Bills safety defends McDermott following 9/11 controversy

Sean McDermott Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Bills safety defends HC Sean McDermott following 9/11 controversy

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 12/8/23

Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde defended Sean McDermott on Friday, one day after a damning three-part report was released on the head coach.

The report from Go Long TD's Tyler Dunne detailed, among other things, a speech that McDermott gave his players in 2019, suggesting that his team needed to rally together similar to how the hijackers did on Sept. 11, 2001. The story about that particular speech was confirmed by seven sources, according to Dunne.

ESPN's Alaina Getzenburg reported Thursday that McDermott said he apologized to those at the 2019 meeting and that his message wasn't communicated properly.

Micah Hyde with a strong statement of support for Sean McDermott just now.

“I think it’s a low blow to question Sean’s character … So for guys to do that, it’s kind of messed up in my eyes. I’m pro Sean McDermott.” pic.twitter.com/PSEkcttr4X
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) December 8, 2023

Both McDermott and Hyde have been with the organization since early 2017. The former was hired as the team's head coach in January that year, replacing the recently fired Rex Ryan, while the latter signed a five-year deal with Buffalo in March 2017.

McDermott has led the Bills to a 68-41 regular season record in his six-plus years with the club, but only a 4-5 mark in the playoffs.

Buffalo has won three straight AFC East titles with the 49-year-old at the helm but fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 AFC Championship Game and lost a heartbreaking 2021 AFC divisional round tilt against the Chiefs in overtime. The Bills playoff woes continued last winter with a 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round.

Buffalo has been one of the biggest disappointments in the league this season at 6-6 and is currently on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. They have a huge Week 14 clash with Kansas City at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

More must-reads: