the Ravens, Bengals and Patriots without the play-caller pushing the right buttons.
Pegula also had to consider the influence McDermott had on personnel decisions. According to a team source, McDermott was too strict with the characteristics and traits that were necessary for positions on defense. He insisted the team use high draft picks on prospects that he coveted, including edge rusher Boogie Basham, and McDermott pushed back when the Bills' scouts recommended talented players who he viewed as unfit to play in his scheme.
Beane has to own his mistakes on offense. He has missed on too many wide receiver acquisitions since the Bills wisely traded Stefon Diggs. In addition to the coaching search, Beane has to strengthen the team's depth chart at edge rusher, safety, linebacker and wide receiver. Two of his starting offensive linemen, left guard David Edwards and center Connor McGovern, are pending free agents.
Look closer at some of Beane's decisions, though. Many of his draft picks on offense have developed into key contributors for Allen, like Cook, tight end Dalton Kincaid and an exceptionally strong offensive line. It's not a coincidence that most of Buffalo's misfires were on defense.
The 2022 draft class exemplifies the predicament caused by McDermott's stubborn vision for his roster. The Bills' first-round draft pick, cornerback Kaair Elam, is arguably the team's worst selection during the coach's nine seasons. But the Bills selected Cook in the second round and wide receiver Khail Shakir in the third. Buffalo's scouts are excellent. Those mid- and late-round gems were unearthed by smart people hired by Beane. In the sixth round of the 2022 draft, the Bills selected cornerback Christian Benford.
"I have full faith and have witnessed Brandon's outstanding leadership style and have confidence in his abilities to lead our organization," Pegula also said in the statement.
Remember, Pegula hired a coach before a general manager in 2017. McDermott helped select Beane. They worked together in Carolina with the Panthers. But it became clear this season that coach and general manager were not on the same page.
McDermott expressed frustration last month after the Bills waived a cornerback who knew his defense, Ja'Marcus Ingram, to claim an accomplished veteran, Darius Slay, who chose not to join the team. McDermott told reporters that any questions about Slay should be directed to Beane.
Pegula understands the clock is ticking, and the coaching cycle is filled with talented candidates. The Bills vacancy quickly became the most coveted in the NFL. The question, however, is what traits Pegula will want in his next coach. Will the team want an offensive guru to pair with Allen? Or, could Buffalo try to find someone who will retain Brady and fix the ailing defense? How much will previous head coach experience matter?
Hiring head coaches had been a blind spot for Pegula throughout his ownership of the Bills and Sabres. Rex Ryan and Ralph Krueger won him over during in-person interviews, then proceeded to fail miserably. Beane's presence will ensure Buffalo does not fall for similar sales pitches. Pete Guelli, the Bills' chief operations officer, played a key role in the front-office change that brought stability and experience to the Sabres' front office. Pegula has experienced people around him to make the right hire.
So many questions will be left unanswered until Beane holds his season-ending press conference. Allen is also expected to address reporters for the first time since he was red-faced and teary-eyed at the podium in Denver. These playoffs were a missed opportunity for the Bills. Among the four teams, Buffalo would have the best quarterback, running back and offensive line. The season should not have ended the way it did.
McDermott deserves a respectful farewell. He honored the franchise's tradition and respected the accomplished people who became before him. Most importantly, McDermott embraced Buffalo and understood football's importance in the community. He prioritized the person before the athlete and created an open-door policy that his players admired.
There were impressive defensive adjustments throughout this season to account for the evolution of NFL offenses and Buffalo's injury-depleted defense. McDermott blitzed more often. He used more pre-snap disguises to confuse quarterbacks, a wrinkle that helped the Bills beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round.
Few coaches have experienced as much success in the regular season. The Bills were a mess before he left the Carolina Panthers to take over a team with a 17-year playoff drought. Now, Buffalo is considered one of the NFL's best franchises. He played a significant role in that transformation.
It's a significant gamble to fire someone who had the Bills in the divisional round six straight years, but the status quo could not continue. Pegula could not stand back and hope next season ended differently. Time will tell if he should have wiped the slate clean, but he believes in the general manager whose decision to draft Allen positioned the Bills for long-term success. Buffalo has the best quarterback in the league and, rightfully so, Pegula's decision Monday signaled to the team's players and fans that anything short of a Super Bowl is unacceptable.
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