NFL Notes: Sean McDermott Apologizes for Brutal 9/11 Comments, TNF Thoughts, More

Bills head coach Sean McDermott is coming under fire as the Bills cling to their thin playoff hopes heading into the season’s final leg. But his coaching didn’t have him in hot water on Thursday. Well, it could be seen as his coaching. A report by Tyler Dunne at Go Long yesterday unearthed some horrific comments made by McDermott in a 2019 team meeting with the Bills.

  • In that 2019 meeting, McDermott — to get his team to bond and come together — likened the Bills to the hijackers on 9/11. “He told the entire team they needed to come together. But then, sources on hand say, he used a strange model: the terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. He cited the hijackers as a group of people who were all able to get on the same page to orchestrate attacks to perfection. One by one, McDermott started asking specific players in the room questions. ‘What tactics do you think they used to come together?’ A young player tried to methodically answer. ‘What do you think their biggest obstacle was?’ A veteran answered, ‘TSA,’ which mercifully lightened the mood.”
  • A couple things: That’s probably the worst teamwork analogy ever uttered. Also, players are young enough that they’re not even aware that TSA was created post-9/11. More important than McDermott’s 9/11 comments in a vacuum, was the overarching point that McDermott is a horrendous communicator, and an even worse leader. Dunne’s three-part story was the culmination of 25 interviews with those “who have passed through the building.”
  • McDermott apologized for his comments during his Thursday media availability: “I’m gonna reference a team meeting that has been brought up. My intent in the meeting that day was to discuss the importance of communication and being on the same page on the team,” McDermott said. “I regretted mentioning 9/11 in my message that day and I immediately apologized to the team that day. Not only was 9/11 a horrific event in our country’s history, but a day that I lost a good family friend.”
  • Aside from McDermott’s 9/11 gaffe, Dunne’s story is a damning indictment of the Bills head coach and why he shouldn’t be afforded another season in Buffalo if things stay the current course.
  • “I know the fans, they’re looking for a higher draft pick,” Ezekiel Elliott said after New England’s victory over the Steelers last night. “But for us, this game, this game, it means so much to us. This is our livelihood. This is our identity. When we go out there,” he said, “we’re all grown men. It wouldn’t feel right for any of us to lay down and just roll over for a draft pick for next year.”
  • The Patriots did not lay down and roll over last night. They went into Pittsburgh and ran out to a 21-3 lead over the Steelers in the second quarter. Their offense stalled in the second half, but their early barrage of touchdowns was enough to beat Pittsburgh. Elliott played a significant role in the victory, especially in the second half. Zeke rushed for 46 yards on 12 carries in the second half as the Patriots wound the clock down on the Steelers.
  • Bailey Zappe was the hero in the first half for the Patriots, throwing for 196 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He finished the game with 240 yards, three scores, and an interception.
  • As for the Steelers, back-to-back losses to two-win teams in the past five days have taken them from playoff likely to doubtful. They’re currently on the outside looking in on the AFC wild card race, and it’s tough to see them being able to dig their way out of the gaping hole they dug over the last week.
  • Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was spotted out at practice on Thursday despite suffering a high ankle sprain on Monday night. He was seen tossing the football around, but his status for this weekend’s matchup with the Browns is still in question. “I mean, he’s feeling good. We’ll see,” Pederson said in his Friday press conference. “He moved around a little bit yesterday, see how he does today. Kind of base it on medical staff, how Trevor feels, and if he can go or not.”
  • Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was added to the practice report on Thursday due to a groin injury, and was listed as limited. However, the team’s top two running backs, Kenneth Walker III (who had a strained oblique) and Zach Charbonnet (who had a bruised knee), returned to practice on Thursday, but were limited participants. Safety Jamal Adams (who had a knee injury) and defensive tackle Leonard Williams (who had an ankle injury) also returned to limited work after missing out on Wednesday’s practice. Seattle takes on the 49ers on Sunday.
  • Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua practiced in full on Thursday. Nacua injured his shoulder in Sunday’s victory over the Browns but is expected to play through the AC joint sprain Sunday. Nacua has 1,029 receiving yards this season, a Rams rookie record.
  • If you were a fan of the idea of the Bears pursuing Jim Harbaugh this offseason, you won’t like the latest report that surfaced on Thursday:
  • written by

    Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).

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