I’m not mad about the loss. I’m clear-eyed. The Buffalo Bills team showed exactly who they are, both in what works and what no longer does. Some parts of this roster and staff are non-negotiable. Others cannot be allowed to continue.
Before you blow anything up, you identify what works, and you protect it. If I’m the Pegulas, changes start Monday, but not everywhere. Repeat: If I’m the Pegulas, Changes Start Monday, But Not Everywhere.
If I’m Terry Pegula sitting in the box watching this game unfold, the takeaway isn’t panic, it’s clarity.
What Doesn’t Change
The Run Game Is the Identity. This team finally found balance, and the numbers back it up. Buffalo finished the season top-10 in rushing efficiency, yards per carry, and top-12 in rushing EPA after midseason. When designed quarterback runs are included, Josh Allen again ranked in the top three among quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns and in the top five in rushing first downs. James Cook remained the engine, averaging over 4.7 yards per carry, while Ty Johnson ranked near the top of the roster in third-down success rate.
Khalil Shakir’s motion usage helped Buffalo finish in the top 10 in pre-snap motion rate, directly improving run efficiency.
Ray Davis matters here. Ray Davis gave this offense something it’s lacked for years, a physical, downhill presence who consistently fell forward, finished runs, and punished light boxes late in games. His short-yardage efficiency and ball security brought stability to a run game that no longer felt finesse-only. Most importantly, Buffalo reduced Josh Allen’s dropbacks in one-score games by nearly 12 percent compared to last season. That’s winning football. This stays intact no matter what the roster looks like next year.
Dawson Knox (photo courtesy Bills Wire – USA Today
The Tight End Group Is a Core Strength. This is one of the most efficient tight end rooms in the NFL, statistically and situationally. Dalton Kincaid finished top-10 among tight ends in receptions. Kincaid ranked top-8 in yards per route run. Dawson Knox converted over 70 percent of his targets into first downs or touchdowns. Buffalo ranked in the top five in EPA on throws to tight ends. Red-zone touchdown rate targeting tight ends was above league average. They stretch the field, block well, and convert when it matters. You restructure contracts if necessary, but you do not dismantle this group.
The Defense Found Its Identity Late. Early in the season, the Bills struggled badly against the run and ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing defense. From midseason on, that flipped. Over the final stretch, Buffalo ranked top-8 in points allowed per game, top-10 in opponent rushing yards per game, top-6 in red-zone defensive efficiency, and top-10 in defensive EPA per play. That turnaround doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of coaching, leadership, and buy-in.
What Must Change, Immediately
Brandon Beane (photo courtesy WUTV)
Brandon Beane Has to Go: If I’m the owner, Brandon Beane is informed on Monday that the organization is moving in a different direction. The numbers are damning. Buffalo finished with zero wide receivers in the top-20 in receiving yards. The Bills ranked in the bottom third in explosive pass plays, 20-plus yards. Josh Allen ranked in the top five in passing yards under pressure. Buffalo ranked outside the top-15 in yards after catch. No aggressive trade-deadline move. No true WR1 acquisition. No draft urgency at the position. Josh Palmer was never projected as anything more than a WR2 or WR3, and that showed on both film and the stat sheet. This decision should have been made last year. Now it’s unavoidable.
Where the Bills Should Look for a New GM: This hire determines whether Josh Allen’s prime is maximized or wasted. The Bills cannot afford a safe or sentimental choice. Assistant GMs from winning, offense-first organizations should be priority one. Target assistant general managers from teams that consistently develop wide receivers and skill-position depth, build full offensive ecosystems, not one-player offenses, and use analytics as a tool, not a crutch. Josh Allen should be the centerpiece, not the repair kit. Former GMs who’ve learned from failure also matter. There are former general managers across the league who failed once, learned from it, and would arrive in Buffalo with urgency, humility, and perspective.
The Bills do not need a first-time GM learning on the fly with Josh Allen’s timeline. Experience matters now. Ownership should also consider player-perspective football minds. This is where respected Bills voices matter. Someone like Steve Tasker should be involved in the process, not to run the front office, but to help identify candidates who understand locker-room dynamics, leadership accountability, and when to move on from veterans before decline becomes damage. You also make the call to Bill Belichick. You don’t hand him the keys blindly, but you absolutely make the call. Even if it goes nowhere, serious organizations explore every high-level option.
