Wednesday’s memorable (and not for good reasons) joint press conference by Bills owner Terry Pegula and G.M. Brandon Beane had plenty of noteworthy moments. We’ve been focusing on as many of them as we can, one at a time.
Here’s one that represents a fairly sticky subject for Beane, even if it’s one of the biggest questions emerging from Monday’s announcement that Pegula, in one fell swoop, had fired coach Sean McDermott and promoted Beane.
Beane was specifically asked about the perception among fans that “this was some kind of power play.”
“As Terry said, there’s disagreements all throughout — way before this year,” Beane said. “It’s not like we were a hundred percent always in agreement on every decision that he made or I made. That just comes with the territory, and I wouldn’t expect that [to be any different] with the next head coach. There’s certain things that fall in his area, whether it’s managing a game, how we schemed a game — whatever it is that are his — and then there’s certain decisions that are personnel related, somebody’s got to make the final call.”
Pegula then interrupted.
“Can I help you about the ‘power play’ part of that?” Pegula said. “I’m the kind of guy, if I sense you’re on a power play, you’re out. I don’t like ‘power play’ people. We have an organization that’s we work together, but any sense at all that he was on a power play, he would have been gone. Because that’s not my kind of person.”
Beane then became indignant about the mere suggestion of a power play.
“That’s hurtful to even hear that or say that, like, I worked 19 seasons, starting as an intern in Carolina, and worked my way up,” Beane said. “I came here, and I’ve never tried to do that. I would love for anyone who’s making that accusation to walk in these doors and ask any person — player, coach, trainer, anyone — like, people can disagree with draft picks that I make or people I sign, or I screwed up the wide receivers, whatever it is, like, those are harmful, harmful things that, you know, I walk in the door, and my wife’s got tears coming down her face for stuff like that. And I’m gonna damn try hard to win a Super Bowl here. I am. But for somebody to question my character like that is BS. And I’ve never done that.
“If you’ll remember, in 2023, there was an article written on Sean, accusing things. Who stood up in front of every one of you guys and defended him and his family, and everything he’s done here? And then we went to Kansas City, and we won that game. And I went down [and] said, ‘Give me a game ball. I’m gonna show everyone that this team has his back.’ I’ve done nothing but have everyone’s back. And so for someone to question my character, my integrity, that’s where I draw the line.”
But it’s not really a question of character or integrity. It’s inherent to any situation in which, when things don’t work out, ownership may have to choose between coach or G.M. By creating an environment in which half measures are possible, the coach and the G.M. will naturally try to position themselves so that they’re in the half that isn’t sent packing.
In this regard, the G.M. has a much better chance of saving his job. The G.M., not the coach, is with the owner during games. It’s easy, and arguably natural, to make stray comments about the coach’s in-game decisions that could make the owner more likely to align with the G.M. over the coach, if the owner opts not to clean house.
It’s not really a power play, per se. It’s the direct product of a structure that entails a boss who eventually will decide where the pink slips should go. There’s a certain amount of self-preservation that comes into play, especially since the head coach is far more likely to get a second chance than the G.M. For most NFL General Managers, there’s often only one shot.
So if the owner is trying to decide who isn’t doing their job well enough, is the coach or the G.M. going to stand up and say, “It’s me”? Too much is riding on those jobs. And if the owner creates an environment where it’s possible for one to go and one to stay (and get promoted), who’s not going to shoot his shot when the shit hits the fan?
Whatever label is used, the outcome in Buffalo happened because Pegula was willing to entertain a half measure in lieu of firing both G.M. and coach and starting over. When the time came to make that decision, there’s no way McDermott or Beane (or anyone in that situation) is going to take the fall in order to save the other guy’s job.
