Bills Central

Where does Bills' Sean McDermott rank among returning NFL head coaches?

Where does Buffalo Bills sideline boss Sean McDermott rank in PFF's returning head coaches list?

McKenna Middlebrook

Bills head coach Sean McDermott celebrates a turnover on downs by the defense after an interception put the Falcons in good field position.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott celebrates a turnover on downs by the defense after an interception put the Falcons in good field position. / Jamie Germano / USA TODAY NETWORK
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There are 24 returning coaches in the NFL following an offseason of sideline boss turnover, and Pro Football Focus writer Gordon McGuinness recently ranked the top 10 returning coaches in an article for the outlet. Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott sneaks into the ranking at No. 10, just behind Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. 

"Filling the last spot in the top 10 was tough, as numerous coaches were worthy of consideration," McGuinness wrote. "Were it not for the late-season turnaround last season, there’s a good chance that I wouldn’t have gone with McDermott here. The Bills ranked third in the NFL with 0.104 EPA per play on offense in 2023 despite a coordinator change midseason.

T"hey actually dropped back a little when Joe Brady took over as interim coordinator but still ranked sixth from Week 11 through the end of the season. This upcoming season is a big prove-it year for McDermott, and he likely can’t afford for the Bills to start slow again like they did in 2023."

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The 2023 season was generally a rough one for McDermott; the Bills got off to a slow start, resulting in the firing of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey after a Week 10 loss to the Denver Broncos. As the Bills returned from the bye, a tell-all article penned by Go Long’s Ty Dunne was published, the piece painting McDermott is a less than positive light and putting the national spotlight firmly on the sideline boss.

Buffalo soon turned its entire season around, however, rattling off five straight wins after the bye week to reclaim the AFC East title for the fourth consecutive year. The team earned victories over clubs like the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins, cementing the idea that McDermott was still a trusted voice within the Bills' locker room.

Is 10th a fair placement for McDermott? It's difficult to say; McDermott has his faults, namely his penchant for making poor decisions in big moments and generally poor clock management. But he’s clearly a talented coach who can find a way to win games when the Bills need it, especially in the regular season (he's already the second-winningest coach in franchise history, with his .640 winning percentage currently ranking as the best in the club's history).

Is it fair that coaches like Stefanski and Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans are ranked above McDermott? That's debatable, but not egregious. There are questions that McDermott needs to answer in the upcoming season, the biggest being can the Bills beat the Chiefs when it matters the most? Only time will tell.

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McKenna Middlebrook
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