Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator: Joe Brady & 'Bold' Pick Among Top 5 Options
While the present for the Buffalo Bills is focused on overcoming slim odds to make their fifth straight playoff appearance, the future holds a decision that can maximize its Super Bowl window.
Former Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was fired after a 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos on Nov. 13. Since then, Joe Brady has been the interim offensive coordinator for two games.
Buffalo's offense has scored 32 and 34 points, respectively, under Brady, though it's no guarantee he'll have the job beyond this season. Here are five coaches the Bills (6-6) should target as their next offensive coordinator.
Joe Brady
Age: 34
Current position: Bills interim offensive coordinator
If Buffalo's offense continues to perform as it has through its first two games under Brady, a coaching search may not be necessary.
The Bills have scored over 30 points in back-to-back games for the first time since Week 2-4. More importantly, Josh Allen has gotten back to playing like one of the best quarterbacks in football. He's thrown for 614 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, Allen has ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
Brady was the Bills' quarterback coach before getting elevated to interim offensive coordinator. Before being hired as the Bills' quarterbacks coach, he was the Carolina Panthers' offensive coordinator in 2020 and was fired after 12 games in 2021.
If Allen and the offense perform down the stretch like they have in their last two games, shedding the interim tag from Brady should be a no-brainer for head coach Sean McDermott.
Joe Brady has been with the Bills since 2022.
© Gregory Fisher, USA TODAY
Mark Brunell
Age: 53
Current position: Detroit Lions QB Coach
Mark Brunell has been the Lions' quarterbacks coach since 2021 and has been instrumental in the growth of Jared Goff since being traded to Detroit in 2021. He threw for 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions, which was his lowest since 2017.
The Lions have had one of the best offenses in football the last two seasons. This year, they're second in yards (405.5) and seventh in points (26.7) per game.
While Brunell could be in line for a promotion if Detroit's offensive coordinator Ben Johnson lands a head coaching job, an opportunity to coach Allen may be attractive enough for him to jump ship. And for Buffalo, there are few offenses in the NFL that are better to hire a coach from than the Lions.
Shane Tierney
Age: 37
Current position: New York Giants QB coach
Allen played the best football of his career under New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll when he was the Bills offensive coordinator from 2018-2021. Daboll isn't coming back, but someone who has connections to him and the Bills may be the next best thing.
Shane Tierney would fit the bill. He was with the Bills from 2018-2021 as an offensive assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach. He followed Daboll to New York and is in his second season as the Giants' quarterbacks coach.
While Tierney has no play calling experience in the NFL, his connections to Daboll and Buffalo should make him a strong option in the Bills' search for an offensive coordinator in the off-season.
Zac Robinson
Age: 37
Position: Los Angeles Rams QB coach and pass game coordinator
Few coaching trees have been more fruitful than Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay's. Two coaches who were once assistants under McVay, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell have enjoyed immense success in their roles.
Zac Robinson was an assistant coach with the Rams from 2019-2021 before being elevated to quarterbacks coach and passing coordinator in 2022. While the Rams offense hasn't enjoyed the most offensive success in the last two seasons, bad injury luck with quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Cooper Kupp have played a huge role in that.
Taylor was the Rams' quarterback coach before getting hired as the Bengals' head coach.
Given O'Connell and Taylor's success after leaving the Rams for head coaching jobs and the track record of coaches who worked under McVay, hiring Robinson could be a step in the right direction for Buffalo getting the most out of its offense with him and Allen working together.
Davis Webb
Age: 28
Position: Denver Broncos QB Coach
Davis Webb is the youngest and likely the boldest option on this list, but few people can go straight from playing to quarterbacks coach of an NFL team the following year.
Webb retired after starting one game for the Giants and became the Denver Broncos' quarterbacks coach. If that isn't impressive enough, he's a quarterbacks coach for head coach Sean Payton, who is one of the best offensive minds in the game.
Webb has been instrumental in quarterback Russell Wilson's resurgence, as he has thrown for 2,199 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Webb also has connections to Daboll and Allen as well, from his time with Buffalo from 2019-2021.
While hiring a coach one year after his playing career to be an offensive coordinator is rarely seen, Webb's rise, his connections to Allen and his correlation to Wilson's success this season should be enough for Buffalo to give him a call this off-season.
