Bills HC shares huge Super Bowl prediction

During a recent chat with Tim Graham of The Athletic, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott wasn't shy about calling his shot regarding the franchise's ongoing chase of its first-ever Super Bowl championship. 

"It’s not a matter of if," McDermott directly said about winning a title. "It’s just a matter of when. That is the relentless pursuit." 

McDermott has held the job since January 2017 and helped turn the club into an annual championship contender thanks largely to the drafting of star quarterback Josh Allen in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. 

However, McDermott's squads have a reputation for coming up short in January. Specifically, Buffalo has appeared in a single AFC Championship Game under McDermott, and the Bills failed to get past the divisional rounds of postseason tournaments across each of their last three tries. 

"I believe we’re doing things the right way," McDermott insisted. "You only fail if you quit, and I’ve never done that. I’ve never been about that. Whatever it is, you always figure it out. You always find a way to get there." 

While touching upon Buffalo's latest divisional-round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs for a video released last week, Allen acknowledged that his overall playoff record of 5-5 is "heavy on my shoulders." 

The signal-caller, who begins just about every September listed among betting favorites to compete for regular-season Most Valuable Player honors, isn't going anywhere, but McDermott could find himself on the hot seat next winter if the Bills fail to complete a trip to Super Bowl LIX.

"The only thing left to do for us at this point is win an AFC championship and win a Super Bowl, which is pretty darn good," McDermott added. "There’s not too many organizations that can say that over the last seven years. We’ve done everything else you can do, and that is what gets us out of bed in the morning."

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Bills fourth among the betting favorites at +1000 odds to win the Super Bowl next February. Buffalo hasn't played on a Super Bowl Sunday since the club lost a fourth straight championship contest in January 1994. 

"I understand the fans’ frustration," McDermott remarked. "They’re passionate. That’s, to me, one of the great parts about being a Buffalo Bill. Where else can you go in the NFL and experience this type of passion? You’re part of the fabric of the community here, and I love that."