Getty
Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula said the Bills hitting a “proverbial playoff wall” was the reason former head coach Sean McDermott was fired.
Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula and president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane sat in front of the media and answered questions for nearly an hour following the Bills’ latest exit from the AFC playoffs.
They discussed the development of wide receiver Keon Coleman, the future structure of the organization, quarterback Josh Allen’s injury status, and their inevitable search for a new head coach.
Pegula’s reasoning for firing former head coach Sean McDermott was among the most noteworthy topics.
Pegula said he made up his mind following Buffalo’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. He added that he felt the Bills had hit a “proverbial playoff wall” under McDermott and needed a change to win a Super Bowl.
“It was one year after another,” Pegula said alongside Beane at their end-of-season press conference. “I just couldn’t see us doing that with Sean. It’s not an easy decision, trust me, with that success. But what is success? Is it being in the playoffs seven years in a row with no Super Bowl?”
McDermott led the Bills for nine seasons, made the playoffs in eight of them, including snapping a 17-year playoff drought in 2017, and produced a 98-50 record. The Bills won at least one playoff game in each of the past six seasons.
Playoff Loss to the Denver Broncos Impacted Terry Pegula’s Decision
GettyBuffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen solemnly walks off the field after losing to the Denver Broncos, 33-30.
While speaking on the decision to fire McDermott, Pegula cited his experience in the locker room following the Bills’ loss to the Broncos. He described how that contributed to his decision to fire McDermott two days later.
“I looked around, and the first thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying,” Pegula said. “I looked at all the other players. I looked at their faces and our coaches. I walked over to Josh. He didn’t even acknowledge I was there. The first thing I said to him was, ‘That was a catch.’ We all know what I’m talking about. He didn’t acknowledge me. He just sat there sobbing. He was listless. He had given everything he had to try and win that game. Looking around, so did all the other players on the team.”
He later added: “I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his (news conference). And I felt his pain. I know we can do better, and I know we will get better.”
The Bills suffered their sixth-straight playoff loss without a trip to the Super Bowl. It comes after many end-of-season shortcomings. That list includes the “13-second” game against the Kansas City Chiefs, two trips to the AFC Championship, and others.
That’s why Pegula began to question Buffalo’s leader on the field.
“It was where does the leadership of the team on the field and in the locker room, where do we go from that moment – another playoff failure,” Pegula said. “That’s why I decided Sean had to leave.”
Josh Allen Had No Say in Pegula’s Decision
One of the most surprising discoveries from the press conference was that Allen had no input on McDermott’s firing.
Pegula said he talked to Allen after McDermott was fired, but kept the contents of that conversation private. He added that Allen will play a role in the search for a new head coach.
“He didn’t have any input at all — I didn’t talk to Josh about this,” Pegula told reporters. “I talked to him after, and that convo will stay private, but he had no input in it.”
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
More Heavy on Bills
Loading more stories