Colin Cowherd Podcast - Inside Buffalo Bills Hidden Drama: Josh Allen, Sean McDermott, Chiefs Rivalry

Brought him on because he won our first Big J journalism award, founded Go Long, and he’s been fearless on Buffalo’s wild month. You were in the room when Terry Pegula basically defended Brandon Beane and dinged Keon Coleman—was it as awkward as it sounded?

Totally awkward and unusually candid—teams almost never air who wanted which pick in public, and while I appreciate the honesty, it was needless from a PR view. Bottom line, Coleman controls this by producing, and the larger message was Pegula asking the city if seven straight playoff trips without a Super Bowl is enough, which told me it was time to move on from Sean McDermott.

On Beane, I’ve heard he’s strong on the cap and fine on personnel, with misses at wideout being common across the league; is the draft criticism fair?

People around the league thought this roster was title-caliber, but 13 seconds in Kansas City cracked the team’s psyche and the playoff defense kept bleeding points with too few stops. Beane kept feeding McDermott pieces and the Denver loss still came down to coaching choices, so Pegula concluded the problem was the head coach, not the GM.

Given the offensive core is solid, is Brian Daboll the favorite?

He and Josh Allen were like family, and some inside believe they’d have rings if that pairing stayed intact, so he’ll be right there. They’ll still probe how he’s grown after the Giants—game management, behind-the-scenes friction—because this job is bigger than a great QB relationship.

How tense is the Pegula–Beane–fans–media dynamic right now?

It was charged, and McDermott’s recent openness built real goodwill locally, which had many blaming the receiver room and Beane, but the real weight was 13 seconds and the lack of ownership afterward that lingered for years. Timing kept saving him—Hamlin’s crisis, late surges—but if you could rewrite history, the post–13 seconds window was the time to upgrade while ascending.

Switching to the Packers: I’ve defended LaFleur as a winner and QB developer in a tough NFC—did they truly consider moving off him?

It had to be discussed with contracts expiring and that Soldier Field collapse hanging over them. The repeated late-game fades point to culture, especially when you contrast it with Vrabel’s relentless standard.

I see LaFleur as smart and QB-friendly, but not a culture builder—fair?

Yes; blowing multiple big leads and even losing games without punting screams coaching, even if he meshed well with Rodgers.

And with Jordan Love, it still comes back to culture, right?

Love looks top ten and maybe better, and you shouldn’t keep losing when he plays clean and explosive. Players feel LaFleur tightens in late moments, so the bet is on his growth, not the talent.

On the Patriots: I saw Vrabel, Drake May, and Josh McDaniels as a modern version of the old machine—why did Vrabel jump, and is this the right mix?

The early Jerod Mayo setup wasn’t modernized and burned time on non-football hassles, while Vrabel arrived with a ready staff and clear standards, and McDaniels pushed May to own protections and reads in ways he embraced. With that structure, May’s tools and mind clicked fast.

They still need more along the offensive line and rely on rookies; can they win now?

Yes—Vrabel’s no-excuses filter stocked the roster with the right temperament, he and Eliot Wolf are aligned, and they look ready to beat Jared Stidham and play for a title.

Seattle’s loaded, the Rams are the cleanest group, and Denver’s a dog, but I love New England’s long runway. Tyler, terrific stuff—plug what you’ve got.

Appreciate it—at GoLongTD.com I’ve got a deep dive on why McDermott was fired, the day-to-day dynamic, and the defensive letdowns that drove the decision.

GoLongTD.com—great read, and thanks for coming on.