When the Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott after nine years at the helm, they gave the impression that a significant change was necessary to take the missing step toward a Super Bowl. By replacing him with Joe Brady, they opted for continuity.
It’s obviously far too early to determine whether Brady is a good or bad hire in Buffalo, although Bills fans seem to have already made up their minds.
A brief scan of social media in the minutes following the news revealed that the vast majority of the “Bills Mafia” seemed disconcerted. As if the Bills had just made the worst decision ever.
It’s worth remembering that Brady learned in his early days in the NFL as an assistant coach from one of the best offensive minds in Sean Payton, who led the Saints during Brady’s stint in the organization in 2017-18.
In 2019, Brady served as the offensive coordinator for one of college football’s most impressive machines ever, with that year’s national champion LSU Tigers.
Detractors will say that anyone would have looked good since the quarterback, Joe Burrow, had the leisure to throw the ball to none other than Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. All three have since become star players in the NFL.
Good results, but…
After a brief, unsuccessful stint with the Carolina Panthers, where he failed to revive Sam Darnold, he remade his name in Buffalo over the last three seasons as offensive coordinator.
Under his leadership, the offense finished second and fourth in points scored the last two seasons. Again, many will say, rightly, that the attack was no worse than its predecessors and that the key is the presence of quarterback Josh Allen, much more than the offensive guru in place.
Where Brady deserves credit is that he was a big part of unlocking the ground game. But at the risk of repetition, many will give credit to running back James Cook, rather than Brady’s offensive schemes.
Considered elsewhere
Brady, bottom line, is certainly not a bad coach. In recent hiring cycles, his candidacy was considered by a few teams. The Bills took the gamble of keeping her in the building rather than letting it go elsewhere.
At 36, he has a reputation throughout the NFL as a young and brilliant offensive mind. What he will now have to prove is that he is strong enough to lead a team that finds itself with immense pressure to win everything on its shoulders.
The Bills have been among the credible contenders for several years now. Winning 12 regular season games and one playoff game clearly won’t be enough anymore. Otherwise, there would have been no valid reason to make another call by firing McDermott.
It’s not stability anymore that the Bills need, but the ingredient to take the next step and stop wasting Josh Allen’s generational talent.
It is in this sense that the hiring of Brady is somewhat perplexing. In Buffalo, he embodies more the path of continuity than a necessary brainstorm.
One thing is certain, to properly support their new hire, the Bills will have to be more aggressive in the free agent and transaction market. Now is the time to strike hard and take risks.
Allen involved
During his disastrous press conference, owner Terry Pegula insisted that Allen would have a strong say in the choice of the next coach.
We can therefore deduce that the level of comfort with Brady was important in the eyes of the star quarterback. It’s all the better if the leader of the team is involved and gives his approval for Brady. He must be comfortable.
That still wouldn’t have stopped the organization from thinking outside the box and importing fresh ideas from elsewhere, while checking the comfort level of their star player.
Who knows, maybe Brady will be a great choice. You have to give the runner a chance. For the moment, it’s still difficult not to think that the Bills are treading water.
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