By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatodaay.com
Western New York has plenty of reason to be critical of the front office of the Buffalo Bills two weeks into the 2018 season.
The team, led by head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane, have assembled a roster in 2018 that have fans looking towards next April’s draft already in early September.
Because of this, BetOnline gave McDermott the third-highest odds to be the first head coach fired in the entire NFL this season. The only coaches ahead of McDermott are Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson, who has a 1-32-1 overall record during his tenure, and Bill O’Brien, who has his Houston Texans off to a 0-2 start.
McDermott’s Bills are also 0-2, but placing Buffalo’s head coach near the top of this list is a misjudgment by the oddsmakers at BetOnline.
The Bills made national headlines this week when Vontae Davis decided to quit on the team and retire during a 31-20 loss. That loss, combined with the fact that the Bills have been outscored 78-23 this season has many questioning the legitimacy of the “Process.”
Having said that, the process is a real thing. It’s something McDermott often preaches in various capacities, referencing things requiring “time” or the coach having a “calculated plan” for other topics.
However, McDermott still needs to prove it works. That’s not guaranteed.
But the process wouldn’t be a thing if it wasn’t OK’d by McDermott and Beane’s bosses upstairs. It’s clear the way the two have handled things in 2018 come with a blessing from Terry and Kim Pegula, the team’s ownership.
The front office duo willed their way to the No. 7 overall pick to (hopefully) select a franchise quarterback in Josh Allen. They gave up plenty of assets to do so.
The team has yet to commit to long-term on many players as well. In free agency, the Bills haven’t gone for any A-list players yet.
Instead, it’s cut lose many of them such as Marcell Dareus, Sammy Watkins and even Tyrod Taylor. No one operates that way unless either instructed to, or if they’re on the same page of a plan.
That’s the exact case in Buffalo and in no way is Sean McDermott, a 9-9 coach who broke a 17-year playoff drought, on the hotseat.