PFF recently released their NFL offensive coordinator rankings heading into the 2023 season. The top ten list is highlighted by seven coordinators who are former OCs but will be leading their respective offensives with new teams.
The list is headlined by Ben Johnson (number one overall) of the Detroit Lions, which many credit for the resurrection of Jared Goff's career. There is another on the list that is credited for resurrecting another veteran quarterback Geno Smith. The Seattle Seahawks coordinator, Shane Waldron, came in at number four.
But where did PFF rank Buffalo's coordinator? Some might be surprised to find the second-year OC is ranked fifth on the list, one spot ahead of the former Kansas City Chiefs coordinator and new Washington Commanders OC, Eric Bienemy.
Here is what PFF said about Dorsey's first year as the Bills' coordinator.
"Ken Dorsey stepped into the offensive coordinator role last season in Buffalo after the departure of Brian Daboll. Clearly, the foundation laid by Daboll and the personnel were already good, but the offense kept on trucking with little sign of change. Buffalo’s offense ranked top five in most meaningful offensive categories, and only the Chiefs were better in successful play rate. Dorsey can further cement his reputation with another strong season this year."PFF
I know there are Bills fans out there that will undoubtedly mock and laugh at this ranking but at the end of the day, the numbers speak for themselves. I understand it seemed to be a heavy lift for the offense in the later part of the season and some will say opposing defenses "figured" out the Bills and Dorsey's offense, this is partially true but there are reasons this was the case.
There are a couple of things here that I believe attributed to what appeared to be a late-season struggle. One was the injuries, specifically Gabe Davis and Jamison Crowder. When Crowder went down early, it forced young guys to step in and carry the load, such as Khalil Shakir. Shakir did a good job when targeted but he struggled in other aspects, which is why he never took full control of the slot position.
With Davis, he suffered a high ankle sprain, which he battled through all season but it still affected his ability to run crisp routes. With these injuries, it allowed teams to bracket Diggs and single up everywhere else. We also can't forget the injury to Allen, which I believe had a greater impact on his and the offense than he will ever admit.
The other part of all this is the complexity of Dorsey's offense. We heard Nyheim Hines stating the offense was difficult to grasp and this could certainly hinder both him and someone like Shakir.
One other factor is when defenses found that Roger Saffold was not very good and Spencer Brown was struggling, whether that was due to his off-season injury or something else, defenses we able to scheme up a pass rush scheme that took advantage of these weaknesses.
2023 will be a big season for Dorsey and the Bills' offense. Will they stay status quo or will this offense level up behind a new offensive line and improved health? You can BuffaLowDown on our Facebook page and join in on the conversation and share your thoughts.