stevewin Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 There was a very good article by on Daboll in the Athletic last week with some cool info - didn't see anyone post about it here https://theathletic.com/2324003/2021/01/15/brian-daboll-bills-coaching/ One main theme was how early in his career he was inflexible with regard to accepting input. They interview Derek Anderson and Dimarco who had him for OC previously in Cleveland and KC respectively. Both talk about how at previous stops it was all "This is what we are going to do" with no interest in hearing player's opinions. Anderson said he was floored when he first got to Buffalo and Daboll was receptive to suggestions he had. As for Dimarco: Quote DiMarco says one of the key moments when he noticed a change in his former coach was in 2019, when Beasley came to Buffalo and suggested a few option-route designs that he liked during his time at SMU. The “Mustang” set of plays has now become a pivotal part of the Bills’ offensive approach, and that type of interaction was starkly different from the type of back-and-forth that might have happened with the Chiefs It also talks about the evolution of Daboll's offense from being the Patriot offense to something that was his own Quote During Daboll’s first season in Buffalo, the bones of the Bills’ offensive system was similar to the one that he’had run in New England and earlier in his career as a coordinator. But over the past three years, the scheme has transformed into an offense that Daboll can call his own. DiMarco recalls starting OTAs in the spring of 2020 and receiving a completely revamped package of plays. “The difference in my first year in Buffalo with Dabes and this past OTA is the new stuff that he put in, it was almost an entire new playbook,” DiMarco says. The four-wide receiver and empty sets that the Bills have used to great success this year were even denser and more thought-out than in years past. They also talk about how he adjusted the terminology for no-huddle to a single word system to accomodate Allen and help have more control and autonomy at the LOS. In terms of his evolution as a coach Quote Neither Daboll nor his former players can point to a single inflection point that brought him to the new, open-minded place where he is now. DiMarco believes some of the ways that Daboll used Rob Gronkowski during his second stint in New England helped shape formations in the current Bills offense. Daboll’s single season as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2017 exposed him to some of the RPOs now central to Buffalo’s scheme and forced him to find new approaches as a teacher and leader of younger players. But there was no eureka moment — just a steady climb to a newer, humbler version of himself. “I’ve definitely learned, No. 1, to listen better,” Daboll said. “I don’t have all the answers. I’m much more collaborative. I try to serve my staff and my players better. Help them improve both on and off the field. I’d say I’ve learned to have much more compassion and empathy towards the guys, and be much more of a positive leader in general.” Quote Now in his third season with the Bills, Daboll has become famous with his players for noticing and incorporating their specific abilities and quirks. If he sees Diggs sprinkle some flavor on a route, even as a gag during practice, Daboll will take note. If a certain player isn’t feeling 100 percent in a given week, the structure of certain plays will change. Dawkins says that Daboll is constantly gathering information both from and about his players and injecting that into the Bills game plan each week. They talk a lot about how player relationships have always been important to him - but it's taken to a new level with the Bills Quote To a man, Daboll’s former players seem willing to pick up the phone on his behalf because they know he’d do the same for them. “I’m a relationship guy,” Daboll said. “You’re trying to win everything you do, but you’re also trying to help each of your players and each of your coaches be the best version of themselves, too. So I’d say it’s been more about the process, less about the results.” Caring for his players has always been a given for Daboll, but this stint in Buffalo has proven that he can channel that compassion into constructive ways to better teach his guys. And nowhere is that more apparent than in the bond he has with Allen, whom Daboll says is like his own son. “Everything is wrapped around our quarterback and from his strengths,” Dawkins said. “So he based all of his calls and the playbook for the week based off of Josh and how Josh feels. If Josh is feeling more confident moving left to moving right, then all of his calls will go as such.” I thought this part was the coolest part of the whole article Quote During his first season as the Bills’ coordinator in 2018, Daboll had a hunch that his rookie QB and the rest of the offense might benefit from a different type of installation meeting than you’d typically see from an NFL team. When the Bills hold their pass-game install sessions on Wednesday, they gather on the turf field at Buffalo’s indoor facility. The Bills’ state-of-the-art building includes a projection system that allows Daboll to show his offense a play before walking through it moments later. Rather than digesting an abstract design, Allen could map out plays in real time, tweaking route depths and certain progressions as the plays were installed. “It helped Josh out tremendously,” DiMarco said. “We would even sometimes do it the day before a night game, just so Josh can get the finishing touches on what he liked, what he didn’t like.” Other tidbits Quote DiMarco said that he’s never had an offensive coordinator who’s better at cataloging and teaching protections than Daboll. “Dabes had a different take on protections, different ways for back and quarterback and line to see things and how they operate based on safety rotation and the defensive back set up,” Quote For years, Anderson tried to convince Daboll to call games from the booth instead of the sideline. In Anderson’s mind, coaching from that perch had multiple benefits. Daboll could see the game unfold, but it also distanced him from the emotionally charged setting down below. “He’s just such a competitor on the sidelines,” Anderson said. “It’s hard for him to kind of take a break in between series and be like ‘OK, that series is over with. This is what we’re going to do next. When he’s in the box he can’t get too caught up in those emotions. It makes the communication easier and then it keeps him away from the chaos a little bit and keeps his head clear.” Relative to above they mention how bringing Dorsey on made it easier for Daboll to relinquish some control and go upstairs. A really good article with lots of good info. 9 3 18
