Bills Reportedly Fire Head Coach Sean McDermott Following Loss to Broncos

The Buffalo Bills are making a major change following their latest playoff shortcoming.

Sean McDermott has been fired as head coach after nine seasons, NFL Media reported Monday. The Bills will reportedly retain general manager Brandon Beane, though. 

McDermott was Buffalo's most successful coach since Marv Levy coached the franchise to four straight Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s, going 98-50 in his tenure as Bills head coach. McDermott also helped the Bills reach the postseason in eight of the nine seasons he was their head coach.

However, the Bills have failed to make it over the hump as Josh Allen has emerged as one of the game's top quarterbacks. They've yet to make a Super Bowl, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs twice in the AFC Championship Game. 

The Bills' latest playoff disappointment came on Saturday, when they lost to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round, 33-30. While the Bills lost in overtime, one of the turning points of the game came right before halftime, when Buffalo opted to try and push the ball downfield instead of kneeling the clock out. Allen fumbled with a few seconds left, allowing Denver to kick an easy field goal and go up, 20-10.

[5 Takeaways From the Broncos' Win Over the Bills]

Buffalo’s last three playoff losses have all been decided by three points. And three of McDermott’s playoff losses ended in overtime.

That includes a 42-36 loss to Kansas City in the 2021 divisional round that’s become dubbed "13 seconds" — the amount of time Patrick Mahomes had to complete two passes for 44 yards and set up Harrison Butker’s tying, 49-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.

Despite his playoff inconsistencies, McDermott oversaw a team that won 10 or more regular-season games over seven straight seasons, including two team record-matching 13-win seasons in 2022 and ’24.

With the Bills firing McDermott, there have been 10 head coaching changes this offseason. The New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons have since hired coaches.

McDermott could be a candidate for the other seven head coach vacancies, too. He's told his staff he plans to keep on coaching, ESPN reported. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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