ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills fired coach Sean McDermott on Monday after the team again failed to reach the Super Bowl in his nine seasons.

The move came two days after the Bills were eliminated in a heart-wrenching 33-30 overtime loss at Denver in the divisional round of the playoffs.

“Sean helped change the mindset of this organization and was instrumental in the Bills becoming a perennial playoff team,” owner Terry Pegula said. ”But I feel we are in need of a new structure within our leadership to give this organization the best opportunity to take our team to the next level.”

As part of the new structure, Pegula announced he was promoting general manager Brandon Beane to president of football operations. Beane, who also is completing his ninth season in Buffalo, will oversee the coaching search.

The Bills went 12-5 in the regular season and saw their five-year run atop the AFC East end, finishing second behind the New England Patriots. Buffalo became the NFL’s first team to win a playoff round in six consecutive years but not reach the Super Bowl.

McDermott’s firing is the latest in what’s become a seismic shift in the NFL’s coaching ranks this offseason. He became the 10th head coach to lose his job, joining a respected group that includes Baltimore’s John Harbaugh and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin. Harbaugh has since been hired by the New York Giants.

The 51-year-old McDermott finished with a 98-50 regular-season record and was 8-8 in the playoffs, ranking second on the team list in wins behind Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy (112-70, 11-8). Levy did so over 11 seasons during a tenure that included the Jim Kelly-led team reaching — and losing — four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s.

McDermott’s failure to reach the Super Bowl with Josh Allen at quarterback became his undoing. Though Allen has broken many of Kelly’s passing and scoring records, the Bills have advanced to the AFC championship game just twice — and lost both times to Kansas City — during a team-record seven-year playoff run.

The loss Saturday to the Broncos was a crushing blow, with Allen nearly inconsolable at the postgame podium, blaming himself for an outing in which he threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.

McDermott rallied to Allen’s defense, saying the loss wasn’t on the quarterback. And then the usually calm coach showed his emotions when questioning the officials’ ruling on Allen’s second interception, which ended Buffalo’s lone possession in overtime.

Receiver Brandin Cooks came down with Allen’s deep pass but had it wrestled out of his hands by Ja’Quan McMillian. Officials ruled McMillian had the ball before Cooks was down by contact, and Denver was awarded the turnover at its 20.

McDermott, who was a member of the NFL’s competition committee overseeing rules, believed Cooks came down with the ball, and he also was dismayed over why officials took little time to review the play.

“I’m standing up for Buffalo, damn it. I’m standing up for us,” McDermott said. “The guys spend three hours out there playing football, pouring their guts out to not even say, ‘Hey, let’s slow this thing down.’ That’s why I’m bothered.”

Buffalo’s last three playoff losses have all been decided by three points. And three of McDermott’s playoff losses ended in overtime.

That includes a 42-36 loss to Kansas City in the 2021 divisional round that’s become dubbed “13 seconds” — the amount of time Patrick Mahomes had to complete two passes for 44 yards and set up Harrison Butker’s tying, 49-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.

Despite his playoff inconsistencies, McDermott oversaw a team that won 10 or more regular-season games over seven straight seasons, including two team record-matching 13-win seasons in 2022 and ’24.

Buffalo reached the playoffs in eight of McDermott’s nine seasons. That includes 2017, when the Bills sneaked into the postseason on the final day to end a 17-year playoff drought that at the time was the longest active streak in North America’s four major pro sports.

The Bills became a model of stability under McDermott and Beane, who arrived in May 2017. And now they undergo their first coaching search since McDermott took over for Rex Ryan, who was fired after two seasons in Buffalo.

McDermott was hired after spending six seasons as the Carolina Panthers’ defensive coordinator. Before that, he broke into the NFL in 1999 as a member of Andy Reid’s first staff in Philadelphia. McDermott worked his way up the ranks to become the Eagles’ defensive coordinator before being fired in 2010.

With Allen turning 30 in May, the Bills are expected to target an offensive-minded coach to spur an offense in which the quarterback was too often asked to carry the load.

The NFL’s 2024 MVP’s production dropped this season. He finished with 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns passing, his lowest output since his second season in 2019.

The Bills did get a boost from running back James Cook, who became Buffalo’s first player to win the NFL’s rushing title since O.J. Simpson in 1976.

The defense struggled in part because of a transition to youth and a rash of injuries. Though Buffalo’s defense finished ranked seventh in the NFL this season, the unit had difficulty stopping the run.

It’s in the playoffs where the defense was criticized for collapsing too often. Buffalo allowed 30 or more points in four of its playoff losses.

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The Denver Broncos are heading to the AFC championship game for the first time since winning their last Super Bowl 10 years ago, but they won’t have Bo Nix under center after the second-year quarterback broke his right ankle.

Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are going to the NFC title game after dominating the injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers.

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills fell short again, with questionable officiating playing a role.

