Sean McDermott: Critics of Buffalo Bills Are 'Narrow-Minded'

Despite not winning a Super Bowl, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott is proud of what his team has accomplished over the past several years.

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott reacts against / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Since Sean McDermott's arrival in 2017, the Buffalo Bills have gone from a team that hadn't made the playoffs in The 21st Century to one that has made in six of the last seven postseasons with four straight AFC East titles.

Despite their remarkable turnaround over the past several years, the Bills are still searching for the ultimate prize of their first Super Bowl ring. Buffalo has fielded some great teams under McDermott, but has yet to make it to the big game. The 2020 team came the closest by making it to the AFC Championship Game, while the following three seasons all ended in Divisional Round defeats.

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott reacts against / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Still, McDermott is extremely proud of what his team has achieved over his tenure, even if that title continues to elude them.

"I think like anything, when you talk about the Bills, whether it's (quarterback) Josh (Allen), myself, our team, we've had so much success," McDermott said, per NFL.com. "What's left for Josh and for all of us is to take that one more step that we need to take."

"To say we haven't had success or Josh hasn't had success, I think would be kind of narrow-minded. It's hard to win in the NFL, so you kind of regroup every year, and you take it one game at a time. But we're all looking for Josh to really be that face of the franchise, like he's been, and continuing to evolve, like he's always done."

That's not to say that McDermott and the Bills are content with not winning a title, quite the opposite. In the same interview, McDermott described the pursuit of a championship as "what drives us every morning when we get up."

As the Bills continue to pursue that goal, though, it's getting tougher and tougher every year. Buffalo had to part ways with many key players this offseason just to get under the salary cap, and their contributions will be sorely missed.

Still, that's the reality of the NFL at times, and the Bills have to adapt to the losses they suffered this offseason.

"Every year you start anew, and you keep that first game in front of you and that's what you focus on. People want to say this and that, but every year is different," McDermott said. "We've had to make a lot of changes to get underneath the cap, let's just start there. So with our roster right now, we're a work in progress, and we'll see where we get to, but the most important thing is that everyone understands their roles and embraces their roles."