Sean McDermott has every NFL coach beat in one area that will come up huge in upcoming Bills' playoff run and it's taking people by surprise
Bills head coach Sean McDermott has drawn quite a bit of criticism over the years for his clock management and situational decision-making, but this year seems to be quite a bit different.This season, the Bills have been an elite unit on converting on fourth down, something that gives them an advantage over their opponents. According […]
Bills head coach Sean McDermott has drawn quite a bit of criticism over the years for his clock management and situational decision-making, but this year seems to be quite a bit different.
This season, the Bills have been an elite unit on converting on fourth down, something that gives them an advantage over their opponents. According to a new article in The Athletic, McDermott comes out on top in fourth down decision making.
"It's Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott who took the top spot this year, though by less than 1 percent over Campbell. I'll admit this surprised me and should not that McDermott overtook Campbell during Week 18 in which McDermott correctly pulled the trigger four out of five times against the New England Patriots in a meaningless game. Still, even if you wanted to take that game away from McDermott's slate this season, he would rank second among playoff coaches."
The article looks into a metric beyond simply team fourth down conversion rate, and instead looks into the decision making, whether or not going for fourth down is the right decision, and the team's ability to convert in those situations.
From a pure raw data standpoint, the Bills have the second-highest fourth down conversion rate in the NFL at a whopping 72.73%, the highest mark in the AFC. As McDermott has pointed out in the past, having Josh Allen under center certainly gives the team an advantage.
On fourth and short situations, the quarterback sneak, which Allen is so proficient at, is borderline automatic. The team has shown the ability to hit on play action in these situations, long passes, wheel routes, and a variety of other calls. Then there's always Allen having the ability to call his own number and do it himself.
McDermott and Allen have formed a lethal duo in fourth down situations, something that has the potential to steal possessions, and points, from their opponents. Their ability in this area gives them an added advantage over their opponents when it matters most. It will almost assuredly come up in the playoffs.
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