This week in Kansas City, Chiefs coach Andy Reid responded to a question about his Bills counterpart, Sean McDermott, by joking that they’re both redheads. Meanwhile, in Buffalo, McDermott mentioned how much he enjoys hearing Reid say “great googly-moogly” in a Snickers commercial, highlighting Reid’s fun side.
“For so long, I think people, the outside public, only saw one side of him,” McDermott said about his former boss in Philadelphia. “It’s fun to see his true personality come out.”
This playful exchange is about as close as it gets to trash-talking, as Josh Allen and the Bills (8-2) prepare to face Patrick Mahomes and the undefeated Chiefs (9-0) on Sunday in what is one of the most exciting matchups of the season.
The comments from both coaches show the mutual respect they have for each other. Their bond goes far beyond football.
Their relationship began in 1999 when Reid became the head coach of the Eagles, and McDermott joined as a scouting coordinator.
Even after Reid fired McDermott as Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator after the 2010 season, their friendship stayed strong, with McDermott later calling that firing one of the most important learning moments of his career.
For McDermott, now in his eighth season with the Bills, it doesn’t matter that Reid and the Chiefs stand in the way of the Bills’ ultimate goal. Though McDermott is 4-1 against Reid in the regular season since taking over as Buffalo’s head coach in 2017, he is 0-3 against him in the playoffs.
“He’s a great coach. He’ll be a Hall of Fame coach. He already is, really, even though he’s not retired yet,” McDermott said.
“Listen, there’s always somebody that you’re trying to get past, right, to accomplish the goal that you want to accomplish,” McDermott continued. “So I don’t care what walk of life you’re in or what sport you’re in or whatever it is. There’s always a challenge in front of you.”
The challenge for McDermott and the Bills on Sunday is facing the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs, who are off to their best start in franchise history and are one win away from tying their longest in-season winning streak.
The Chiefs’ ability to win close games has been impressive, with seven of their wins coming by one score, including four decided on the final play. Last week, for example, Leo Chenal blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by Wil Lutz as time expired, securing a 16-14 victory over Denver.
“That was probably the epitome of it,” Reid said about his team’s resilience. “You give credit to your locker room and your coaches just for being mentally tough and sticking with it.” McDermott has Buffalo on a five-game winning streak, and the team is 8-2 for the first time since 1993.
The Bills are closing in on their fifth straight AFC East title, despite having lower expectations to start the season after a major roster overhaul. The team has battled through injuries and a four-game suspension for Von Miller.
The one thing missing from Buffalo’s record is a win over a top-tier team. Arizona (6-4) is the only team the Bills have beaten that has a winning record entering Week 11, and their two losses have come against Baltimore (7-3) and Houston (6-4).
McDermott brushed off questions about the Bills’ schedule and the opportunity to beat the NFL’s last remaining undefeated team.
“We get our ninth win,” McDermott said about what a victory on Sunday would mean. The true test for Buffalo, though, might come in January, if the teams meet again in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
As for Allen, he shed light on what drives him when asked about his and Mahomes’ similar numbers over their last seven matchups.
“Well, I know we haven’t beaten them in the playoffs,” Allen said. “So that’s the only thing that kind of matters.”
