While an ill-timed wind gust is partially responsible for the Bills’ divisional-round elimination, the team’s offense struggled to make explosive plays in its 27-24 loss to the Chiefs. The Bills are now conducting a search to determine if they will once again chance offensive coordinators.
Buffalo fired Ken Dorsey midway through his second season as OC, giving way to Joe Brady‘s second run as an NFL play-caller. The Bills remain interested in Brady, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicating the team will interview him for the full-time OC post. Brady took over on an interim basis in November and held the job through season’s end.
[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
The Bills only lost twice with Brady in place as OC, though a production spike did not occur after he took over. The team did better incorporate James Cook into the offense and grow comfortable under Brady, doing so despite a concerning second-half production dip from Stefon Diggs. The Bills finished sixth in scoring and fourth in total offense — down from second in both categories in 2022 — and third in DVOA during its Dorsey-Brady season.
Josh Allen has vouched for Brady, with The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia offering that several Bills offensive players have done the same (subscription required). While Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott said they were not ready to discuss the staff, each praised Brady for his performance back in a coordinator role. Brady, 34, also received his first HC interview request (from the Falcons) since 2021.
Brady, 34, joined Matt Rhule‘s Panthers staff in 2020, helping Teddy Bridgewater to what remains the best Carolina QB season since injuries brought down Cam Newton beginning in 2018. But Rhule fired Brady during the 2021 campaign. The Bills hired the former LSU pass-game coordinator in 2022, bringing him aboard as QBs coach.
Brian Daboll‘s 2022 exit has impacted the Bills, who employed the current Giants HC as their play-caller for four seasons. It will be interesting to see if more names enter this search, but Buscaglia labels Brady the favorite. Giving Brady a full offseason to work in this capacity would make sense, given the recent turnover at this position. Then again, the Bills lost a home divisional-round game for the second straight year. That naturally warrants an examination into where the team stands on both sides of the ball.
Production may not have spiked, but the offense was much less predictable and more efficient. I believe most Bills fans would be happy to see him given an offseason to tweak the offensive playbook as the mid-season switch forced him to limit changes.
All of that, plus this is an offseason when so many teams are looking for offensive playcallers. Do you really want to try luring someone to Buffalo to work under a potential lame duck coach or would you rather take the well qualified candidate who’s a bird in the hand? Hard to think someone else will make more sense.
Nothing about this game was a slight at Joe Brady. Missed a field goal, Stef with a 40+ drop that hit him in both hands, open throw to Shakur in the EZ that was disrupted at the last minute by Chris Jones. Bills offense had multiple opportunities to win this. They had those opportunities because of Joe Brady. They just didn’t capitalize. Bills would be amiss in not trying to keep this man in the building.
I think this a good keep….Diggs won’t be happy however, he was completely fazed out once Brady started calling plays for whatever reason
He wasn’t phased out, he just stopped catching more balls coming his way
He definitely looked like a competent offensive coordinator in his role. He will only get better.