So the Bills Dynasty Really IS Officially Over. RIP.
Bryan M. Bennett. Getty Images.Saturday, after watching yet another failure of the Buffalo Bills to win yet another very winnable postseason game, I opted not to go to my default setting of declaring their dynasty over. As much fun as that has been these last few years:
This time, I decided to avoid that low hanging fruit. And instead of a funeral for a dynasty that never was, I called for an intervention to address their MVP Quarterback Problem:
But when I went that route, I never expected them to fire their head coach. Sean McDermott, at 98-50, is the winningest coach in franchise history in terms of winning %, at .662. In nine years on the job, he's taken them to the playoffs eight times, ending a 17-year drought in his very first season. His first postseason win in 2020, ended a 24-year drought.
Coaches with his resume don't get fired by teams who see themselves standing on the doorstep of greatness. This only happens when a franchise recognizes they're never getting off that metaphorical step and through that proverbial door. To beat the house analogy to death, this is an acknowledgement that the window the Bills had open to them has been locked shut and is wired to a home security system. Tom Brady left the AFC, and they still lost. The Chiefs bowed out in the playoffs, and the Bills still lost to the eventual champs, Cincinnati. They get another crack at Kansas City, and they blew that opportunity:
Advertisement
The Chiefs, Bengals and even the Ravens don't even make the playoffs, leaving the lane wide open for them, and they can't get past Denver. Despite having a 1st & 10 at the Broncos 32 with 0:24 left, down by just 3. Instead, Josh Allen misses three straight receivers, including Dawson Knox who had a walk-in, game-winning touchdown:
And, despite possessing the ball in overtime. Their failure is now complete. And probably only going to get worse.
According to Over the Cap, Buffalo has the 10th worst salary cap situation in the league, at $11.6 million over. In 2027, that is projected to be the 4th worst. Meaning they'll have to start jettisoning payroll and letting free agents walk. All the while they need to find ways to build around Allen, who's had to stand there helpless and watch guys like Stefon Diggs leave and find success elsewhere.
Who knows? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they'll strike a rich mineral deposit of Unobtainium on the coaching market. They're down to the third most desirable candidate available, now that John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski have already gotten hired. But the fact remains you don't have a head coaching vacancy if you think your team is on the rise. You do it when you take a self-assessment and come to the conclusion you need a rebuild.
Oh, how the fortunes of this once proud franchise have changed. Why, it wasn't all that long ago that the AFC East was home to two of the brilliant young coaching minds of their generation. Now look at it:
You had a nice run, Bills. It was fun while it lasted.