Terry Pegula stood at the podium Wednesday morning in Orchard Park and said something that cuts to the heart of what went wrong in Buffalo.
"If I could take you into that locker room," Pegula told reporters, "I felt like we hit the proverbial playoff wall year after year."
That's it. That's the whole thing. Nine years of Sean McDermott. 98 regular season wins. Eight playoff appearances. Five straight AFC East titles. Zero Super Bowls. And now, two days after another devastating January exit, the man who rebuilt the franchise is gone.
The game that ended it
Saturday night in Denver. The Broncos had no business being in that game. Buffalo's defense dominated the first three quarters. Josh Allen was making plays. Then everything collapsed.
Four turnovers from the reigning MVP. Two fumbles, two interceptions. One of those fumbles came with 16 seconds left in the first half—Allen scrambling when he should have taken a knee, getting stripped, giving Denver a free three points before halftime.
The interception in overtime was the killer. Allen launched a deep ball to Brandin Cooks, who had a step on Ja'Quan McMillian. Cooks got his hands on it. McMillian ripped it away as they hit the ground. The officials called it a pick. The Broncos kicked a field goal. Season over. Again.
Allen walked to the podium afterward, still in his uniform, tears running down his face.
"It's extremely difficult. I feel like I let my teammates down tonight."
His left tackle Dion Dawkins heard those words from across the locker room. He turned away from the cameras, choking up.
"He didn't let us down," Dawkins whispered.
The numbers that tell the story
Some context on what Pegula just threw away:
McDermott's .662 winning percentage ranks 15th in NFL history among coaches with at least 100 games. The Bills won at least 10 games in seven consecutive seasons—only five other franchises in the Super Bowl era have done that, and all five of them made the Super Bowl during their run. Buffalo is the only exception.
From 2019 to 2025, the Bills accumulated 91 wins including playoffs. That's the most victories over a seven-year span without a Super Bowl appearance in league history.
Allen himself holds the record for most playoff wins (8) and playoff starts (15) by any quarterback without a Super Bowl appearance in the Super Bowl era. He's 29 years old. He's been to the AFC Championship twice. He's lost to Kansas City both times.
The Chiefs weren't waiting this year. Neither were the Ravens or Bengals. This was supposed to be the window. Instead, Buffalo lost to a Broncos team that hadn't scored more than 20 points since mid-December.
The real reason behind the firing
According to longtime Buffalo reporter Vic Carucci, McDermott held a meeting with Brandon Beane and Pegula before the playoffs. The coach reportedly pointed out the roster's deficiencies—the lack of a true No. 1 receiver, the porous run defense that gave up 136.2 yards per game.
Beane and Pegula weren't pleased.
Think about that for a second. The coach tells ownership the roster isn't good enough. Ownership responds by firing the coach and promoting the GM who built the roster. Beane is now President of Football Operations. He'll lead the search for McDermott's replacement.
"Don't make sense but ya got what ya wanted," defensive tackle DaQuan Jones posted on Instagram after the announcement.
"This s--- here is so stupid honestly sickening," wrote Jordan Phillips. "The best coach I've ever been around."
What happens now
Beane confirmed Wednesday that Allen will have input on the next hire. The Bills have already requested interviews with Brian Daboll (their former offensive coordinator, now with the Giants), Anthony Lynn (former assistant head coach), current OC Joe Brady, and Colts DC Lou Anarumo.
The new coach walks into a situation with enormous pressure and a closing window. Allen's prime won't last forever. The Bills are moving into a new stadium next season. Pegula wants his Super Bowl.
Asked if 2026 would be "Super Bowl or bust," Pegula's answer was telling.
"No."
That's probably the only honest thing anyone said in that press conference. Because the truth is, firing McDermott doesn't fix the receiver room. It doesn't fix the run defense. It doesn't erase the four turnovers that ended their season in Denver.
All it does is give everyone someone else to blame next January, when—if history is any guide—Buffalo finds another way to break its fans' hearts.
McDermott issued his own statement through NFL Network: "For nearly a decade I have had the opportunity to wake up every morning as the Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills, which has truly been a gift."
He told his staff Monday that he intends to continue coaching. Seven other NFL teams currently have openings. Someone's going to get a coach with a .662 career winning percentage and two AFC Championship appearances.
Buffalo's going to get... well, we'll see.