Is Sean McDermott's job at risk? Bills coach in top 10 of NFL hot seat rankings
Western New York just sweltered through a heat wave, but could the heat really be on Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott?
USA TODAY thinks his seat is getting warmer. It ranked McDermott as the No. 9 NFL coach whose job is in jeopardy in its hot seat rankings, despite winning five straight AFC East titles and coming off an AFC Championship Game appearance.
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New York Giants head coach and former Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was No. 1 on the list as a prime candidate to be fired after a 3-14 record in 2024.
Since taking over in 2017, McDermott has transformed the Bills from a team mired in a playoff drought to a perennial AFC contender. The Bills have made the playoffs in seven of McDermott's first eight seasons. However, McDermott has yet to lead them to a Super Bowl. Buffalo has lost twice to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game and once to the Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 01: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills and head coach Sean McDermott make snow angels while being interviewed after the Bills defeated the the San Francisco 49ers, 35-10, at Highmark Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
"The Bills continue to be unable to get past the Chiefs in the NFL postseason," USA TODAY wrote in placing McDermott on the "neutral seat." "If they can't do it again, Buffalo brass may try something different despite McDermott's success as the team's coach."
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Buffalo is hardy alone in struggling to overcome the Chiefs. Kansas City, led by Patrick Mahomes, has appeared in seven straight AFC Championship Games, winning five.
McDermott's 86 regular-season wins in his first eight seasons are the second-most in league history, behind only Paul Brown's 87. He's also one of just five coaches in NFL history to secure five straight seasons with at least 11 wins.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott in top 10 of NFL hot seat rankings
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