Same Old Bills

By: Gabriel Mancuso

It’s January 22nd, 2024, but for Buffalo Bills fans it sure feels like 1997 – and it’s not because flannels are back...

Thanks to Tyler Bass and his best Scott Norwood impression, a 44-yard missed field goal sailed wide right and shattered the hearts of the Bills Mafia. The sad truth is that Bass will face most of the blame despite his catastrophic miss being the last in a series of mistakes in a game that the Bills were lucky to be in.

Yesterday’s loss makes Josh Allen 0-3 against Mahomes in the postseason and Bills fans are left scratching their heads because, for the first time, it’s not clear who to blame. In the early years, it was the pass rush, so the Bills brought in AJ Epenesa, Greg Rousseau, Von Miller, and Leonard Floyd. In the last two seasons it was the run game, so the Bills bulked up their offensive line, added James Cook, and rushed for over 175 yards in each playoff game this season. It’s time to address the elephant in the room; Sean McDermott has got to go.

Despite dragging the Bills out of the NFL’s basement and developing an admittedly talented roster, he is truly the common denominator the Buffalo’s playoff failures in recent years. Time and time again he makes questionable calls on crucial downs, displays terrible clock management, and gets violently out-coached on in-game adjustments by his far more competent opponents. On Sunday for example, despite rushing for 174 yards in the first three quarters, Andy Reid made the necessary changes to hold the Bills to only eight in the fourth.

Since his last AFC Championship appearance in 2020 over 50% of the Bill’s starting roster has turned over, and despite the occasional head-scratcher from Allen it’s safe to say he has historically not been the source of their playoff woes. It has become clear now more than ever that McDermott is simply not capable of beating the best teams in the playoffs.

So build him a statue or name a street after him for all he’s done for that franchise, but if the Bills are to ever make another Superbowl, it won't be under McDermott.