Everything Bills Owner Said About Sean McDermott Firing, Josh Allen, Keon Coleman After Playoff Loss

The Buffalo Bills' overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round of the playoffs was the catalyst for the major change coming to the franchise this offseason.

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Bills owner Terry Pegula revealed that the decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott this week was "based on the results of our game in Denver."

"I know we can do better," Pegula added.

Pegula also shed light on the status of Keon Coleman after the second-year wideout was a healthy scratch throughout the second half of the season:

Pegula told reporters that the coaching staff "pushed hard" to select Coleman with the No. 33 pick, while general manager Brandon Beane was "being a good teammate as part of that decision."

When asked about the perception of McDermott's firing being a "power play" by Beane, Pegula said, "I'm the kind of guy, if I sense you're on a power play, you're out. I don't like power play people … any sense at all that he was on a power play, he would've been gone."

Beane added: "For someone to question my character, my integrity, that's where I draw the line."

Many wondered why Beane was being retained after McDermott's firing, but Pegula maintained his confidence in his GM.

"I'm aware there's criticism out there of our franchise. Does anyone know what the numbers 5, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2, 6 represent? That's our seeding over the last seven years in the playoffs," Pegula told reporters. "It's impossible to have those kind of results without a good roster."

In nine seasons at the helm in Buffalo, McDermott had a record of 98-50 with eight playoff appearances and five AFC East titles. Unfortunately, regular-season success didn't translate to the postseason for the Bills, as they failed to reach the Super Bowl during his tenure despite being perennial title contenders.

In the loss to Denver, Buffalo was on the end of some controversial officiating decisions, but Pegula noted that the team's misfortune didn't influence his decision to fire McDermott.

"I did not fire a coach based on a bad officiating decision. … I felt like we had hit the proverbial playoff wall," Pegula told reporters.

▶️ Full Bills-Broncos Recap

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The aftermath of the loss to the Broncos was particularly emotional for the Bills, with multiple players being brought to tears, including star quarterback Josh Allen. Pegula made it clear that Allen had no input in the decision to fire McDermott, but he added that the 2024 NFL MVP will have a say in Buffalo's next hire.

"He had given everything he had to try to win that game," Pegula said of his "sobbing" signal-caller. "And so did every other player on the team. … I know we can do better, and I know we will get better."

The Bills are certainly hoping that the replacement for McDermott will have better success at bringing out the best of the roster, but it's clear that more changes will be needed to achieve the team's ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl title.