Bills QB Josh Allen breaks down changes OC Joe Brady is bringing to offense

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady realizes that his unit runs through his game-wrecking quarterback, telling reporters ahead of a Tuesday OTA practice at One Bills Drive that “this is Josh Allen’s offense.”

The former All-Pro passer doesn't quite share this opinion, however; during a recent interview with Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, Allen spoke about his excitement to play in a Brady-called unit after getting a taste of the experience for roughly half of the 2023 NFL season.

“I think the number one thing [Brady] brings is juice and energy to our offense,” Allen told Farrar. “Guys can feel how much he loves the game and how much he cares about it. We see how much work he puts into it, he’s in the facility all freaking day. And then, I’m actually so excited to make this his offense. I’m just an extension of what he’s trying to call, so I’m making sure we’re on the same page.”

Brady took over Buffalo’s offensive play-calling duties on an interim basis last season after Ken Dorsey was let go in mid-November. The 34-year-old had spent the prior year-and-a-half as the Bills’ quarterbacks coach, joining the team in the 2022 offseason primarily because he wanted the opportunity to work with Allen.

It was an advantageous landing spot for Brady, who, at the time, had just fallen back to earth following a meteoric ascent through the coaching ranks. He first gained notoriety as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach of LSU in the 2019 season, having a significant role in the design of a Tigers' offense that broke several collegiate records en route to a perfect 15-0 campaign and National Championship victory.

Josh Allen's belief in Joe Brady: "It’s not the same mundane things we’ve been doing for the last six years. My eyes have got to be better, my footwork has to be better, and ultimately, the ball placement has got to be better. So, it’s forcing me to be a better quarterback." pic.twitter.com/rKH1hPFXHC
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 29, 2024

Brady swapped out cajun cuisine for Carolina barbeque following the campaign, joining Matt Rhule’s staff as offensive coordinator of the Panthers. He received head coaching interviews following his debut professional season but was dismissed midway through the 2021 campaign, the dysfunction of Carolina’s offense perhaps a larger indictment on the Panthers organization than on Brady’s ability as a coach.

He performed well after getting another crack at play-calling in Buffalo last year, helming an offense that won six out of its last seven regular season games. The Bills established a new offensive identity under Brady, becoming a more balanced, cohesive attack that found more consistent success on the ground and allowed Allen to become the leader of an offense as opposed to its sole source of production.

The offense Brady called in Buffalo down the stretch last season certainly had his stamp on it, but it wasn’t truly his—it is, after all, difficult to make sweeping schematic and fundamental changes in Week 11. This offseason has been spent setting the stage for the offense to truly become a ‘Joe Brady unit,’ a change that Allen is welcoming.

“He brings a lot of different concepts to our offense, which is a lot of fun for me,” Allen said. “It’s not the same mundane things we’ve been doing for the last six years. It’s different stuff. My eyes have got to be better, my footwork has to be better, and ultimately, the ball placement has got to be better. It’s forcing me to be a better quarterback, and to learn different things, which I’m all about.