Buffalo Bills Coach Sean McDermott Under Fire for 'Horribly' Insensitive 9/11 Speech
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott has been faced with his fair share of criticism this season. While wearing two hats as the head coach and defensive coordinator this year, the Bills have stumbled to a 6-6 record and are fighting for their postseason lives.
McDermott will have to give the team some empowering speeches and messages down the season's final stretch, but his critics would suggest he learns from his past pep talks - and the new scrutiny of them - on what not to say.
Per an investigative feature from former Buffalo News reporter Tyler Dunne, multiple team sources said that McDermott insensitively referenced the hijackers of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when giving a "teamwork'' speech to the team in 2019. With that story reaching the public this week, McDermott was forced to answer for his odd comments when speaking to the media Wednesday.
“My intent in the meeting that day was to discuss the importance of communication,” he said, per The Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald. “I regretted mentioning 9/11 in my message that day, and I immediately apologized to the team.”
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott calls a time out during the second half of a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
© Brian Fluharty, USA TODAY
Dunne writes that McDermott's speech had players confused. Mentioning the heroics of the emergency response teams during 9/11 is one thing, but McDermott instead asked his players to think from the perspective of the hijackers before asking the players about "tactics" the terrorists might've used.
“He cited the hijackers as a group of people who were all able to get on the same page to orchestrate attacks to perfection," Dunne writes. " ... One by one, McDermott started asking specific players in the room questions. ‘What tactics do you think they used to come together?’
A young player tried to methodically answer. ‘What do you think their biggest obstacle was?’
A veteran answered, ‘TSA,’ which mercifully lightened the mood.”
One anonymous player told Dunne that McDermott's "social skills are lacking."
McDermott has always been a man of few words that sticks closely to his "Coach-speak" cards, but having players question his ability to communicate socially goes a step beyond in hinting at a problem.
“I don’t know why he’s that awkward, but his social skills are lacking,” the anonymous player said. "Maybe he’s just wound-up thinking about ball. You’ve got to talk to the team every day. That’s one where maybe he heard it on a podcast. Next episode! That’s not the one to lead with. He was trying to bring the team together.
"It was a horrible, horrible reference. He missed the mark.”
There's been a growing sense this season that McDermott could potentially be losing the locker room due to the team's mediocre play and questionable losses. This latest story would seem to add some credibility to those rumors.
McDermott and the Bills will look to focus on the positives when they face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