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 DiMarco: “hey, coach. Call my number on a bomb. I know I can do it.” Daboll: “done.” 1 2 10
Doc Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 1 minute ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said: DiMarco: “hey, coach. Call my number on a bomb. I know I can do it.” Daboll: “done.” Daboll: "hey DiMarco, go long..." 1 3
balln Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 3 minutes ago, Doc said: Daboll: "hey DiMarco, go long..." "wheel route...itll be lethal" 1 1
Mr. WEO Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 4 minutes ago, Doc said: Daboll: "hey DiMarco, go long..." his last call... 1
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 58 minutes ago, stevewin said: There was a very good article by on Daboll in the Athletic last week with some cool info - didn't see anyone post about it here https://theathletic.com/2324003/2021/01/15/brian-daboll-bills-coaching/ One main theme was how early in his career he was inflexible with regard to accepting input. (....) It was a good article. One note is that it seems a lot based on info from Derek Anderson and Pat DiMarco. This is probably because it was written during the season, when press access to players is limited and controlled, and especially limited and controlled this season with covid-19. The article was likely written primarily while the season was still underway, and QB whom Daboll worked with at previous OC stints unavailable (Colt McCoy, Tua Taigovailoa, Jalen Hurts). Obviously Daboll had a motivation to cooperate for a positive article, in that it would be good PR for him in a HC search, and obviously a reporter who used access to turn in what might be seen as a "hatchet job" would lose trust and with it, access. Players who have worked with Daboll and are still in the league might likewise be cautious about providing information that might create conflictions if they're traded or there's a coaching change. Anderson and DiMarco are out of the league, they don't care. Daboll had to transition away from "The Patriot Way" of managing people. I was struck by this: Quote During their first week together, Anderson remembers being in Daboll’s office as his new coordinator peppered him with questions about the offense. “I swear to God it took me like three weeks to learn every formation and list them as quickly as he wanted it done,” Anderson said. “He would just stand there and bounce a ball against the dry erase board and be like, ‘Go.’ … Like that’s what they did with (Tom) Brady, but that’s not necessarily the easiest or best way that I learned.” It's not just "not necessarily the easiest or best way" a particular individual would learn, but it may not be the best way to learn the information in a football-functional sense. What I mean is, it seems to me that while the QB has to know every formation the team wants to use, what really has to be understood is how different formations influence the defense and what options emerge or are limited by different defensive reactions. Maybe at Anderson's level, as a 3rd year starter, he already understood that and just needed to learn the play terminology and what formations and personnel they used. But for a young QB, it could be analogous to what medical students who transition from the basic science classroom to the hospital floor undergo - they may have learned about, say, coughs, as a symptom when studying lung function and disease, and heart function and disease, and GI function and disease. Now they have a patient with a cough, and an attending physician who says "tell me the seven most common causes of cough and the differential diagnosis for each one" and they have that "ah..bahbah" moment. I thought this was very telling: "“I’ve definitely learned, No. 1, to listen better,” Daboll said. “I don’t have all the answers. I’m much more collaborative. I try to serve my staff and my players better. Help them improve both on and off the field. I’d say I’ve learned to have much more compassion and empathy towards the guys, and be much more of a positive leader in general.” I wonder how much influence McDermott had in that? It seems to me that Daboll's press conferences in 2018, especially at the beginning of the year, were very different. He wouldn't call his players out in so many words, but I can remember in his presser after the first NE game, he made some comments that were clearly directed at Morse and at Beasley and at Josh - something about "we can't have problems in the Center- QB exchange" "if the pass is a little low, we have to catch it" and some similar stuff (Morse and Josh fumbled an exchange, and Beasley deflected a low throw upwards for an INT in that game). Since that game, he has clearly adopted a lot of McDermott-isms - "We have to do a better job. It starts with me." "He's a player I have a lot of confidence in. I'm not worried about that" He just kind of seems like a different guy. Great find, thanks! 3 2
Saxum Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 McDermott and New England's coach in some ways are polar opposites. When Daboll was signed I was wondering if it was another coaching hiring mistake. It seems Daboll has become a better coach work for McDermott for he took McDermott's mantra to heart. That it is not just words by him certainly helped.
