Sean McDermott’s reliance on Josh Allen backfires on the Bills and raises doubts about his ability as a coach

The Buffalo Bills have endured a season that feels like a roller coaster. At times, they seem unbeatable, and at others, they look like a team from the lower half of the standings. They cannot sustain their campaign as true title contenders, and according to analyst Greg Cosell, there is a clearly identifiable culprit.

Sean McDermott has relied far too heavily on the abilities of his quarterback, Josh Allen. However, not everything should fall on him, because this season demonstrates exactly what happens when the offense becomes extremely predictable and collapses easily when it should not.

The Bills’ head coach has not been able to properly balance his offense to create variations capable of surprising opposing teams. A prime example can be found in the Houston Texans, who dismantled the offensive line and recorded eight quarterback sacks.

They’ve got, to me, the most physically gifted quarterback in the league, in Josh Allen. They’ve decided that the best way for them to play offense is to be a run game foundation and not have Josh Allen throw the ball a lot, unless a game demands it. But in other words, that’s not the way they choose to play going into a game.

Greg Cosell

Cosell commented on the December 4 episode of the Ross Tucker Podcast.

This is Josh Allen’s ninth year in the league, and in the 2025 season, he has 2,832 passing yards with 243 of 350 passes completed (69.4% completion rate). His numbers are not bad, but the excessive dependence on him has already taken a toll on the entire team.

In addition, the Bills’ passer has complemented his offense with a ground attack, registering 11 rushing touchdowns from 78 carries for 409 rushing yards.

Greg Cosell criticizes the poor usage of the Bills’ receivers

Greg Cosell did not mince words when it came to criticizing Buffalo’s passing offense. They currently rank 18th in receptions (246), 12th in receiving yards (2,886), and 16th in receiving touchdowns (19).

Khalil Shakir has only 55 receptions for 569 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. Meanwhile, their second receiver, Keon Coleman, also has 34 receptions for 339 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

The team has not been able to establish itself through the air, and according to Cosell, this is a serious problem that now has them struggling to secure a place in the postseason.