As the Bills annually failed to parlay the talents of a generational franchise quarterback into the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in well over a generation, a nagging question emerged — even if the mere mention of it made folks within the organization very uneasy.
Is the problem a lack of talent, or is it a failure of coaching?
Owner Terry Pegula resolved the issue in a resounding way on Monday, firing coach Sean McDermott while promoting G.M. Brandon Beane.
Reasonable minds may differ on whether Pegula fired the wrong guy, or whether he settled for a half measure.
As noted by Benjamin Solak of ESPN.com, the Bills have drafted 56 players since acquiring quarterback Josh Allen in 2018. Only two of them (running back James Cook and tight end Dawson Knox) have made it to the Pro Bowl.
The broader reality is that the Bills haven’t been good enough around Allen. In 2021, reluctance to make the same kind of all-in moves the Rams did (trading for linebacker Von Miller, signing receiver Odell Beckham Jr.) kept Buffalo from getting past the infamous “13 seconds” game at Arrowhead Stadium.
Coaching or talent? Pegula has decided its coaching. Possibly because it will be easier to plug in a new coach than it will be to plug in new talent immediately. Cap space limits roster options. Only so many draft picks are available. A new coach can shake things up — especially if the new coach is an expert in coaching offense.
Regardless, two days after the team’s latest postseason exit, at a time when the Bills didn’t have to contend with the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, the Bengals and Joe Burrow, and the Ravens and Lamar Jackson, Pegula arrived at the breaking point. The coach took the fall, and the Bills will move another year into Allen’s prime with a different direction in September. And, ideally, a different result in January.
Through it all, the clock keeps ticking on the remaining years of Allen’s prime.
