Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott. Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Bills' Sean McDermott disrespected in NFL analyst's head coach rankings

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Mike Moraitis | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 8:52 AM ET

While he hasn't been able to get the Buffalo Bills over the hump to a Super Bowl, head coach Sean McDermott remains one of the better head coaches in the NFL.

With McDermott at the helm since 2017, the Bills have posted an 86-45 record over eight seasons, including six straight double-digit victory campaigns.

In those six consecutive seasons, the Bills have made the playoffs in each, with two of those postseason trips ending in the conference title game.

Pro Football and Sports Network's Brandon Austin recently ranked every head coach in the NFL going into 2025 and McDermott landed at No. 11.

"There’s no doubt that McDermott knows how to win. However, the Bills have continued to fall short in January. They’ve won a playoff game in five straight postseasons but have no Super Bowl appearances to show for it," Austin wrote.

In this particular list, one could definitely make an argument for McDermott to be in the Top 10 over Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur (No. 9) and/or Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell (No. 5).

LaFleur has a higher winning percentage (.670) than McDermott (.656), but has also been in his position for two less years.

In the midst of the Bills' six-year playoff streak, LaFleur and the Packers have missed the playoffs once, although Green Bay has managed to make it to two NFC Championship games during his tenure, both of which came while Aaron Rodgers was still there.

Since Rodgers' departure, LaFleur and Co. haven't gotten back to the conference title game with Jordan Love under center, and the team has won just one playoff game in that span.

When it comes to Campbell (.556), he has a lower winning percentage than McDermott, and he's got just two playoff appearances, one of which ended in the NFC title game.

Campbell's Lions were also bounced in the playoffs much earlier than expected last season after beginning the year as one of the favorites to win a Super Bowl.

Aside from LaFleur and Campbell, the coaches landing in the Top 10, Andy Reid, Sean McVay, John Harbaugh, Nick Sirianni, Sean Payton and Mike Tomlin have all won at least one Super Bowl, and Jim Harbaugh and Kyle Shanahan have made at least one trip to the Big Game, something LaFleur, Campbell and McDermott haven't done as head coaches.