Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula made waves when he announced the firing of head coach Sean McDermott following the team’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos. It was a surprising outcome, especially considering McDermott led the team to the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons as head coach.
Pegula finally shed some light on that decision Wednesday, explaining McDermott was fired due to the team seemingly hitting a “playoff wall.”
Despite McDermott’s regular-season success — where the coach posted a 98-50 record — the Bills went just 8-8 in the playoffs. While Buffalo reached two AFC championships, the team failed to make it to the Super Bowl despite some excellent play from Josh Allen at quarterback.
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The team’s most recent postseason loss came with some controversy, as a late interception call resulted in scrutiny from many in the football world. McDermott was one of the most vocal critics of the call, saying Bills fans deserved an explanation after officials ruled Allen was intercepted on a contested catch attempt by Bills wideout Brandin Cooks.
Pegula said that call had no impact on his decision to fire McDermott. The owner said the outcome of the game, combined with the emotional state of the locker room, pushed Pegula to make the move.
Pegula said Allen had no input in the decision to fire McDermott.
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Pegula’s statement appears to refute a Tuesday report that suggested McDermott’s criticism of the team’s roster upset the owner and new president of football operations Brandon Beane. Prior to the playoffs, McDermott reportedly pointed out the team’s roster deficiencies. Pegula and Beane were reportedly not pleased with McDermott’s assessment, and it may have played a role in his firing a few weeks later.
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Beane, who previously served as the team’s general manager before being promoted Monday, has been criticized in the past for failing to give Allen a superstar pass catcher after trading Stefon Diggs after the 2023 NFL season.
The Bills attempted to remedy that by taking wideout Keon Coleman in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but Coleman hasn’t lived up to his draft status just yet. While many have placed the blame on Beane for taking Coleman, Pegula said the decision to draft the wideout was driven by the coaching staff, and that Beane was “being a team player” when the pick was made.
Twitter sleuths have already uncovered video in which Beane appears excited about the prospect of taking Coleman in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Coleman, 22, has 67 catches, 960 yards and eight touchdowns total in his two seasons in the NFL. He’s under contract with the Bills through the 2027 season, though could find himself on another team soon given Pegula’s comments.
That narrative could be the reason Beane was promoted the day McDermott was fired. That decision drew some criticism, with some believing it was proof Beane won a power struggle over McDermott.
Pegula didn’t see it that way, saying he did not sense Beane was trying to make a power play on McDermott.
Beane, who also spoke Wednesday, took offense to that narrative, saying he didn’t appreciate people questioning his character. “That is B.S.,” Beane said.
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With Beane promoted, he’ll be tasked with finding the next Bills head coach. The team reportedly made a lot of progress on that front Wednesday, putting out multiple interview requests around the league.
Finding a head coach who can do better than McDermott could prove difficult. And if that head coach fails to live up to those lofty expectations, Beane will presumably have a much harder time avoiding criticism, despite what Pegula said Wednesday.
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