In Week 16 of the 2018 season, the Buffalo Bills believed they finally had a chance to take down their long-standing AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots. However, they would end up losing by a score of 24-12, and rookie quarterback Josh Allen turned in arguably his worst performance of the season.
As the game began, media and fans noticed that veteran running back LeSean McCoy, though active after missing the previous game with a hamstring injury, remained on the bench. While his absence only lasted for the first series, people began to speculate about the reasoning behind it.
After the game, McCoy was asked about the incident to which he responded by stating that he and coach Sean McDermott “had a situation.”
“And he was totally right,” added McCoy. “And it was a private situation. I’m a captain. I gotta be more accountable. It’s as simple as that. He checked me. Put me in my place. That’s it.”
Details surrounding McCoy’s benching have remained vague up until his recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take. On the show, co-host Max Kellerman asked McCoy why he didn’t start Week 16 against the Patriots.
“I think the honest truth about that is I was late for going to the bus to the game. You know, one thing about McDermott is he’s fair. I’m a captain. He handed me full responsibility for it,” added McCoy. He then went on to say that “everyone has the same rules” and that his benching was “fair.”
.@CutonDime25 explains why he didn't start for the Bills in Week 16: pic.twitter.com/zPnYLGMUXq
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 23, 2019
He also touched on his age, his actions on and off the field, and the offensive line in the interview.