The Buffalo Bills made a bold move this week, parting ways with head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons at the helm. And while the decision sent shockwaves through the NFL, it’s not just fans in Western New York who are scratching their heads.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back on First Take, calling the firing a scapegoating move - and he wasn’t shy about pointing fingers elsewhere in the organization.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all,” Smith said bluntly.
“I think he’s being scapegoated.” His argument?
If someone was going to take the fall, it should have been general manager Brandon Beane, not the coach who led the Bills to eight playoff appearances and built one of the most consistent contenders in the AFC.
Smith pointed to what he sees as a roster that simply wasn’t equipped to go the distance - and that’s on the front office. “Why isn’t Beane gone?
Why is he still keeping his job?” Smith asked.
“He’s the one that didn’t have the assets necessary for the Bills to advance.”
One of Smith’s biggest gripes was the team’s lack of aggression at the trade deadline. He floated a hypothetical - what if the Bills had made a move for Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle?
“The way this brother can play... if you had given Josh Allen that kind of a threat, what would have happened?” It’s a fair question, especially when you consider how razor-thin the margins were in Buffalo’s playoff exit.
This year’s postseason loss - a 33-30 heartbreaker in overtime against the Denver Broncos - came down to a few critical plays: a controversial Josh Allen interception, a defensive pass interference call, and a walk-off field goal. It wasn’t a blowout.
It wasn’t a collapse. It was a heavyweight fight that went to the final bell.
And for Smith, that’s exactly the kind of loss that shouldn’t cost a coach his job.
Let’s not forget McDermott’s track record. He leaves Buffalo with a 98-50 record - second only to the legendary Marv Levy in franchise history.
Over the last six seasons, his 73-27 mark was the best in the NFL. That kind of sustained success doesn’t happen by accident.
But as Smith pointed out, it also came with limitations. “We’ve seen this team overachieve throughout this season because we know he didn’t have all the parts necessary.”
McDermott’s postseason resume is a mixed bag. After early wild-card exits in two of his first three seasons, the Bills evolved into a perennial threat.
But the Kansas City Chiefs became their playoff kryptonite. Four of Buffalo’s last five playoff exits came at the hands of Patrick Mahomes & Co. - including two gut-wrenching losses in the AFC Championship Game (2020 and 2024) and two more in the divisional round (2021 and 2023), each decided by a single possession.
One ended with Buffalo blowing a late lead; the other with a missed game-tying field goal.
This year’s loss to Denver followed a similar script: close, chaotic, and ultimately crushing. And now, it marks the end of the McDermott era.
Still, don’t expect McDermott to be out of work for long. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he’s already drawing interest around the league.
With more than half a dozen head coaching vacancies - including high-profile jobs in Pittsburgh, Miami, and Baltimore - McDermott’s name is sure to come up in conversations. One particularly intriguing possibility?
The Steelers. McDermott and Mike Tomlin go way back to their college days at William & Mary, and that kind of connection could carry weight in a league where relationships often matter as much as résumés.
For now, the Bills turn the page. But the decision to fire Sean McDermott - and keep Brandon Beane in charge of hiring his replacement - raises serious questions about where this franchise is headed.
Because while Josh Allen remains one of the league’s elite quarterbacks, he can’t do it alone. And if Buffalo’s front office doesn’t start surrounding him with the right pieces, the next coach may find himself in the same frustrating position.