Buffalo Bills press conference: Live updates, latest news from Terry Pegula, Brandon Beane

Bills owner Terry Pegula said Wednesday he fired head coach Sean McDermott for repeatedly falling short in the postseason.

The Bills’ latest heartbreaking playoff exit to the Denver Broncos pushed Pegula to move on from McDermott after nine largely successful seasons.

Pegula said he was overcome with the realization something needed to change after walking through a distraught locker room in Denver, including seeing a teary-eyed Josh Allen basically ignore Pegula after insisting the officials made the wrong call on a controversial non-catch by receiver Brandin Cooks.

“He sat there sobbing. He was listless. I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his presser, and I felt his pain,” Pegula said.

“I know we can do better.”

Pegula cited the seed line the Bills have held during its run of postseason appearances for why he retained general manager Brandon Beane.

“An organization doesn’t carry that kind of record without having great players,” Pegula said. “It’s impossible to have those kind of results without having a good roster.”

Beane, who Pegula promoted to president of football operations in a major organizational restructuring, joined Pegula at a joint press conference Wednesday morning at One Bills Drive.

Beane will help lead the search for McDermott’s replacement. The Bills have reportedly requested to interview former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and Washington run game coordinator Anthony Lynn, a finalist for the Bills job in 2017, is scheduled to interview Saturday, according to ESPN.

Beane said whether the Bills face significant roster turnover will hinge on who the next coach is and what schemes he and his staff run.

Here’s a summary of the full 45-minute press conference:

Beane on Keon Coleman pick

“He was my pick,” Beane said, addressing something Pegula called into question earlier in the press conference.

Beane clarifies there might have been a discrepancy around taking other players on the board with that pick.

A lack of maturity got in the way, Beane said, of Coleman’s development this season.

Beane said he recently told Coleman he has to reset and attack the offseason in a manner in which he did last year.

Pegula brushes off a question about the Bills’ success despite a depleted roster being a reflection of McDermott’s coaching ability.

Pegula goes back to the playoff shortcomings for making his decision.

Beane said he wishes he could have brought back Ja’Marcus Ingram after Darius Slay refused to report to Buffalo, but the rules are such that it wasn’t possible after Houston put a claim in for Ingram.

That led the Bills to grab Darnell Savage, who notably gave up a critical touchdown in last week’s loss to the Broncos.

“A very weird thing that happened. That was not done rogue, let’s just say,” Beane said.

How does Josh Allen feel about McDermott’s firing?

Is Allen on board with Pegula’s decision?

Pegula said he wants to keep the QB’s feelings private.

“I know I didn’t answer your question, but his personal opinion, I keep personal,” Pegula said.

Beane said Allen may have to have a procedure on his foot, but Beane says it wouldn’t impact OTAs.

Earlier, Pegula said any sense that Beane came out on top of a power struggle between him and McDermott is wrong. Pegula said he has no tolerance for someone trying to pull such a tactic in the organization.

Beane then cites the Go Long TD series on McDermott, and how he came to McDermott’s defense after the run of bad publicity.

“For someone to question my integrity, that’s where I draw the line,” Beane said.

Bills’ brass disputes relationship with McDermott ‘dissolved’

Pegula said Josh Allen did not have any input at all on decision to fire McDermott.

He talked to him afterward and will keep that conversation private.

Beane said Allen will have some involvement on who the Bills’ next coach will be.

Beane said The No. 1 thing I always want to do with Josh Allen is protect him. Says the intention to build the offensive line and the run game can be just as impactful to that goal that acquiring a No. 1 receiver.

Beane pushes back on the idea the relationship or alignment with McDermott “dissolved.”

“I don’t think it got to point where we were signing or drafting players out of alignment,” Beane said.

Pegula said he doesn’t want to speculate on whether McDermott could have returned as coach if the Bills beat the Broncos.

Pegula: Coaching staff pushed to draft Keon Coleman

Beane said he has some regret over a radio rant in which he excoriated the hosts for questioning the decision not to bolster the wide receiver room after the draft.

He said, in hindsight, it probably put too much pressure of the receivers.

Pegula interrupts to address a question about second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman.

“The coaching staff pushed to draft Coleman.

“That was Brand Beane being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player.

“He’s taken the heat over it, and not saying a word about it. I’m here to tell you the true story.”

Pegula: We hit the playoff wall

Pegula and Beane are now taking questions.

Pegula says he did not fire McDermott based on a bad officiating decision (the non-catch call on Brandin Cooks).

“I felt we hit the proverbial playoff wall,” he said, citing the 13 seconds, the Tyler Bass missed field goal and “the catch.”

“I sensed in that locker room, where do we go from here?” Pegula said.

Beane says he understands the fans’ frustration

“No one puts more pressure on me than myself,” he said.

“I understand there are things I can do better.”

Beane alludes to the urgency of winning a Super Bowl with an MVP-caliber quarterback.

“We have to get it over the top, and that starts with hiring a new head coach.”

Pegula on why Beane is retained

Pegula runs off the Bills’ playoff seeding over the last nine years. He says that success over a long period of time means Beane is doing a good job.

“An organization doesn’t carry that kind of record without having great players. It’s impossible to have those kind of results without having a good roster.”

Pegula turns it over to Beane.

Pegula: Decision to fire McDermott was based on Denver loss

Pegula said he was proud to give Sean his first head-coaching job in this league.

“I don’t think he’s done coaching in the NFL,” Pegula said.

Pegula says it was his decision to bring in a new coach, and it was based on the results of our game in Denver.

Says the distraught players, including a teary-eyed Josh Allen, influenced his decision.

“He sat there sobbing. He was listless. I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his presser, and I felt his pain. I know we can do better.”

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