The Joe Brady era for the Buffalo Bills is officially underway. On Tuesday, the Bills made it official to hire Brady to a 5-year deal to take over as Sean McDermott’s replacement. For the first time since Doug Marrone, the Bills have themselves an offensive head coach.
Brady has been with the Bills since 2022 where he joined the staff as their quarterbacks coach, and then eventually took over as the interim offensive coordinator in 2023 when Ken Dorsey was fired. After that season, he was promoted as the full-time offensive coordinator. With all of the work that he has done for the Bills, he will now lead the team.
Going into Brady’s first year as the head coach, he will have a good amount of pressure. Sean McDermott did set the foundation for the organization, and now Brady will have to find a way to elevate it. At the same time, the expectations have to be realistic considering the fact that it is Brady’s first time as a head coach.
Realistic expectations for Joe Brady in Year 1 as new Bills head coach
Making the playoffs
This one is not negotiable at all. The Bills only missed the playoffs one time under McDermott, and it wasn’t in the first season together. The last time Buffalo missed the playoffs was in 2018, which was Josh Allen’s rookie season.
The Bills are a playoff contending team and Brady missing the playoffs in his first season is a very bad look.
Keep the rushing attack the same if not better
Buffalo had the best rushing attack in all of football with 2,714 yards with James Cook leading the way with 1,621 yards himself. They also have Josh Allen who can run the ball, but they also have solid backup running backs in Ty Johnson and Ray Davis. Before Brady showed up to Buffalo, the Bills were unsuccessful in running the ball.
The rushing attack has to stay the same, if not be elevated more.
Elevating the offensive attack
While Buffalo shouldn’t give up on the running game, this offense has to elevate in the passing game. Now granted, the Bills will need to get a proven No. 1 receiver for Allen and not always rely on the short-field game. With Brady being an offensive coach, there is an expectation that the offense keeps on elevating.
Prove Bills right to move on from Sean McDermott
At the end of the day, Brady is going to be compared to McDermott whether fans want to hear it or not. It’s not exactly fair, but it’s the truth. With everything that McDermott was able to do for the Bills, and the community in Buffalo, Brady will have some big shoes to fill, but they aren’t impossible to fill.
Brady has the chance to prove any doubters wrong about his hiring and can capitalize on this opportunity to bring the Bills further than McDermott did.