What you do not do, you do not promote from within for continuity’s sake. You do not hire a defense-only roster builder. You do not choose nostalgia over projection. The next GM must respect what works in Buffalo while aggressively fixing what hasn’t.
Joe Brady Is Not the Answer: Joe Brady should be relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator. Josh Allen finished the season top-3 in total touchdowns, top-5 in fourth-quarter passing attempts, and top-five in clutch EPA. That’s not a compliment to the system. It’s an indictment of it. Your quarterback should not have to go Superman mode in the final five minutes of nearly every game. That is not elite offense. That is survival football.
Who You Keep, No Debate
Sean McDermott and Bobby Babich should be extended. Under McDermott, Buffalo has finished in the top 10 in scoring defense in six of the last seven seasons. The Bills have made the playoffs every year Josh Allen has been healthy. Defensive units consistently outperform injury expectations. Babich’s growth is real, measurable, and visible on film. Do not fire Sean McDermott. Doing so would be organizational malpractice.
Other Hard Questions that Need Answers
The Kicker Situation: Tyler Bass was effectively unavailable all season due to injury. The question isn’t blame, it’s whether he will be healthy enough to be the Bills’ kicker next season. Is Matt Prater coming back to the league? If he is, Buffalo must determine who stays, who goes, or whether to bring in legitimate competition.
The Bills played nine one-score games this season. You cannot enter another year without clarity at kicker.
The Offensive Coordinator Search: This job is not about fixing Josh Allen. It’s about continuing his development. Ownership should target elite quarterback coaches and former offensive coordinators across the league, especially those who develop complete offensive systems. That includes Denver’s quarterback coach, Atlanta’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, and yes, Mike McDaniel deserves a call if he ever becomes available in any capacity.
Defensive Depth, A Rapid Decline
Safety and Linebacker Depth Haven’t Slowly Eroded. They’ve collapsed. The Bills keep cycling back to familiar names: Tredavious White, Jordan Poyer, and Micah Hyde. They matter emotionally, but they are no longer game changers. I’ll say it plainly, Tredavious White lost this game. Ego, pride, and long-standing diva tendencies surfaced at the worst possible moment, pushing the game beyond the point where Josh Allen could save it. There was no hero ball coming.
Demar Hamlin (photo courtesh BBC)
The Damar Hamlin Question. Damar Hamlin is one of the most important human stories the league has ever seen. His recovery is remarkable. His place in Bills history is permanent. But football decisions still matter. Hamlin has struggled in coverage, has not consistently played downhill, and has not been the stabilizing presence this secondary needs. Moving on would be painful. Keeping him without competition is irresponsible. Both can be true.
The Linebacker Problem. Matt Milano or Terrel Bernard, one has to go. When both are on the field together, Buffalo’s second-level defense allows over 1.3 more yards per carry and struggles badly in zone coverage. When Shaq Thompson played alongside one of them, the defense stabilized. You can afford one question mark. Not two. Why isn’t Joe Andreessen getting more defensive snaps? On film, he’s outperforming veterans who continue to get priority reps without producing.
Secondary and in the Trenches. Cole Bishop, now in his second year, showed real growth. When Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin went down, the lack of depth was exposed. Offensively, Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown, and Connor McGovern are solid, critical, and aging. Defensively, Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Joey Bosa, Greg Rousseau, and A.J. Epenesa are not getting younger. One clear win, Dion Walker, outstanding season, outstanding night, young, impactful, ascending. That’s the model.
Final Word
The stadium, the branding, the business side, none of it matters if the football decisions aren’t ruthless and precise. If I’m in ownership, changes start Monday. No leaks. The statement comes from the Pegulas.
Do not move on from Sean McDermott.
This team does not need a reset. It needs future-focused leadership that respects what already works. That starts now.
GO BILLS. 🦬💙
Good advice overall. I don’t agree with every point made, the the more sensitive thoughts ring true. Depth at defense is priority. Age could be an issue at several positions. I will follow your thoughts on the future.