Bills Owner Says Locker Room's Reaction to Loss Played Key Role In McDermott Firing

The Bills stunned fans around the league when they announced earlier this week that they had fired longtime head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons at the helm. Although McDermott is largely responsible for the turnaround of the Buffalo franchise, the Bills never made it to the Super Bowl under his tutelage and fell short again when they lost to the Broncos in the divisional round last Sunday.

Speaking before the media for the first time since the firing, team owner Terry Pegula made clear that McDermott's exit was a direct result of this weekend's loss, a contest that essentially ended on a controversial interception call.

And moreover, in that explanation, it seemed that the decision had less to do with the quantitative data and more to do with what all the owner saw and felt in the locker room following the crushing loss.

"First thing I noticed was our quarterback, with his head down, crying. I looked at all the other players, I looked at their faces and our coaches' [faces]. I walked over to Josh [Allen]. He didn't even acknowledge I was there," Pegula recounted.

"First thing I said to him was, 'That was a catch.' ... He didn't acknowledge me. He just sat there sobbing. He was listless. He had given everything he had to try to win that game, and looking around, so did all the other players on that team. I saw the pain in Josh's face at his presser, and I felt his pain. I know we can do better, and I know we will get better."

Later, Pegula said he had not thought about firing the coach until after the playoff game concluded, and was more so "feeling the moment."

"I felt like we hit the proverbial playoff wall, year after year. ... I just sensed, in that locker room, where do we go from here with what we have? And that was the basis for my decision."

In other words, Pegula knew something had to change; the Bills were in the playoffs every year, but couldn't get over the hump and to the big game. So, McDermott got the boot.

Of the imagery imparted in the owner's comments, the visual of a sobbing Josh Allen felt particularly impactful.

Fans themselves got a glimpse at that heartbreak when the red-eyed QB took the podium following Sunday's game. Speaking through tears, the reigning MVP expressed regret and anger at himself for failing to deliver a win.

“Feel like I let my teammates down tonight," he said. "It's been a long season. Hate how it ended. It's gonna stick with me for a long time."

Pegula insisted Wednesday that whoever the Bills bring in as their new leader won't be pressured to win a championship right away, but it will probably be hard to ignore the Lombardi-shaped elephant in the room. Indeed, as this week's firing made clear, the clock is ticking for this long-tortured franchise ... because who knows how many more crushing playoff defeats these guys can take?

Time will tell who has it in them to next take up the torch.

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