Sean McDermott vs. Brian Daboll: Bills Names Rank on PFF Top 10 Coaches
No one circles the (head coaching) wagons like the Buffalo Bills.
A list of the NFL's top 10 head coaches, as ranked by Pro Football Focus, ended with current Bills boss Sean McDermott at No. 9 and he was immediately followed by his former protege and ex-Western New York offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, now the head coach of the New York Giants.
While McDermott has come under fire by some of the hot take artists in recent times, the Bills offered a public endorsement earlier this month in the form of a contract extension running through the 2027-28 season. Since he took over in 2017, the Bills have earned 62 wins, which is tied with Baltimore for the third-best tally in the NFL in that span.
"McDermott being the head man amid Josh Allen’s rise to MVP level is a big reason why the team shouldn't want to change its head coach-quarterback relationship anytime soon," list curator Trevor Sikkema declares. "Yes, the Bills have failed to reach the Super Bowl despite having all the requisite talent to do so, but it’s hard to win in this league, especially in the postseason. McDermott gives the Bills that type of realistic goal each season after four straight double-digit winning seasons and four straight playoff appearances."
Daboll's current job is living, breathing proof of McDermott's impact beyond Buffalo, as he was granted the Giants' top headset for his collaboration that turned Allen into a star. In his first year with New York, Daboll posted a 9-7-1 and guided the Giants to their first postseason victory since Super Bowl XLVI.
"Many coaches could be in contention for this final spot in the top 10, but Brian Daboll gets the nod because of an immensely impressive first year as the Giants' head coach in 2022," Sikkema declares. "The difference was Daboll, and he has an even more talented team heading into 2023. He is a head coach who can raise both the floor and ceiling of a roster no matter where it is in its rebuild or winning window. Those are characteristics of a great head coach."
A nationally-televised battle for the Empire State will be staged on Oct. 15, as McDermott's Bills will host Daboll's Giants at Highmark Stadium in Week 6's Sunday night game.
Buffalo rivals Andy Reid (Kansas City) and Bill Belichick (New England) headline the list while Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh), Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco), and John Harbaugh (Baltimore) round out the top five.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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