Buffalo Bills New Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady: 'Give Me Josh Allen All Day!'
The Buffalo Bills decided a shake-up was in order after Week 10’s shocking loss to the Denver Broncos. Head coach Sean McDermott, having already fired his defensive coordinator after last season, felt firing offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was the best way to light a spark under a Bills team that is floundering in the face of expectations.
At 5-5, Buffalo has found itself at the center of criticism, perhaps unfairly so. The Bills' biggest mistakes have come under the brightest lights, with multiple prime-time letdowns shaping the narrative around a team that still ranks in the top five of most meaningful offensive statistics.
Whether McDermott’s decision was a justified attempt at rallying the troops or a matter of finding a scapegoat amidst the Bills’ struggles doesn’t matter for Sunday’s game, where Buffalo will host the 4-5 New York Jets.
Allen finds himself on the move in front of the home fans.
© Jamie Germano, Democrat and Chronicle
Quarterbacks coach Joe Brady has been named the offensive coordinator in Dorsey’s place. Having experience with the championship-winning LSU Tigers (led by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow), Brady will once again call the shots with one of the league’s premier passers.
He wasn’t shy about his praise for Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
“Give me Josh Allen all day, every day,” Brady said. “I believe Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the NFL.”
Allen has come under fire (perhaps unfairly), for his presence atop the NFL’s interception leaderboard. He’s been on the wrong side of tipped balls and dropped passes, but when they seem to always come back to haunt Buffalo, people are going to be critical of his play.
Allen has the most interceptions in football since he entered the league, but at some point, it is worth considering if that’s as concerning as it sounds. Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford ranks fifth in that same span, with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes just two spots behind. Their Super Bowl rings aren’t engraved with interception totals.
Brady will be tasked with limiting those interceptions—he has 11 through 10 games—and ultimately helping the offense seem more cohesive. The unit already leads the league in success rate, a testament to down-to-down consistency.
With his quarterback under fire, Brady made sure to make a point of praising the star. Buffalo isn’t in this mess because of its quarterback, even if some of his throws are ill-advised.
“I’m passionate about Josh Allen,” Brady said. “I have so much love for him. He’s such a competitor. All I want is for him to have success. His mindset, his mentality, his approach to the game is so much fun.”
There’s a decent chance Brady’s hiring was more so about that last word, fun, than anything schematic. Brady’s adjustments will come along the margins, with little time to overhaul an offense during the NFL season. The Bills will aim to play a more confident brand of football, playing free and, potentially, not overthinking the mistakes that are bound to be made.
An elite Jets defense that has historically given Allen trouble won’t make that job any easier.