Dukestreetking Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 Thanks @stevewin for synopsis and cuts. Must've taken a fair amount of work. Great insights into BD's growth. 2 1
StHustle Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 And some people really have the nerve to question the role BD played in Josh's breakout season. Imagine if Adam Gase left Miami and became our OC. Does Josh still become anywhere close to what he has become this year? 1 1
eball Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 Lo and behold, another person we find out is capable of learning, growth and development! It’s like coaches and players can actually evolve and aren’t the same from Day One until they retire! (can you tell this is a huge fan and media peeve of mine?) 3 1
HOUSE Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 Before I open this link, is Jerry Sullivan on the other side ? I need to know... 1 1
stevewin Posted January 21, 2021 Author Posted January 21, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, HOUSE said: Before I open this link, is Jerry Sullivan on the other side ? I need to know... The Athletic is a highly regarded outlet with quality content - pretty sure Jerry won't be getting a job there anytime soon Edited January 21, 2021 by stevewin 1 1
Big Turk Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 11 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: It was a good article. One note is that it seems a lot based on info from Derek Anderson and Pat DiMarco. This is probably because it was written during the season, when press access to players is limited and controlled, and especially limited and controlled this season with covid-19. The article was likely written primarily while the season was still underway, and QB whom Daboll worked with at previous OC stints unavailable (Colt McCoy, Tua Taigovailoa, Jalen Hurts). Obviously Daboll had a motivation to cooperate for a positive article, in that it would be good PR for him in a HC search, and obviously a reporter who used access to turn in what might be seen as a "hatchet job" would lose trust and with it, access. Players who have worked with Daboll and are still in the league might likewise be cautious about providing information that might create conflictions if they're traded or there's a coaching change. Anderson and DiMarco are out of the league, they don't care. Daboll had to transition away from "The Patriot Way" of managing people. I was struck by this: It's not just "not necessarily the easiest or best way" a particular individual would learn, but it may not be the best way to learn the information in a football-functional sense. What I mean is, it seems to me that while the QB has to know every formation the team wants to use, what really has to be understood is how different formations influence the defense and what options emerge or are limited by different defensive reactions. Maybe at Anderson's level, as a 3rd year starter, he already understood that and just needed to learn the play terminology and what formations and personnel they used. But for a young QB, it could be analogous to what medical students who transition from the basic science classroom to the hospital floor undergo - they may have learned about, say, coughs, as a symptom when studying lung function and disease, and heart function and disease, and GI function and disease. Now they have a patient with a cough, and an attending physician who says "tell me the seven most common causes of cough and the differential diagnosis for each one" and they have that "ah..bahbah" moment. I thought this was very telling: "“I’ve definitely learned, No. 1, to listen better,” Daboll said. “I don’t have all the answers. I’m much more collaborative. I try to serve my staff and my players better. Help them improve both on and off the field. I’d say I’ve learned to have much more compassion and empathy towards the guys, and be much more of a positive leader in general.” I wonder how much influence McDermott had in that? It seems to me that Daboll's press conferences in 2018, especially at the beginning of the year, were very different. He wouldn't call his players out in so many words, but I can remember in his presser after the first NE game, he made some comments that were clearly directed at Morse and at Beasley and at Josh - something about "we can't have problems in the Center- QB exchange" "if the pass is a little low, we have to catch it" and some similar stuff (Morse and Josh fumbled an exchange, and Beasley deflected a low throw upwards for an INT in that game). Since that game, he has clearly adopted a lot of McDermott-isms - "We have to do a better job. It starts with me." "He's a player I have a lot of confidence in. I'm not worried about that" He just kind of seems like a different guy. Great find, thanks! The best leaders are the ones who realize they have flaws and are willing to allow others to point them out and to work hard at fixing them so those flaws becomes strengths. 2 1 1
