pass the buck

No matter the circumstances the head coach will always be the one to assume the most blame. Coach Jackson can pass the buck all he wants. In the end this season’s failures are forever attached to his career coaching record.

the origin of passing the buck

The latter expression is said to have originated with the game of poker, in which a marker or counter (frequently in frontier days,

), was used to indicate the person whose turn it was to deal. If the player did not wish to deal he could pass the responsibility by passing the "buck," as the counter came to be called, to the next player.