Bills: Overlooked stat immediately backs up Sean McDermott's extension
First things first: No, I won't point to a single stat or chart to try to back up the fact that the Buffalo Bills did the right thing by extending head coach Sean McDermott. We shouldn't even have to be having this conversation. Since McDermott took over in 2017, the Bills have become the third-winningest […]
First things first: No, I won't point to a single stat or chart to try to back up the fact that the Buffalo Bills did the right thing by extending head coach Sean McDermott. We shouldn't even have to be having this conversation.
Since McDermott took over in 2017, the Bills have become the third-winningest team in the NFL with 62 wins, only behind the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints.
Not only that but McDermott's defense also has been the third-best per EPA/play and they've been "main characters" within the AFC. His coaching regime has also nurtured the careers of one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Josh Allen.
But yes, one simple chart looking at which coaches are the best at maximizing their team's chances of winning through in-game decisions also backs up McDermott's work. In 2022, the Bills head coach ranked second in the NFL in "win probability added over expected" per SumerSports.
The stat is based on a team's decisions on fourth down, two-point conversion scenarios, timeouts called in the first and second half, and even delay of game scenarios. In each of these categories, McDermott's numbers are above average.
Particularly, the Bills' fourth-down decision-making has been one of the league's best, largely fueling his ranking in the above chart.
As I said, however, we shouldn't need a chart like this to reach the conclusion that McDermott was never on the hot seat. While the long pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy can get frustrating for fans, the reality is the Bills coach has run a very smooth operation since arriving at Buffalo.
"Trust the process" is what fans least want to hear after years and more years of waiting. But it's McDermott who can provide that much-anticipated Super Bowl win.
The evidence in his favor is overwhelming at this point.
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Featured image via Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