Wil Lutz kicked a 23-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Broncos to a 33-30 victory on Saturday, sending Denver to the conference title game for the 12th time in franchise history. The Broncos are 8-3 in those games.

The No. 1 seed Broncos (15-3) will host the Texans-Patriots winner on Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. EST. Seattle (15-3) will host the Rams-Bears winner in the Championship Sunday doubleheader.

The Broncos won’t have Nix, who was injured on Denver’s final series. Coach Sean Payton said Nix will have surgery on Tuesday. Jarrett Stidham, who is 1-3 in seven seasons, will start the AFC title game.

“I feel like I have a (No.) 2 (quarterback) that’s capable of starting for a handful of, a number of teams,” Payton said. “I know he feels the same way. So watch out. Just watch.”

No. 2 seed New England (15-3) hosts No. 5 seed Houston (13-5) on Sunday, with the winner likely to be favored on the road against the Broncos. In the NFC, No. 2 seed Chicago (12-6) is a home underdog against No. 5 seed Los Angeles (13-5) in the second game Sunday.

The Seahawks got a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Rashid Shaheed to open the game and never trailed in a 41-6 rout of San Francisco (13-6). Seattle’s stingy defense held Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the Niners to 236 yards and forced three turnovers.

“They’re unbelievable,” Darnold said of the defense. “They’ve stepped up every single game for us. Can’t say enough great things about that defense. It was tough in training camp and OTAs going up against them. But I’m glad they’re on our side.”

It’s be Seattle’s fifth trip to a conference title game and first in 11 years. The Seahawks are 3-1, losing their first appearance when they were in the AFC.

Denver’s last victory in the AFC championship came in Peyton Manning’s final season. The Broncos defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 20-18 on Jan. 25, 2016. A stifling defense shut down Cam Newton and led Denver to a 24-10 win in the Super Bowl.

Allen and the Bills (13-6) again were denied an opportunity to win the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy. Buffalo has been knocked out in the divisional or championship rounds in six straight seasons under Allen and coach Sean McDermott.

Allen and Nix traded go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and Buffalo’s Matt Prater kicked a 50-yarder to send it to overtime.

After the Broncos punted on the opening drive, Allen threw a deep pass to Brandin Cooks that would have put the Bills in field-goal range, but Ja’Quan McMillian snatched it away for an interception as both players tumbled to the ground.

Officials quickly reviewed the play and upheld the call, a decision that McDermott criticized after the game. The Broncos took over at their own 20.

“It was a rather rapid unfolding of the review, if there was a review, and so I called a timeout to try to slow it down,” McDermott said. “It would seem logical to me and make a lot of sense that the head official would walk over and want to go and take a look at it. … That’s too big of a play, in my estimation, too big of a play in a play that decided the game, potentially as well, to not even slow it down. … I’m standing up for us. What went on, that is not how it should go down in my estimation. These guys spend three hours out there playing football, pouring their guts out to not even say, ‘Hey, let’s just slow this thing down.’ That’s why I’m bothered.”

Two pass-interference penalties on Buffalo gave the Broncos 47 yards and set up Lutz’s winning kick. Tre’davious White, who was called for the second one that moved the ball to Buffalo’s 8, threw his helmet down in disgust while arguing and got an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.

Since the NFL expanded the playoff field to 14 teams in 2020, only one team in each conference gets a bye. Those No. 1 seeds are now 9-3 in the divisional round. The 2022 Chiefs are the only No. 1 seed to win the Super Bowl in that span.

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Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted Josh Allen’s deep throw in overtime, and Bo Nix led the Broncos into position for Wil Lutz’s 24-yard field goal that sent Denver to the AFC championship game with a 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills

DENVER — Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted Josh Allen’s deep throw in overtime, and Bo Nix led the Broncos into position for Wil Lutz’s 24-yard field goal that sent Denver to the AFC championship game with a 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

McMillian’s pick was Denver’s fifth takeaway of the game. He wrested the ball away from Brandin Cooks at the Broncos 20-yard line when a field goal would have won the game for Buffalo.

‘The Broncos (15-3) will face either New England or Houston for the AFC title next Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, where Denver has won 14 of its last 15 games.

The Bills (13-6) were flagged for pass interference twice on Denver’s final drive.

Former Broncos kicker Matt Prater nailed a 50-yard field goal with 5 seconds left in regulation, knotting it up at 30-all. That came after Nix’s 26-yard touchdown throw to Marvin Mims Jr. with 55 seconds left had given Denver a 30-27 lead.

Allen, who hadn’t turned the ball over in his previous six playoff appearances, threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles on strip-sacks by Nik Bonitto. P.J. Locke also picked off Allen, ending the QB’s streak of 204 consecutive completions in the postseason.

