Sean McDermott's excuse for terrible fake punt is another fireable offense

The Buffalo Bills' season ended with a crushing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round. It was an all-too-familiar sensation for Bills Mafia. Kansas City has now been Buffalo's final opponent in three of the last four playoff runs. Even the way it ended — with Tyler Bass' kick sailing wide right — evoked awful memories for the Bills' fanbase.

There is going to be a push to fire Sean McDermott. Whether you agree or not, it's best to be prepared. The Bills' front office could decide not to. He has posted a winning record in six of seven seasons with Buffalo. There is no denying McDemott's baseline competence. And yet, when your season ends the same way, year after year, it becomes more difficult to justify running it back after each successive failure.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." — Albert Einstein

It's not difficult to pin the blame for Sunday's outcome at least partially on McDermott. The Bills' offense stagnated in the second half. Then, facing fourth-and-five on their own 30-yard line early in the fourth quarter, McDermott made the inexplicable decision to fake a punt — in a three-point game. The ball was snapped to Damar Hamlin, who couldn't make the line to gain.

After the game, McDermott offered a reason for the decision.

"I understand [wanting to keep Josh Allen] out there," he said. "It’s just where we were on the field in relation to the element of surprise in that situation. Obviously, we didn’t execute."

Sean McDermott explains Bills failed fake punt in loss to Chiefs

Rather than let Josh Allen, who played a great game, try to move the chains with his arm (or legs), Buffalo went to a backup DB on a fake punt. The result was not even close to a first down. McDermott handed Kansas City prime field position with a three-point lead, and the Chiefs had scored on five of their last six drives. That is a completely boneheaded maneuver with over 12 minutes left on the game clock.

It ultimately didn't harm Buffalo, as Mecole Hardman fumbled out of the end zone in a stroke of brilliant luck for the Bills. But, McDermott's decision-making was blatantly flawed, and it could have sealed the outcome far before Tyler Bass' makable missed kick with under two minutes left.

The Bills need to consider a change at head coach. McDermott has earned a prominent place on an NFL sideline, but he might not be the man for the job in Buffalo. These Kansas City demons won't excise themselves. It could be time for the Bills to embrace a new voice in the locker room.