Buffalo Parts Ways With Sean McDermott After Overtime Playoff Exit

A franchise-defining era in Buffalo came to an abrupt end Monday, as the Bills dismissed 🏈Head Coach🏈Sean McDermott following a season that once again ended just short of the ultimate goal.

According to the New York Post, the decision came two days after Buffalo’s season ended with a 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs, a defeat that proved both painful and controversial.

McDermott leaves the Bills after nine seasons, closing his tenure with a 98-50 regular-season record and an even 8-8 mark in the postseason.

Saturday’s loss loomed large in the organization’s decision-making, particularly a pivotal overtime play that sparked debate across the league.

On Buffalo’s opening possession of extra time, quarterback Josh Allen connected with wide receiver Brandin Cooks before Denver cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian ripped the ball loose. Officials ruled the play an interception, though many questioned whether Cooks was already down.

“It’s hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled,” McDermott said afterward, according to NFL.com. “In my eyes, it was , yes. In my eyes, it was. But even if it wasn’t, OK. Let’s just say that, and I’m being objective. Even if it wasn’t, the players are owed, to me, ‘Hey, let’s stop it. Let’s slow it down.’ Let’s put the head referee and give him a chance to look at the monitor just to make sure. Just to make sure.”

McDermott, 51, was hired by Buffalo in 2017 after six seasons as defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. His arrival helped stabilize a franchise that had struggled for consistency, and one year later, the Bills made a transformational move by selecting