Bills Coach Sean McDermott Defends Bills But Also His Job Status By Highlighting Controversial Call In Loss

At one point, after what has become a controversial call in the divisional playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, Sean Dermott switched his calm press conference demeanor from talking about what's logical to full-on emotion.

"…I'm standing up for Buffalo, dammit!" McDermott said. "I'm standing up for us…"

McDermott went further later, after the press conference, in that he called from the team plane to continue to argue his case. (More on that in a minute). 

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 17: Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks on before kickoff against the Denver Broncos during an AFC Divisional Playoff game at Empower Field At Mile High on January 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

McDermott A Victim Of Injustice?

It was McDermott as no one has seen him before in his nine years coaching the Bills. It was McDermott the fighter and Buffalo advocate.

So, the question should be asked: Was McDermott actually fighting for his job while he seemed to be fighting strictly for his players, his franchise and his town?

Was the coach making a case that the call that hurt his team was wrong, but also making a case he shouldn't be fired after such a terrible injustice?

The Bills are not going to the Super Bowl this year. Again. 

And it's not the first time since 2020 the Bills were among Super Bowl favorites but did not make the climb to the NFL's biggest stage. The team lost in the AFC Championship game during the 2020 and 2024 seasons.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen signals to the offensive line during first half action at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026.

Bills Fail To Meet Expectations

This season, the expectations were again high despite the Bills being a No. 6 seed because they were playing with Josh Allen at quarterback and not facing Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson, who didn't make the tournament at all.

But the Buffalo season ended on Saturday even as they had arguably the best quarterback in the postseason. That bitter failure reflects on Allen, yes. 

But it also reflects on general manager Brandon Beane and McDermott as the coach. And this is how the Bills have been bounced from the playoffs their past five appearances under McDermott:

• 2026: Blew a fourth-quarter lead at Denver.
• 2025: Blew a fourth-quarter lead at Kansas City.
• 2024: Blew a fourth-quarter lead vs. Kansas City.
• 2023: Got blown out by Cincinnati at home.
• 2022: Blew a fourth-quarter lead at Kansas City.

Simply, McDermott's teams have been underperforming  in the playoffs for a while. And he just lost a playoff game to a team he beat in the playoffs a year ago. 

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III finds an opening and follows guard David Edwards during second half action at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026.

McDermott Riles Up Buffalo

So did McDermott, understanding all the unmet expectations, begin his defense to keep the job immediately after this game?

It was, by the way, a persistent argument. McDermott indeed called a Buffalo News reporter onsite in Denver from the team plane to continue arguing his case on behalf of Buffalo.

"That play is not even close," McDermott said via the pool report distributed by the News. "That’s a catch all the way. I sat in my locker and I looked at it probably 20 times, and nobody can convince me that that ball is not caught and in possession of Buffalo. I just have no idea how the NFL handled it, in particular, the way that they did. I think the players and the fans deserve an explanation, you know?"

McDermott continued to whip up fans in Buffalo by serving as their spokesman. Their advocate.

Their guy.

"The fans deserve more," he said. "The players certainly deserve more. They deserve an explanation, and it’s a shame that a game is decided on a call like that …"

The Argument Against A Bad Call

McDermott was asked why he was speaking up so aggressively when it has rarely been in his nature to do so in the nine years he's been the Bills' coach?

And, again, he struck a Buffalo-against-world chord in his reply.

" We win with class and we lose with class in Buffalo," he said. "That’s how we handle our business, but when I’m looking at the replay myself and I’m being objective, and I’m saying, ‘You can not convince me that that was not a catch, Buffalo possession, ball at the 20. You can’t convince [me].’ 

"I’m speaking up because I feel strongly that that was a catch and that possession should have been ball belongs to Buffalo."

All that is certainly an argument against what McDermott sees as a bad call. 

But it's also an argument for not firing the coach victimized by a bad call. Coincidence?