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Former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott was fired following the team’s 33-30 playoff loss to the Denver Broncos.
The firing of former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has drawn reactions from several different directions.
Some fans and pundits have agreed with the decision owner Terry Pegula made following the franchise’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. Others have disagreed with it, as a petition to reinstate McDermott has just under 80,000 signatures.
Former and current players voiced their support for the head coach, who led the franchise for the last nine seasons. Jordan Poyer, Jordan Phillips, Damar Hamlin, Dion Dawkins, and others all spoke out following the move.
True leader amongst a world full of alphas’s , Honored and Truly Best to learn under our Time. McDeezzyyyy You Are Truly One Of them Ones. 💔 Until The Grass Meets us Again #YouAlreadyShnow
However, some former players have also criticized McDermott, with the latest being former Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes.
Hughes, a 15-year NFL veteran who also played for the Indianapolis Colts and, most recently, the Houston Texans, spent the majority of his career in Buffalo. He played nine seasons for the Bills, five of which were under McDermott.
During those nine seasons, Hughes recorded 53 sacks, 350 total tackles, and 74 TFLs. He also forced 16 fumbles and started 127 games.
Hughes put together arguably his best season in 2014, his second season in Buffalo. He recorded 10 sacks, forced three fumbles, and tallied 53 total tackles. He only recorded double-digit sacks in two seasons.
Jerry Hughes Criticizes Sean McDermott for 2021 Loss to Kansas City Chiefs
GettyFormer Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes recently said Sean McDermott should’ve been fired after their 2021 playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hughes’ departure from the Bills coincided with their devastating exit from the playoffs in 2021. They lost 42-36 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, nicknamed “13 seconds.”
The defensive veteran recently took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice his displeasure in a string of replies. Hughes replied to a Twitter user, saying that McDermott should’ve been fired after the loss.
@jimjdevoto If the coach can manage to lose a football game in 13 seconds after the QB put together phenomenal play after phenomenal play. That coach should be fired. Seems like someone was on borrowed time.
In another tweet, Hughes said he “knew he (McDermott) wasn’t serious” after the loss.
@BillsnKnicks Once Sean screwed up the 13 seconds with his calls “prevent defense on every single play”. I knew he wasn’t serious
Hughes’ final season in Buffalo was arguably his worst as a Bill. He mustered 18 tackles, two sacks, and one TFL while starting 16 games. He didn’t record a sack or a tackle in Buffalo’s loss to Kansas City.
During three seasons in Houston, Hughes tallied 12 sacks, 72 tackles, and 14 TFLs while starting 18 games.
Bills Narrowing Search for Head Coach
The Bills are still narrowing down the search for their next head coach. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s down to four candidates.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Schefter said, “Essentially, the Bills feel like they are going to go offense. They feel like they are going to go offense, and it feels like Davis Webb, Brian Daboll, Joe Brady, or Grant Udinski. That’s what it feels like to me.”
The Bills interviewed Davis Webb, their former quarterback and the Denver Broncos’ offensive pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, following the Broncos’ loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
Udinski recently pulled out of the Browns’ search for a head coach and signed a new contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. If Udinski doesn’t land a head coaching job, he can return to Jacksonville on a higher-paying contract, according to Schefter.
Greg Macafee Greg Macafee is a veteran sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He most recently covered the Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers and the University of Pittsburgh for DK Pittsburgh Sports and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. More about Greg Macafee
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