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The Buffalo Bills made one big coaching change this week, and one insider believes an even bigger one could be coming if they don’t turn things around.
The Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey following the team’s loss to the Denver Broncos on November 13, signaling a major change in direction after the Bills fell to 5-5. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said this week that head coach Sean McDermott could be the next one on the chopping block.
Sean McDermott Under Scrutiny
In an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Florio noted that the Bills have now lost both coordinators in a matter of months after Leslie Frazier stepped away from the team in the offseason. That puts the target squarely on McDermott’s back going forward.
“I think Sean McDermott is in serious danger of being fired,” Florio said, via SI.com. “He scapegoated Leslie Frazier last year with kind of a weird, belated, soft non-firing firing and now McDermott’s in charge of the defense.”
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini noted that McDermott said it was his decision alone to fire Dorsey, which puts even more pressure on the head coach.
“Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott told reporters he fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey because he felt his team couldn’t walk back into the locker room without knowing something had changed,” Russini wrote. “He essentially called Dorsey the scapegoat for the team’s problems without using that term.”
Russini added that the move smacked of desperation, which only increased the pressure on McDermott.
“You don’t often hear a coach put it that way publicly, but McDermott knows that after taking over the play calling on defense following Leslie Frazier’s departure and now firing Dorsey, the pressure is on him to win,” Russini wrote. “Sometimes change for the sake of change isn’t the answer, but this organization is desperate for a spark as they play host to the Jets on Sunday.”
The Bills have a grueling schedule ahead, including games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. The Bills remained a game and a half behind the Miami Dolphins for the lead in the AFC East, though do close the season out with a showdown in Miami that could give them a big opportunity.
Joe Brady Takes On Big Role
With Dorsey’s firing, the Bills elevated quarterbacks coach Joe Brady into the role of interim offensive coordinator. Buffalo News reporter Jay Skurski suggested that Brady should get started by taking away restrictions from quarterback Josh Allen, allowing him to run the ball more often.
“It is time to unleash Josh Allen,” Skurski wrote. “The Jets are allowing an average of 30.6 rushing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks – most in the NFL. New offensive coordinator Joe Brady needs to take the shackles off his quarterback and let Josh be Josh. That means reintroducing the threat of Allen running the ball, because it can terrorize opposing defenses.”
During the offseason, both McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane had emphasized the need for Allen to take fewer risks in his game, including fewer runs and fewer hits.