Bills: Inactive for the game were two defensive starters: S Jordan Poyer (hamstring) and LB Terrel Bernard (calf). … LB Dorian Williams (neck) got hurt covering the opening kickoff and was taken via ambulance to a hospital. … C Connor McGovern was cleared to return just before halftime after being evaluated for a concussion. … DT Ed Oliver, who just returned to the active roster, went out late in the third quarter with a knee injury. The seven-year veteran was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 28 with a left biceps tear that required surgery. He suffered meniscus damage while rehabbing and had another procedure on Dec. 29.

Broncos: WR Pat Bryant sustained a concussion on Denver’s initial drive after he caught three passes for 32 yards. … WR Troy Franklin pulled a hamstring in the second quarter.

The Bills head into another offseason wondering what it’ll take to get to the Super Bowl. This time, Allen didn’t have Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson in the way and still couldn’t get it done.

The Broncos host their first AFC championship in a decade, since the “No Fly Zone” defense that helped them win Super Bowl 50.

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MEDINA, Ohio — Three people have been arrested in connection with the Nov. 16 burglary at the home of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

The sheriff’s office said in a news release that a fourth person remains at large and that a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Sanders’ home in Granger Township, a Cleveland suburb, was burglarized while he was playing in his first regular-season NFL game during the second half of the Browns’ 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Approximately $200,000 in property was stolen from the home.

The sheriff’s office previously stated that three people entered the home at 6:46 p.m. Eastern. Surveillance cameras in the home captured video of the people entering different parts of the house. They were wearing masks and gloves and were seen leaving the home just before 7 p.m.

The burglary added Sanders to a growing list of NFL players whose homes have been burglarized during games. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan have dealt with break-ins since the start of last season.

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons ‘ home was also burglarized last month while the team had a road game against San Francisco.

Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, played in eight games during his rookie NFL season. The fifth-round pick started the Browns’ final seven games and passed for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Xavier Williams rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown, and Kirk Ferentz moved into a tie as the Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach as Iowa defeated Albany 34-7 on Saturday night.

Ferentz, in his 27th season as coach of the Hawkeyes, won his 205th game with the program, tying Ohio State’s Woody Hayes on the conference’s all-time list.

Quarterback Mark Gronowski, making his first start with the Hawkeyes after transferring from South Dakota State, threw for just 44 yards, but threw for a touchdown and ran for another before leaving the game with apparent cramping issues in the third quarter.

Williams took over for injured starter Kamari Moulton in the first half.

Albany took a 7-3 lead in the second quarter when Jack Shields threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Lasalle Rose Jr. But the Hawkeyes quickly responded, driving 65 yards on seven plays on their next possession, finishing the drive with Williams’ 3-yard touchdown run.

Gronowski threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Wetjen on Iowa’s next drive to put the Hawkeyes up 17-7 at halftime.

Gronowski had a 1-yard touchdown run in the third to give the Hawkeyes a 24-7 lead. Drew Stevens had a career-long 55-yard field goal in the fourth, then backup quarterback Hank Brown scored on a 1-yard run for the final margin.

Ferentz, the longest tenured active head coach in college football, is 205-124 all-time at Iowa, and has a 217-145 career record.

Saturday’s win was the 23rd in a season opener for Ferentz at Iowa.

Gronowski, who won two FCS national championships at South Dakota State, came to the Hawkeyes to revive a passing game that was one of the nation’s worst the last two seasons.

Gronowski, who underwent shoulder surgery in the winter after coming to Iowa, started slowly, completing just two of his first eight passes. He finished the game 8-of-15 passing and had 11 carries for 39 yards.

Albany: At Delaware State next Saturday.

Iowa: At No. 22 Iowa State next Saturday.

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LA QUINTA, Calif. — NFL Hall of Famer John Elway won’t be charged after his business partner Jeffrey Sperbeck was fatally injured falling out of his golf cart at a Southern California golf resort community last April, authorities said.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told KUSA-TV in Denver on Friday that investigators found nothing criminal and ruled it a tragic accident.

Sperbeck, Elway’s partner and former agent, died after suffering an injury when he tumbled out of a golf cart driven by the former quarterback on April 26 at The Madison Club in La Quinta, east of Los Angeles. Sperbeck was 62.

Sperbeck’s cause of death was “blunt force trauma” and the manner of death was an accident that occurred when the “passenger fell from the golf cart,” the county coroner’s report said.

“I’ve looked at video 100 times and there’s no explanation as to why he fell off, he just fell off,’’ Bianco said.

Elway didn’t immediately comment on the findings. He said in an April statement that he was devastated by the death of his close friend.

“There are no words to truly express the profound sadness I feel with the sudden loss of someone who has meant so much to me,” Elway said at the time.

Elway’s April statement did not address his presence at the scene.

Sperbeck began managing Elway in 1990, when Elway was quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He represented more than 100 NFL players during a three-decade career as an agent and business adviser.

He was best known as Elway’s partner who helped manage the Hall of Famer’s extensive off-field business empire, which included restaurants, car dealerships and a winery.