The Buffalo Bills are on the hot seat after another early playoff exit during the 2023 season.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott and quarterback Josh Allen are under scrutiny after the 2023 season. After a roller-coaster regular season, the Bills jump to their fourth consecutive AFC East Championship, only to lose to Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs yet again.
Bills fans put in their time. They crave glory.
They are anxious, writes @ByTimGraham. They are afraid of wasting their generational QB's prime.
And pressure is ratcheting up on Sean McDermott.https://t.co/ovXnvKEEuQ pic.twitter.com/rbhU0ARcFN
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 8, 2024
Are the Bills destined to fall short every year?
Sean McDermott sat down with Tim Graham of The Athletic and spoke about his criticism of his ability to get the best out of quarterback Josh Allen.
“I’m confident in who I am as Josh’s coach. I know how to develop players. I’m confident in that, and I’m extremely confident Josh is going to develop the best he can and that we’re going to maximize Josh’s potential.”
Quarterback Comparisons
The Athletic compared Josh Allen to the careers of Warren Moon and Rich Gannon. Two quarterbacks that fell short of expectations.
“I understand the predicament Josh is in because there are a lot of similarities between us two,” Moon said. “He just happens to be losing to really, really good quarterbacks, and he doesn’t play defense. I played on two teams I thought had a chance to win championships.”
“Forget about how hard it is to win a game, let alone a playoff game or the Super Bowl,” Gannon said. “Do you know how hard it is to make a first down in our business?”
Josh Allen is still early in his career, but facing comparisons to these two legends is a hard pill to swallow for Bills fans. Having your name enter the realm of “Greatest Never to Win” is starting to creep into the Josh Allen narrative.
Sean McDermott Under Pressure
Sean McDermott has brought the Buffalo Bills back to relevance since he has taken over as head coach. The issue isn’t his ability to lead a team, it is his ability to close on. McDermott has been butchered over his ability to close games, specifically in the playoffs.
It was the third straight year the Bills’ season ended in this round of the playoffs. And they’ve been eliminated by the Chiefs in three of the past four years, with losses after the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Arrowhead Stadium.
Two years ago, it was “13 Seconds” — the time it took Patrick Mahomes to drive the Chiefs for a tying field goal. This past season, Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal attempt with 1:43 left, and the Chiefs ran out the clock.
According to Pro Football Talk, one criticism of McDermott is that, as a defensive coach, he can’t get the most out of Allen—and that any offensive coordinator who does will be snatched up as a head coach elsewhere like Brian Daboll was. McDermott believes that does not impede maximizing his franchise quarterback.
Buffalo Bills Clean House
It did not help that the Buffalo Bills are dealing with cap issues. The Bills cut star players Jordan Poyer, Mitch Morse, and Tre’Davious White. The three players combined for 27 seasons of NFL experience, including 16 with the Bills. The moves were necessary, as Buffalo entered the offseason projected to be $44 million over the salary cap.
Also cut were sixth-year backup cornerback Siran Neal, backup receiver Deonte Harty, and running back Nyheim Hines.
The Bills saved another $8.6 million in cap space by restructuring edge rusher Von Miller’s contract. Rumors have them working on a restructured deal for Josh Allen as well.
"The Bills are gonna restructure Josh Allen's contract and that should save them another $20M..
They're gonna have eleven draft picks and Brandon Beane has never been shy about moving up" ~ @SalSports #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/iJXoc1Du0E
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 7, 2024
These may seem like all panic moves by the Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, but he stated on the new cap number of $255 million, “Now that we know the number, we are working on getting under it.” He was waiting to see the new cap in 2024 before he made his moves.
McDermott and Allen’s Downfall
The easiest explanation might be that Sean McDermott and Josh Allen have been and will continue to be matched against Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. With Mahomes at three Super Bowl wins and determined to push for Tom Brady numbers, plenty of great coaches and quarterbacks might go ring-less over the next 10 years.
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