stevewin Posted January 21, 2021 Author Posted January 21, 2021 16 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: It was a good article. One note is that it seems a lot based on info from Derek Anderson and Pat DiMarco. This is probably because it was written during the season, when press access to players is limited and controlled, and especially limited and controlled this season with covid-19. The article was likely written primarily while the season was still underway, and QB whom Daboll worked with at previous OC stints unavailable (Colt McCoy, Tua Taigovailoa, Jalen Hurts). Obviously Daboll had a motivation to cooperate for a positive article, in that it would be good PR for him in a HC search, and obviously a reporter who used access to turn in what might be seen as a "hatchet job" would lose trust and with it, access. Players who have worked with Daboll and are still in the league might likewise be cautious about providing information that might create conflictions if they're traded or there's a coaching change. Anderson and DiMarco are out of the league, they don't care. Daboll had to transition away from "The Patriot Way" of managing people. I was struck by this: It's not just "not necessarily the easiest or best way" a particular individual would learn, but it may not be the best way to learn the information in a football-functional sense. What I mean is, it seems to me that while the QB has to know every formation the team wants to use, what really has to be understood is how different formations influence the defense and what options emerge or are limited by different defensive reactions. Maybe at Anderson's level, as a 3rd year starter, he already understood that and just needed to learn the play terminology and what formations and personnel they used. But for a young QB, it could be analogous to what medical students who transition from the basic science classroom to the hospital floor undergo - they may have learned about, say, coughs, as a symptom when studying lung function and disease, and heart function and disease, and GI function and disease. Now they have a patient with a cough, and an attending physician who says "tell me the seven most common causes of cough and the differential diagnosis for each one" and they have that "ah..bahbah" moment. I thought this was very telling: "“I’ve definitely learned, No. 1, to listen better,” Daboll said. “I don’t have all the answers. I’m much more collaborative. I try to serve my staff and my players better. Help them improve both on and off the field. I’d say I’ve learned to have much more compassion and empathy towards the guys, and be much more of a positive leader in general.” I wonder how much influence McDermott had in that? It seems to me that Daboll's press conferences in 2018, especially at the beginning of the year, were very different. He wouldn't call his players out in so many words, but I can remember in his presser after the first NE game, he made some comments that were clearly directed at Morse and at Beasley and at Josh - something about "we can't have problems in the Center- QB exchange" "if the pass is a little low, we have to catch it" and some similar stuff (Morse and Josh fumbled an exchange, and Beasley deflected a low throw upwards for an INT in that game). Since that game, he has clearly adopted a lot of McDermott-isms - "We have to do a better job. It starts with me." "He's a player I have a lot of confidence in. I'm not worried about that" He just kind of seems like a different guy. Great find, thanks! One thing I remember is when Josh first showed up it seemed Daboll was pretty hard on him - I seem to recall articles about Daboll being a taskmaster and clips of him being all over Josh. It's nice to see that they both grew together in their own ways. 1
NoHuddleKelly12 Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 So people can change for the better...maybe we should've stuck it out with Rex and Rob a little longer? Right about now Rob would've been successful in translating his brother's D to the players... https://www.espn.com/blog/buffalo-bills/post/_/id/24249/rex-ryan-begins-second-shot-at-getting-his-defense-to-work-in-buffalo (for the sarcastically disinclined...I kid)
BillsFan4 Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 Wow. Great article. If anyone doubts Daboll’s importance to Allen & the offense, read this article!
Saxum Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 1 hour ago, BillsFan4 said: Wow. Great article. If anyone doubts Daboll’s importance to Allen & the offense, read this article! I think anyone who Daboll’s importance to Allen & the offense will not likely change his opinion just like Nick Wrong,
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