What in the world is going on with the Buffalo Bills? Who will be coaching Josh Allen next after Sean McDermott’s dramatic firing as Bills head coach?
Those are the questions we’re all wondering the answers to in the days after McDermott’s dismissal as head coach in Buffalo despite leading the team to the postseason eight times in nine seasons. So, FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano and Eric D. Williams surveyed the league to get a grasp on what people think about the Bills’ vacancy, and who might be a favorite to get the job.
We also asked executives what to make of the C.J. Stroud situation with the Houston Texans following his miserable performance in their divisional round loss to the New England Patriots. Here’s what people around the league are saying about the Bills and Stroud.
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Bills firing has NFL coaches riled up over ‘impossibly high’ expectations
Ralph Vacchiano: The firing of Sean McDermott in Buffalo didn’t come as a complete surprise. There had been rumblings about the possibility for weeks. But he now joins John Harbaugh as the second NFL coach fired this offseason despite a career winning percentage over .600.
And that fact has sent shockwaves through an NFL coaching community wondering, as one current assistant coach told me, if the expectations of owners have become “impossibly high.”
“What are we even doing anymore?” the assistant said. “Do these owners think it’s easy to do what [Harbaugh and McDermott] did over the years? And [Matt] LaFleur was close to being fired [in Green Bay], too?
“I get that the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, but these guys had teams competing for it every single year. That’s not easy to do.”
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Both coaches not only had gaudy records (Harbaugh was 180-113 in 18 seasons in Baltimore, while McDermott was 98-50 in nine years in Buffalo), but they also had been relatively successful in the playoffs. Harbaugh had taken the Ravens to the playoffs in six of the last eight seasons, winning at least one game three times. McDermott’s Bills had gone to the playoffs seven straight years and in eight of the last nine. And they’ve won at least one playoff game in six straight years.
Of course, Harbaugh hadn’t been to a Super Bowl in 14 years, and McDermott had never led the Bills there — a fact that clearly frustrated team owner Terry Pegula. But Pegula said on Wednesday that he decided to fire McDermott right after they lost to the Broncos in the divisional round on Saturday — a game that hinged on a very controversial interception/catch that didn’t go the Bills’ way.
“So if the refs ruled it a catch on the field and it didn’t get overturned, the Bills win and he keeps his job?” another NFL assistant coach told me. “Really? That’s what we’re doing now? Throw out a decade of success because of a coin-flip play that landed wrong?”
“That could really be a classic [case of] Be careful what you wish for’,’” an agent who represents several NFL coaches told me. “Everyone thinks it should’ve been easy to get to the Super Bowl because he had Josh Allen. How about giving him credit for overachieving with the cast around Josh Allen? How about getting the receiver he needed before firing the coach?
“It’s just crazy. If it’s Super Bowl or bust from now on, no one’s going to be able to hold onto a job.”
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Giants outcast emerges as early frontrunner in Buffalo
Ralph Vacchiano: It’s a little too early to declare that there’s a clear favorite in the Bills’ search for a new head coach, but one name has created a lot of buzz in NFL circles: Former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll.
The 50-year-old Daboll was incredibly popular in the Bills organization during his four years as their offensive coordinator (2018-21). And he was particularly close to quarterback Josh Allen, whom Daboll helped develop from an erratic rookie to an MVP candidate by his third year in the league.
The Bills quickly moved to set up an interview with Daboll, who spoke with the team on Thursday. They’ve also requested permission to interview Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. They’ve also interviewed their own offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, too.
Brian Daboll posted three losing seasons in four years as head coach of the New York Giants, but had a successful stint as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator (2017-21) as he helped develop Josh Allen. (Todd Rosenberg/NFL)
But don’t underestimate the candidacy of Daboll. He is a favorite of general manager Brandon Beane, an NFL source told me, which isn’t surprising since he was a favorite of Beane’s former assistant, Joe Schoen, who hired Daboll as soon as he got the GM job with the Giants. Daboll was fired in the midst of his fourth season in New York with a 20-40-1 record. But he also took the Giants to the playoffs and was named the NFL’s Coach of the Year in his first season.
The Bills will also remember that their offense was one of the worst in the NFL when Daboll took over, and he turned it into a top-five unit in his final two years.
Daboll, by the way, has also interviewed in Philadelphia and Tennessee for offensive coordinator jobs. He is a favorite in Philly, according to an NFL source, but one person familiar with Daboll’s thinking told me he’s more likely to join new Titans coach Robert Saleh’s staff — if he doesn’t get the Bills head coaching job, of course.
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Why Bills should hire Daboll: ‘He’s one of them.’
Eric D. Williams: Add another voice to the list of league sources that look to former Giants head coach Brian Daboll as a potential frontrunner to ascend to the vacant head coaching job in Buffalo.
An NFL front office executive I spoke with pointed to Daboll as a natural head coaching candidate in Buffalo because of his familiarity with the organization and the area, along with his relationship with quarterback Josh Allen.
Daboll grew up in Western New York and went to college at the University of Rochester, where he played safety. Daboll also served as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021. He developed the Bills into one of the top scoring offenses in the league in his final two seasons in Buffalo.
“I think Brian Daboll would be a great fit,” the NFL personnel executive told me. “The QB knows him. The offense performed at a high level with him. He has head coaching experience and knows exactly what it is like to be a Bills fan. He is one of them.”
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Despite regression, NFL scout says C.J. Stroud worth contract extension
Eric D. Williams: The Houston Texans will have a tough decision to make on quarterback C.J. Stroud. Selected with the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, Stroud earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first season, helping to turn around the Texans and has at least one more year remaining on his contract.
The Texans must decide by May whether to pick up Stroud’s fifth-year option on his rookie deal, a projected $26.5 million in 2027. Further, Stroud’s also eligible for a contract extension that will pay him north of $50 million annually.
However, Stroud struggled in Houston’s last playoff loss on the road against the New England Patriots, turning it over four times in the first half. Stroud’s postseason numbers have declined each season he’s been in the league. This year, Stroud completed just 52% of his passes for 462 yards in two games, totaling two touchdown passes and five interceptions for a 51.8 passer rating in the postseason.
C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions in the first half of the Texans’ divisional round loss to the Patriots. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
But Stroud is just 24 years old. He’s 28-18 as a starter during the regular season and has led the Texans to a playoff win in each of his first three seasons. Because of that success, a longtime NFL scout believes that Stroud is worth the future investment.
“Bad playoff game aside, they should lock him up before next season is over to save money, compared to what his market value will be eventually,” the scout told me. “And keep the cap money alive for other positions on the team they need help with.
“Bottom line is you can only really pay five guys on a team, preferably on second and third contracts. It’s hard to find quarterbacks that are successful in their first three years.”
In NFL Confidential, we ask coaches, scouts and executives around the league for their thoughts on newsworthy topics.
