PFT: Sean McDermott: “Feels natural” to call defensive plays

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Sean McDermott: “Feels natural” to call defensive plays

Posted by Josh Alper on April 19, 2023, 6:28 AM EDT

Bills head coach Sean McDermott is taking on some additional responsibilities this year.

The team did not hire a new defensive coordinator after Leslie Frazier stepped down at the end of February and McDermott will be assuming the highest-profile part of that job come the start of the season. McDermott will be calling the team’s defensive plays and he shared how his transition back to a job he did on his way to snagging the top role in Buffalo.

McDermott said he feels he has to have a “two-track mind” in order to be both the head coach and the defensive coordinator, but that his familiarity with the latter role has him excited about taking on the dual roles.

“It’s part of how I got here,” McDermott said, via the team’s website. “So I just think you’ll be in the defensive staff room, having those critical conversations that come up solving problems, trying to evolve where we need to evolve, and where the game is going. And then working hand in hand with our players. Again, that’s been mostly the assistants to this point. Then together with the staff figuring some things out and it just feels good. It feels natural. And we’ll see where it goes in the future.”

One key for the Bills will be to find a middle linebacker because McDermott said the position is a significant part of “the defensive communication” that will now be starting with a new voice.

[Night Train]

Scheme better.

Bills have the exact same lineup, minus 1 LB. I do not think it will take much to replace him.

[Woodman]

McDermott did just place himself on the hot seat.

Now we gotta find out what we have.

[notacon]

I’m pleased that McDermott will be calling defensive plays. Now the responsibly is squarely on his shoulders and his shoulders alone.

Of course, the reality is that the Bills have already had extremely good defenses for most of the McDermott years.

Discounting his first year as HC (while the team was in complete rebuild mode) they have ranked in total defense, by total yards allowed per game...

2018 - #2
2019 - #3
2020 - #14
2021 - #1
2022 - #6

Similarly, the very important ranking of points allowed per game, the Bills have also been one of the best defenses in the NFL...

2018 - #18
2019 - #2
2020 - #16
2021 - #1
2022 - #2


The dip in 2020 was understandable to a certain degree because that was the year that Josh Allen and the offense exploded and went from #24 ranked offense (in yards per game) in 2019 to #2 in 2020. Similar drastic improvements in scoring per game from #23 in 2019 to #2 in 2020.

The all important differential between points scored and allowed shows substantial improvement from 2018 to 2019, and despite defensive lapse (in ranking) in 2020, the stellar rise to #5 in DIFF show the emergence of the Bills as an elite team.

2018 - #28
2019 - #10
2020 - #5
2021 - #1
2022 - #2

There is not a lot of room for perceived “improvement”. Certainly we all have an eye on the ultimate goal of getting to and winning a Super Bowl. But the sense from some that the Bills defense has been some huge disappointment is unfounded.

I suspect that no matter what there will be the usual Negative Nancys whining that the sky is falling.

[Chet]

All numbers above mean jack****. This team can never get a stop or a sack when it matters in the McDermott era. The rest is just fluff

[notacon]

All numbers above mean jack****. This team can never get a stop or a sack when it matters in the McDermott era. The rest is just fluff

That Negative Nancy crap did not take long.

Sorry, but those numbers mean quite a bit. Especially DIFF.

Plus your observation that "This team can never get a stop or a sack when it matters in the McDermott era” is just plain false and extremely silly.

[Chet]

That Negative Nancy crap did not take long.

Sorry, but those numbers mean quite a bit. Especially DIFF.

Plus your observation that "This team can never get a stop or a sack when it matters in the McDermott era” is just plain false and extremely silly.

Then it should be easy to produce some examples refuting it. And don’t let the 107 pts given up in our last 3 playoff losses deter you in any way

[POTLAND PSILBYLO]

Yeah, 107

[notacon]

Then it should be easy to produce some examples refuting it. And don’t let the 107 pts given up in our last 3 playoff losses deter you in any way

I have. Many times. Just this year, even in losses, the Bills had HUGE stops. The offense squandered those amazing defensive stands.

I’m talking about both the Miami and Minnesota games. The same defensive HUGE stop won the KC game. Another HUGE INT in the end zone helped the Bills win the Baltimore game.

That’s just off the top of my head for 2022 only.

Your statement that "This team can never get a stop or a sack when it matters in the McDermott era.” is incredibly ignorant and just plain dumb.

Since 2017, the Bills have had the third most wins in the NFL....despite the ‘just starting to overhaul the team’ in 2017....and the total rebuild of 2018. A team does not win more game than 29 other teams int he NFL if they “...can never get a stop or a sack when it matters...”.

The silly “....107 pts given up in our last 3 playoff losses” is what “mean(s) jack****” and is "just fluff”. KC had 95 pts given up in their last three playoff losses. So ****ing what????

The last three playoff loses the Bills scored only 60, and KC 64.


Besides the fact that the Bills played in NINETY FOUR other games since 2017.



You literally have no idea what you are talking about.

[POTLAND PSILBYLO]

Yeah, literally

[TacklingDummy]

McDermott did just place himself on the hot seat.

Now we gotta find out what we have.

He probably was on the hot seat. That's why he took over calling plays. If you are going to go down you might as well be calling the plays.

[Woodman]

He probably was on the hot seat. That's why he took over calling plays. If you are going to go down you might as well be calling the plays.

All timeout duties should be removed from his responsibility.