The head coach of the Buffalo Bills fired quarterback Josh Allen because
QB Josh Allen promises to improve after taking responsibility for the departure of Bills coordinator Dorsey.
FILE: On May 24, 2022, at Orchard Park, New York, NFL football practice, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey gives instructions to players.
On Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, the Buffalo Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey as a result of the Josh Allen-led offense being stagnant over a six-week period and the team further losing ground to the AFC East champions in the postseason.
On Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, in Orchard Park, New York, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, left, celebrates with Dalton Kincaid after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
On Wednesday, a somber-looking Josh Allen held himself accountable for managing an offense that was inert and prone to turnovers, which ultimately resulted in Buffalo Bills coordinator Ken Dorsey’s dismissal.
As shocked as the quarterback had been to hear of Dorsey’s dismissal the day before, Allen focused on the future. While Allen acknowledged that he could not go back in time, he emphasized that “the offense is not broken” and that the team can play to playoff-caliber standards in the remaining games of the season, meaning the Bills (5-5) have little margin for error.
“That really gets to me personally. As Buffalo gets ready to meet the division foe New York Jets (4-5) on Sunday, Allen expressed how painful it is to see someone you care about go through a situation like that and to know that if I could have done more, if this offense could have done more, we wouldn’t have to do anything like that.
We have the wall to our backs. The time to try to turn this around is running out, and we have to act quickly on Sunday,” he continued. ‘What can I do that’s been good and what can I do to rectify what’s been bad?’ is a difficult question to ask yourself when you look in the mirror. That is what everyone of us must do.
Allen has lost three fumbles and thrown an NFL-high 11 interceptions, so cutting down on turnovers would be a good place to start.
Regaining a lost swagger and rhythm might also be beneficial. Buffalo has won three straight games from Weeks 2 to 4, scoring 123 points in total during that stretch. The Bills have lost four of their last six games while scoring the same number of points.
Joe Brady, who most recently served as Buffalo’s quarterbacks coach after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers the previous two seasons, will now assume the coordinator role.
Regarding Brady, Allen remarked, “He’s got a lot of juice to him.” Brady will speak to media on Thursday. “I’ll offer him my best advice. My line is open 24 hours a day. I’ll answer the phone if he calls to make sure we can swiftly arrive to the same place.
After Denver defeated the team 24–22, coach Sean McDermott decided to fire Dorsey within 12 hours of the game.
The offense fumbled the ball four times in the game, and Allen threw two interceptions in addition to losing a fumble. Wil Lutz’s 36-yard field goal with one second remaining sealed the victory, and his 41-yard attempt was overturned when Buffalo was called for having twelve players on the field.
While special teams and a defense without five starters contributed to the defeat, the offense was mostly to blame for matching a season low with eighteen first downs and continuing a lengthy run of stuttering starts with mistakes on its opening two possessions.
Brady may take weeks to put his mark on the offensive plan, according to McDermott, even though the Jets are only five days away. He wants Brady to bring the team back to full confidence and vitality right away.
Errors are certain to occur. There will be both successful and unsuccessful moves, according to McDermott. “In the end, what matters is the unit’s mental toughness, courage, and resilience to persevere through all that.”
The defence, which is still allowing opponents to score just 18.4 points per game despite having several injuries, is mostly to blame for the offense’s inability to overcome it. Buffalo has lost all five of their games by a margin of six points or less. Six games in which Buffalo’s offense has failed to score 26 points or more have resulted in four of those losses, matching the team’s worst run since 2018.
“Just one drive is involved. Who knows if we would have finished with three or six (points) if there hadn’t been a turnover, Allen remarked. We’re restricting our own prospects. We are causing ourselves harm.
Since his career trajectory started to rise in 2019, when the second-year player assisted the squad to its first 10-win finish since 1999, Allen is no stranger to tough losses or having a bad game. After that, he guided Buffalo to three AFC championships in a row.
The difference now is that Allen has never gone through a midseason meltdown that resulted in a coach change. Before leaving to become the head coach of the New York Giants, he worked with Brian Daboll for his first four seasons in Buffalo. Additionally, Dorsey—who was elevated to replace Daboll—was close to Allen. Dorsey coached the quarterbacks for the Bills for three seasons.
I cherish Dorsey as a person. Allen began, “I feel like I owe him a lot of the success I’ve had,” before expressing his understanding of McDermott’s motivation for the adjustment. “It is regrettable. However, we also have a Sunday game versus a division rival. Furthermore, there is still time for us to make things better.
