'Greatness Expected' of Bills' Joe Brady in Pressure-Packed First Season as Head Coach

How good is good enough for Joe Brady in his first season as Buffalo Bills head coach?

There are many who believe nothing short of a Super Bowl appearance will be acceptable for Brady in his first year at the helm. There are also those who believe the Bills’ new leader should be given a grace period as he takes the reins of a ready-made operation.

But no matter how you slice it, Brady is under the gun to live up to what is predecessor, Sean McDermott, produced during his nine years as the head man in charge. McDermott had guided Buffalo to the playoffs each of the past seven seasons and regardless of the expectations placed on the Bills by various outlets and commentators, one thing is certain -- Brady is under a whole lot of pressure entering Year 1.

“Can’t even fathom how much pressure on them,” said NFL analyst Booger McFarland on ESPN. “Let’s not forget, listen, Sean McDermott was a very good head coach. This was a very good football team for a long, long time. They fired him and said that’s not good enough. So the ownership is telling you right now, what we did in the past is not good enough.

“12-5 and not getting to the Super Bowl is not good enough. So I don’t know if there is a head coach and an organization under as much pressure for the right reasons than Joe Brady and the Buffalo Bills.”

Brady, Bills must have sights set on greatness

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady calls out during drills on the opening day of Buffalo Bills training camp. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bills went 98-50 under McDermott the past near-decade, finishing with 11 wins or more in his final six seasons as head coach. He helped bring an end to a dreaded 17-year playoff drought and propelled Buffalo’s ascension from a laughable organization to one of the NFL’s best and most well-respected teams in the league.

So, while the Bills are excited about the new era which they are set to enter with Brady as their new frontman, he has some pretty lofty expectations to live up to. And even if he is able to fill McDermott’s shoes, that may not be enough to satisfy those who are waiting to see if the neophyte head coach can elevate this team to a championship level.

“He’s gotta be great. He’s gotta get this team to a Super Bowl,” added McFarland. “And fortunately, I think the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens are in the same situation. It doesn’t matter what they do during the regular season. They can go 17-0. Nobody cares. What are you gonna do once the playoffs start?”

Pressure isn’t only on Brady, as Josh Allen is also in the crosshairs

Brady won’t be the only one taking the slings and arrows if things go south for the Bills this season. Josh Allen has been another key cog in Buffalo’s operation since he was drafted in 2018, reaching an MVP caliber while powering the Bills’ success on the field during his time under center. Now, without his former running mate -- McDermott -- it’s unclear if Allen can mesh with a new head coach, one that he is plenty familiar with, while reaching another level of individual performance that will facilitate the Bills’ championship dreams.

“Can your best players, can Josh Allen and these guys make those plays?” questioned the ESPN analyst. “Can Joe Brady get this team over the hump? Because we saw what Sean McDermott did. Now, Joe Brady, it’s your turn and greatness is expected.”

We'll see if Brady and the Bills sink or swim this year.

Add us as a preferred source on Google