ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills' introduction Friday of coach Sean McDermott came with less fanfare than when Rex Ryan arrived in grand style two years ago from the Jets.
Part of the Bills' welcoming wagon for Ryan included a customized oversized pizza and beers at a local establishment with franchise icon Jim Kelly.
There was no pizza this time around for McDermott, and having seen the results of Ryan's failed tenure in Buffalo, Kelly had a more measured reaction to McDermott's arrival.
"I'm not so quick at making judgment," the Hall of Fame quarterback said Friday after McDermott's introductory news conference. "Listening to Rex back when he was there, I think he not only got me excited, he got everybody excited. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. I was one of those guys that hoped it would, because he was such a great guy.
"This is the first time I've met Sean. I've heard good things about him. For anybody -- I'm sure you guys, too -- time will only tell. You hope and pray that this is the coach that we've been looking for. I don't know enough about him to have a real big opinion. But from the people I have talked to, he sounds like the guy. You can only pray that [owners] Terry and Kim [Pegula] got everything out of what they needed to hire him. I'm sure they have. I'm sure the search that they've been on is to make sure that we don't have to go through this again in two to three years. So I just leave my hopes and prayers up to the Pegulas and [GM] Doug Whaley that they did their job, which I know they've done."
In contrast to Ryan's introduction in January 2015, McDermott did not promise Bills fans a playoff appearance or the No. 1 defense. Instead, the only promise McDermott made to fans Friday was that his team would be competitive.
"I like it," Kelly said of McDermott's approach. "Good. If [the message] doesn't [resonate with players], they won't be there. The coach is the guy."
