Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Stats show bad news coming for Broncos in playoff game vs Bills

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Kevin Massare | Last updated Jan 5, 2025 10:55 PM ET

Sean McDermott has been a successful coach for the Bills in his first 8 seasons. He has made the playoffs in 7 out of 8 seasons. However, there is maybe even one more impressive stat that is not talked about enough.

McDermott is 9-4 in games against rookie quarterbacks (in the regular season) and has gotten them to commit 17 interceptions against just 7 touchdowns in those games.

Furthermore, McDermott is 2-0 in the playoffs holding rookie passers to 3 TDs and 4 Ints. The Bills beat Mac Jones in 2021 and Skylar Thompson in 2022.

The losses are even more impressive for McDermott. The first was in 2018 against Sam Darnold, where he only had 170 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. The next was a 9-6 game against Trevor Lawerence, in a week where the offense fell asleep. The third was against Mac Jones in a wind game in which he only attempted 2 passes. The final was the last regular season game against the Patriots in which Maye and Milton beat the third-string Bills defense.

Drake Maye, just two weeks ago, is the only player to score more than 1 passing TD (in the regular season). He had two in that game while throwing for 270 yards. Mac Jones in the playoffs did have two as well.

McDermott's rookie QB list is surprising:

2018 Darnold (L)
2019 Haskins (W)
2019 Hodges (W)
2020 Herbert (W)
2020 Tagovailoa (W)
2021 Mills (W)
2021 Lawrence (L)
2021 Jones (L)
2021 Jones (W)
2021 Wilson (W)
2021 Jones (W) - Playoffs
2022 Pickett (W)
2022: Thompson (W) - Playoffs
2024 Maye (W)
2024 Maye/Milton (L)

The Bills will face off with another rookie QB in Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos, on Sunday at 1 PM. It will be the third time in four seasons the Bills will face a rookie QB in the wild-card round.

This article first appeared on Buffalo Bills on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: