Where’s Bills Sean McDermott Rank Among NFL Coaches?
With the start of the 2022 NFL season just over two months away, all 32 teams are looking to make their mark across the league’s landscape. Having already assembled the majority of their respective 90-man rosters, the process for teams’ determining which players will be chosen to represent each franchise for the upcoming season is about to begin; as training camps are set to open in late July.
Though the players on the field ultimately make or break the plays, they are most often put in the position to either succeed or fail by their head coach. Strategies, schemes and decisions can sometimes be the difference between victory and defeat. Unsurprisingly, teams with the right coach for the job are almost always the most successful.
In an effort to evaluate which of the NFL’s 32 teams are best positioned for coaching success, CBS Sports submitted their pre-season rankings for each of the league’s head coaches. Their assessment was divided into four tiers and each coach was ranked from worst to first based on how they would "draft" them for this season. CBS based their evaluation on the criteria of both trust, and positioning for success.
As the Buffalo Bills have been a popular pick to emerge as the top team in the AFC in 2022, coach Sean McDermott ranked sixth on their list.
CBS Sports’ Assessment on McDermott:
6. Sean McDermott (Bills)
Season: 6th with Bills and as HC
Career record: 49-32 (.605) | Playoffs: 3-4
If anyone has the makings of the next Andy Reid, just in terms of steady-handedness year in and year out, it might be McDermott, one of his top disciples. More than just overseeing Josh Allen's growing stardom at QB, and Buffalo's aggressive offensive approach, he's kept his signature unit, the Bills defense, hungry in key games. Crazy things happen, but it feels like a matter of when, not if, McDermott will be contending for a Lombardi Trophy thanks to the well-rounded roster he shepherds.
Despite a brief, mid-season slip in the divisional standings, the Bills once again dominated the AFC East; finishing 5-1, with the only loss coming against the New England Patriots in a game with 25-35 mph winds. Buffalo finished their 2021 campaign with a record of 11-6, buoyed by an MVP-worthy performance from quarterback Josh Allen. The team stormed through its AFC Wild Card matchup with the Patriots; winning the contest by a final score of 47-17 without having to punt, kick a field goal, or turn the ball over.
While Buffalo ultimately succumbed to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round [resulting from a heartbreaking walk-off Chiefs touchdown with 13 seconds remaining in the contest], McDermott has proved his worth as a head coach, not just in the division and conference, but throughout the league. In addition to returning Allen, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and tight end Dawson Knox, the Bills also added the services of linebacker Von Miller to their defense — complementing the return of injured cornerback Tre’Davious White. In short, Buffalo will continue to be stout in all three phases of the game, with McDermott being the right man in charge to lead them into 2022.
