As the Buffalo Bills head into the new season with a new head coach at the helm, there will also be many new faces on the coaching staff.
Well, some things will stay the same; many situations and players will have to change for the team to thrive. Let's take a look at four positive developments the Bills can expect with new head coach Joe Brady leading them.
Four favorable victors the 2026 season will look forward to
QB Josh Allen
Allen is mainly the reason the Bills' brass chose Brady to succeed former head coach Sean McDermott as the Bills' new head coach. The two have already developed a unique relationship when Brady was the team's offensive coordinator.
President of Football Operations and GM Brandon Beane indicated that Allen would sit in on and be involved in the coaching interview process.
Now that Allen has his favorite coach in his corner, it's time for him to step up and lead the team to a winning season.
RB James Cook
Since the 36-year-old's offense revolved heavily around a ground-and-pound scheme, Cook won the rushing title, piling up 1,621 yards while developing a strong relationship with Allen. We already know what Cook's been able to do since becoming the starting running back in 2023.
One realm of concern that has remained untouched is his pass-catching skills. The star tailback recorded only 33 catches last year, while his career best still stands at 44 in 2023. Last season, the offensive unit didn't have the personnel for Cook to catch the ball. But this year, it may change as Brady likes to include his running backs in the passing game.
Maybe will see fewer bubble screens to wide receivers and possibly more running back bubble screens to Cook. That's why it's called "adaptation".
TE Dalton Kincaid
While Kincaid has the potential to be a top-five tight end in the NFL, he just hasn't been healthy enough to prove that he could be. This season, he has tallied 571 yards on 39 catches and 5 touchdowns.
Still, despite being injury-prone, he's done well enough and should earn a long-term contract.
And while Kincaid and the tight ends were the strongest group besides Cook, they could be even better this year under Brady. With Brady calling the shots and Kincaid leading the charge, this will be a breakout season for the young tight end from the University of Utah.
Defense
While Brady is now the head coach, the defensive scheme will be different, even though Brady comes from an offensive background. Brady hired Jim Leonhard, a former Buffalo Bills player and Denver Broncos defensive assistant, as his handpicked defensive coordinator.
Brady chose him because he runs an attacking 3-4 defense that frustrates opposing offenses and pressures the quarterback. He also prefers an aggressive defense because he believes those defenses are the ones that are the most frustrating to go up against, especially when he and others have been offensive playcallers against them.
The goal of this defense is to get better throughout the regular season and then show up in the playoffs, which the defenses under McDermott, a defensive guy, didn't do, and why their Super Bowl dreams fell just short every year.