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The Bills have officially interviewed their offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, for their head coach opening after firing Sean McDermott
The Buffalo Bills are moving in a new direction since firing head coach Sean McDermott, and one of the team’s star players has noticed the difference.
Bills owner Terry Pegula fired McDermott after the team’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, later saying he didn’t believe the team could get over the hump with McDermott in charge. The team turned over the reins to offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who has already ushered in a new culture for the team.
Dion Dawkins Sees Change After Sean McDermott’s Exit
In an interview with Andrew Siciliano on Yahoo’s Inside Coverage, left tackle Dion Dawkins said Brady has brought on a more relaxed vibe than McDermott established with the team. While Dawkins was careful not to criticize his former coach, he made sure to note the difference that Brady has brought with him.
“Like their swag is just different,” Dawkins said. “Like we’re not in military, like uniforms, like McD, which is also a great way of coaching. It’s just a different course [for] your team.”
Dawkins added that the 36-year-old Brady has been able to better connect with players since taking over.
“He’s been through it. He understands, you know, lingo. He understands like, he’s like one of us,” said Dawkins. “Like he’s like literally just one of us. So I would say that he is just a dope, cool dude from Florida that loves ball, and he’ll shoot you straight. He’ll tell you what you need to, but he’ll also laugh and tell a joke. And as a player-coach relationship, it’s beautiful to have somebody that you know can turn it on and turn it off at any time.”
Sean McDermott Gets Support After Firing
McDermott’s firing was a polarizing decision for Pegula, with some fans supporting the move and others signing a petition calling on the team to re-hire him. McDermott has gained more support after the start of free agency, with many of the team’s core players — including Matt Milano, Tre’Davious White, and A.J. Epenesa — still on the open market.
In a press conference announcing Brady as head coach, Pegula said he believed the team had a Super Bowl-caliber roster, putting some of the blame on McDermott’s coaching. But others noted that the lack of interest in the team’s core players instead hints at some major deficiencies on the roster.
Pegula emphasized at that press conference that while McDermott led the team to some great seasons and good playoff seeding, he couldn’t get them over the final hump.
“I go back to 5-2-3-2-2-2-6,” Pegula said, referring to the team’s playoff seeds under McDermott. “Great roster, good coaching, no Super Bowl appearance. I can’t emphasize, if I could put you all in that room after the game, it’s like, ‘How do we overcome this?’ It’s been one year after another. I just couldn’t see us doing that with Sean. That’s why I relieved him.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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