Is Bills head coach Sean McDermott on the hot seat following recent struggles?

The Buffalo Bills have been slipping the past couple of weeks, but is Sean McDermott feeling the heat?

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott on the sidelines against the Atlanta Falcons. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills strong 4-0 start has hit a wall.

Their Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots was tough enough to deal with, but fans could try and justify the defeat by saying it was a divisional loss to a hungry team. Week 6, however, was even more frustrating.

RELATED: Joe Brady's stubborn play calls cost slumping Bills two weeks in a row

Buffalo was facing a Falcons team that surrendered 57 points over their past two games. The Bills, however, managed just 14 in a 24-14 loss. While the offense was bad, the defense was arguably worse, giving up 210 yards on the ground.

Head coach Sean McDermott, known as a defensive guru, will take the heat for that. He’s also going to be called out for their sudden rash of penalties. On Sunday, they gave up 64 yards thanks to eight accepted penalties after being called for 11 penalties the week before.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott on the sidelines against the Atlanta Falcons. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Throw in McDermott’s decisions to abandon analytics and punt twice on fourth down plays against Atlanta, and it feels fair to ask if his seat is growing hot.

Bills coaching miscues go beyond Sean McDermott

Fans who are hoping for a change might not want to get their hopes up.

As frustrating as McDermott’s decision-making and the team’s lack of discipline have been, he’s not the only coach to struggle. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has let the team down in back-to-back weeks with ill-timed jet sweeps, which have had devastating effects.

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady on the field before a game against the New York Giants. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

That means the front office isn’t likely going to feel good about moving off McDermott during the season, especially since Brady would be the likely successor and he’s not leaving them with warm and fuzzy feelings.

That said, if Buffalo fails to win the AFC East despite being heavy favorites, it’s fair to ask if McDermott deserves to come back for a 10th season.

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