Sean McDermott made a snow angel on the field.
Think about that for a minute.
After the Bills 35-10 win over the 49ers, after the AFC East Crown had been clinched, after the 70,000 fans had been wildly entertained, McDermott laid on his back and joined Josh Allen in snow angels on the field.
It may have been the most improbable sight of the season.
More improbable than James Cook running 65 yards through the San Francisco defense on a one-play drive to make it 14-3 in the second quarter.
Crazier than the short pass Allen made to Amari Cooper that he quickly lateraled back for a 7-yard Josh Allen touchdown pass to … Josh Allen.
Here was Sean McDermott in the middle of an on-field postgame interview, dropping on his back at Allen’s suggestion, to celebrate the win with a snow angel.
Sean McDermott, who rarely loses his controlled game-face, was smiling ear-to-ear.
“He’s the one that got me to do it,” Allen said. “Anytime Coach asks you to do something you do it. I’m a good soldier. I’m not the biggest snow angel fan -- you get cold down there.”
It was just one of the many things Bills players were “asked” to do by McDermott.
James Cook had 100 yards by halftime and the long touchdown. The offensive line dominated the Niners defense, opening holes for 220 yards on the ground and no sacks. Matt Milano returned to the lineup with five tackles. Terrel Bernard led the way with nine tackles. Christian Benford returned a fumble 43 yards.
And oh, Josh Allen.
He may win the MVP in a runaway after running for a touchdown, throwing for two along with catching one. He’s accounted for 247 touchdowns in his career, breaking Jim Kelly’s team record. And Josh has yet to complete his seventh season. Hall of Famer Kelly did in 11 seasons.
With five games left, it’s time to think hard about Sean McDermott as Coach of the Year.
He’s taken a team that was re-tooling itself to its fifth consecutive division title. They’ve scored 30-or-more points in six consecutive games and nine of 12 this season. McDermott rebuilt the defense while getting younger in the secondary. The Bills have a takeaway in every game this year. They lead the league with a plus-17 turnover differential.
Most importantly, he’s got the Bills playing hard and having a great time doing it.
“I remember at the Combine someone saying, ‘hey it’s going to be hard to get players to go to Buffalo.’ I didn’t say anything but in my mind I was saying, ‘we will see,’ “ McDermott recalled.
“When people get a chance to be in this environment and play in front of these fans I think it makes a huge difference. This is a place where people love their professional sports teams, they love sports overall. It’s a true connection that I’ve experienced in eight years of the team and the fans are one. That doesn’t happen everywhere. I think this is starting to become around the NFL that people see this, and they want to become a part of this.”
Maybe they'll even want to lie next to their coach and make snow angels, too.
John Murphy, the longtime Voice of the Bills, is writing columns for WIVB.com this season. Find more of his work here.
