The 2025 season represented a perfect opportunity for a deep playoff run that Sean McDermott couldn’t capitalize on.
The Buffalo Bills moved on from McDermott last month and hired 36-year-old Joe Brady to take the reins of the organization.
Mike Sando of The Athletic explained on the “Shout! Buffalo Football Podcast” that the situation McDermott faced in 2025 has a historical parallel with an all-time great coach: John Madden.
Madden coached the Raiders in the 1970s. Entering the 1976 season, Madden faced similar pressure to break through after playoff disappointments in years past. Then, the top dogs in the conference didn’t even make the playoffs.
This season, the Bills made the playoff field without the likes of Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs and Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens. McDermott failing to even reach the Super Bowl was his undoing.
“The AFC totally opened up,” Sando explained. “You couldn’t have asked for a better situation. The AFC field totally opened up. You couldn’t say, well, they had to beat this great team. They didn’t… They had to beat Denver. You know, they don’t have one of those great quarterbacks.”
The pressure on Brady isn’t just high—it’s historically unprecedented.
<<Receive Shout! Insider Texts. Get your 14-day free trial today to stay on top of latest updates>>
When the Bills made the shocking decision to part ways with Sean McDermott after another playoff disappointment, they immediately elevated offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the head coaching position. But this isn’t your typical first-time head coaching gig. Brady inherits a team with a franchise quarterback (Josh Allen) in his prime and Super Bowl expectations that won’t wait for a learning curve.
“More than most,” Sando said when asked about the pressure on Brady heading into year one. “There’s not a lot of comps. So I was just looking before I came on of like, okay, who had a really good team and promoted from within.”
Sando identified only three somewhat similar situations this century, but none match Brady’s circumstances: “When Dennis Allen took over for Sean Payton, like he didn’t have, I think Drew Brees moved on… Todd Bowles replaced Bruce Arians after winning the Super Bowl. And they had Tom Brady, but he was like 45… the other one is Bill Callahan who took over for Jon Gruden with the Raiders. And Rich Gannon was 36.”
Subscribe on YouTube for alerts and live showsCheck out the Shout! store for apparel, headwear and much more!
The difference is stark. Unlike those examples, Brady takes over with Allen firmly in his prime.
“This is different with higher expectations because Josh Allen isn’t a retiring Drew Brees. He isn’t a 45-year-old Brady, he’s not even a 36-year-old Gannon,” Sando noted. “I think he’s, what is he, 30 years old?”
What makes this situation particularly interesting is the context of McDermott’s firing. After years of consistent winning but playoff disappointments, Bills owner Terry Pegula made it clear that merely making the playoffs isn’t enough anymore.
Matt Parrino highlighted this reality on the podcast: “What you’re doing by firing Sean McDermott, a lot of fans feel this way, is you’re saying it’s Super Bowl or bust. I asked this question of Terry Pegula. He’s like, you can never set up a hire that way by bringing in somebody new and saying, hey, this guy didn’t get here and this is why we fired him. It’s that or you’re in trouble.”
If Brady faces similar playoff shortcomings in year one, the consequences could be severe. “If it’s the same sort of a thing and they were to lose in the first round or something, I think it’s more damaging for him than it would be for a different coach,” Sando said.
Brady does have one advantage—he already has a rapport with Allen from his time as offensive coordinator. But that familiarity is a double-edged sword, as it only raises expectations further.
Time Stamps:
[00:01] – Introduction: Offseason releases and welcoming Mike Sando from The Athletic.[02:45] – The Change in Buffalo: Discussing the feeling around league circles regarding the coaching shift.[03:54] – The Joe Brady Arc: Why the Bills chose Brady over waiting for other candidates like Clint Kubiak.[06:29] – The Pressure in Year 1: Assessing the high expectations for Joe Brady.[08:43] – The Madden Comparison: How history explains Sean McDermott’s situation and the “window” that opened.[10:37] – Internal Friction: Discussing team report cards, injury management, and organizational disconnects.[14:55] – Fan Perception: The shift in how fans view Brandon Beane vs. Sean McDermott.[17:51] – The Carolina Connection: How the Beane/McDermott relationship evolved and eventually ran its course.[20:08] – Josh Allen’s Role: Semantics vs. reality regarding the quarterback’s involvement in major moves.[22:22] – Offensive Production: A look back at the success (and firing) of Ken Dorsey.[23:45] – The John Fox Hire: Why adding a 71-year-old veteran assistant makes sense for a young staff.[27:39] – Conclusion: Where to find Mike Sando’s work and looking ahead to the NFL Combine.