The Buffalo Bills hit the “proverbial wall” and needed a change, owner Terry Pegula said Wednesday when addressing the firing of head coach Sean McDermott for the first time.
The final brick in that wall was laid Saturday when the Denver Broncos posted a 33-30 overtime decision over the visiting Bills in an AFC divisional-round playoff game.
The dismissal of McDermott came Monday, and it sent a ripple through NFL circles given that the coach posted a 98-50 regular-season record and guided the Bills to the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons.
“My decision to bring in a new coach was based on the results of our game in Denver,” Pegula said at his news conference.
Pegula said the emotional state of the locker room — including that of 2024 MVP Josh Allen — spurred the change.
“I want to take you in the locker room after that game,” Pegula said. “I looked around. The first thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying. 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.
“… He just sat there sobbing. He was listless. He had given everything he had to try to win that game. And, looking around, so did all the other players on the team. I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his presser, and I felt his pain. I know we can do better, and I know we will get better.”
Pegula said Allen had no input in McDermott’s firing but added that the quarterback will play a role in the coaching search.
Pegula dove back into the past, noting the team’s postseason shortcomings — including the “13 seconds” game in which Buffalo fell short despite holding three-point lead in the waning moments of the 2021 AFC divisional-round game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Where does the leadership of the team on the field and in the locker room — where (do) we go from that moment?” Pegula said. “Which, you know, another playoff failure. And that’s when I decided that Sean had to leave.”
Also Wednesday, Bills president of football operations and general manager Brandon Beane was asked if he had done enough to address the wide receiver position, with 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman being brought up.
Pegula intercepted the question.
“Can I interrupt? I’ll address the Keon situation,” Pegula said. “The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but he wasn’t his next choice. That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of this coaching staff who felt strongly about the player. He’s taken, for some reason, heat over it and not saying a word about it, but I’m here to tell you the true story.”
Beane later said he stood by the selection.
“Ultimately, I’m not turning in a pick for a player that I don’t think we can succeed with,” he said. “So don’t misunderstand that. Keon Coleman is a young player that has been here two years, has two years left on his deal. It’s up to us to work with him and develop him.
Coleman has totaled 67 catches for 960 yards and eight touchdowns in 26 career games (18 starts) with the Bills.
Coleman was the No. 33 pick in the draft. Taken immediately after him by the Los Angeles Chargers was wide receiver Ladd McConkey. In his first 32 career games in the regular season (26 starts), McConkey has 148 receptions for 1,938 yards and 13 scores.
