NFL Coach Rankings: Bills' Sean McDermott Underappreciated?
Buffalo Bills' coach Sean McDermott may be a victim of his own success. In the 17 seasons prior to McDermott's arrival, the Bills failed to make the playoffs a single time. But in the six seasons since McDermott was hired by the Bills, Buffalo has made the playoffs five times.
And yet, between a lack of ability to finish in the postseason and the bizarre situation that unfolded with All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs during minicamp, McDermott has found himself on the defensive quite a bit lately.
As he enters what feels like a crucial seventh season as the coach of the Bills, McDermott checked in at No. 11 on our SI/FanNation countdown of the 32 NFL coaches:
"McDermott has been the most successful -- and perhaps, only successful -- coach Buffalo has had since Marv Levy, but you get the feeling that the 49-year-old's seat might be a little warm. McDermott probably would get hired elsewhere immediately if dismissed by Buffalo, but if there's a third consecutive disappointing postseason exit in the midst of Josh Allen's peak, a new voice may be best for all involved."
The Bills reached the AFC Championship Game ahead of schedule before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020. In 2021, they again lost to the Chiefs, 42-36, this time in a Divisional Round thriller where Buffalo didn't get to touch the ball in overtime after losing the coin toss. Even though McDermott has a defensive background, it's hard to find too much fault in the performance of his team during what may very well have been the greatest playoff game in NFL history.
However, there's plenty of blame to go around for a 27-10 loss at home to the Cincinnati Bengals in last year's AFC Divisional Round, which is a major reason that former defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is no longer with the team.
And if Buffalo falls short of making the Super Bowl again in 2023 -- especially if offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey underwhelms in his second season as Brian Daboll's successor -- there will be serious discussions about whether there should be a philosophy change on the sidelines at Orchard Park.
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