Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - I did not see that coming.
I figured the Buffalo Bills' offseason would be all about making a flawed roster better, but it will also include a head coaching search for the first time in nine years.
I was shocked when I heard the news. In fact, before the playoffs began, whenever a member of the national media suggested Sean McDermott was on the hot seat and needed a deep playoff run to keep his job, I'd always think there was no way that was the case.
Maybe when you're this close to the story you don't see it. If this happened with another team I could see where a change could be needed. Seven straight seasons with a playoff berth, an elite level quarterback at the helm and not a single trip to the Super Bowl. In fact, in four of the last five seasons, the team only got as far as the divisional round. I just didn't think Bills owner Terry Pegula would even consider firing the head coach.
Ironically, I think this season was McDermott's best coaching job since he took over in 2017 and helped end the 17 year playoff drought. This was the least talented Bills roster since the 2019 season when Allen was still a work in progress and they had yet to build up the offense around him.
In hindsight, one of the factors that we thought was a positive for the Bills and a possible Super Bowl berth, might have been part of McDermott's undoing. The AFC playoff field did not include Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. It was the "easiest" path to the big game for the Bills in this seven season stretch. Perhaps the owner and/or General Manager Brandon Beane figured if the Bills couldn't get over the hump this season, when would they?
The McDermott era turned out to be the second most successful of any Bills coach since they joined the NFL back in the 1970 merger. Since the 2017 season when McDermott came in, only the Kansas City Chiefs have a better record.
McDermott not only ended the infamous playoff drought, he also stabilized what had been a dysfunctional Bills franchise for years. He held players accountable, something a few previous Bills head coaches were unable to do. McDermott also got Western New York and Bills fans. He learned how people here live, think and what they expect from their football team. McDermott was a very good fit for the team and the community.
In addition to the firing of McDermott, Terry Pegula decided to give more power to Brandon Beane. Personally, I would have moved on from the GM and told McDermott to find a new offensive coordinator. But Pegula opted to put all his chips in on Beane. Only time will tell how this works out.
Beane needs to find the next Ben Johnson as the successor to McDermott. He needs to find an up and coming, young assistant coach who has a creative offensive mind. One of the hot names in the current hiring process is Seattle Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak. The 38 year old did a terrific job with quarterback Sam Darnold this season on the way to the Seahawks earning the top seed in the NFC.
Kubiak also worked for and learned from two of the better offensive minds in the NFL. He was the passing game coordinator for Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco during the 2023 season. In 2019 and 2020 Kubiak was the Vikings quarterback coach and worked for then offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. If you care about bloodlines, his dad Gary was an NFL quarterback and won a Super Bowl as head coach of the Denver Broncos.
Kubiak interviewed for head coach openings with Atlanta, Baltimore, Arizona, Miami, Las Vegas and the New York Giants. If the Bills were interested in Kubiak, they wouldn't be able to hire him until after the Seahawks season is over.
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