The Buffalo Bills again fell painfully short of a trip to the Super Bowl. They instead made a coaching move on Sunday.
Buffalo will watch the Kansas City Chiefs compete for their third title after losing 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game. The Bills have yet to win a Super Bowl in franchise history and last won the AFC in 1993.
Head coach Sean McDermott will reportedly make a notable change for 2025. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Bills are firing special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley.
Smiley joined Buffalo as an assistant special teams coordinator in 2017 after four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills promoted him in 2022.
McDermott supported Smiley following Buffalo's AFC Championship Game loss on Jan. 26. He indicated that the 46-year-old would return.
"Matthew has done a nice job," McDermott said, via ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. "Listen, I know there are plays that have come up, and I know he doesn't feel great about them, nor do I. Those are learning pieces for a coach in his position."
McDermott said the special teams unit suffered a "cumulative effect" of some of Buffalo's usual special teamers filling in for injured defensive players.
"All that being said, I'm confident that Coach Smiley is going to learn from those situations and plays that came up this year."
Tyler Bass made 24 of 29 field goals for the second straight season and missed a career-high five extra points.
The Bills allowed the NFL's fifth-highest average return on kickoffs (30.8) and one of seven touchdowns under the new format. On the other hand, they averaged the seventh-fewest yards (25.9) on kickoffs returned.
Buffalo's 54 punts went an average of 40.9 net yards, 25th in the league. The Los Angeles Rams blocked a punt for a touchdown during a 44-42 win over the Bills in Week 14.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich appear poised to return in 2025. The Bills went 13-4 to win their fifth consecutive AFC East title.
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