dave mcbride Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 https://theathletic.com/4116068/2023/01/23/bills-bengals-result-playoffs/ I thought this passage on Dorsey was interesting: “2. Is a serious Dorsey conversation going to happen? The Bills have depended on Allen to bail them out of situations all season, and for the most part, the Bills have found a way to win with their franchise quarterback. But despite winning 14 of 18 games, a great season in its own right, the offense never appeared to reach its optimal state. There were signs of it through the first two games of the season, but once teams had gotten a bit of the book on this version of the Bills offense, from the third week through the end of the year, the offense felt disjointed every week. They were at times predictable, they lacked the creativity that was a staple of Brian Daboll’s game plans, they always seemed to react a bit late and it didn’t seem like they were ever maximizing their potential. That ultimately falls on first-year offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who had to go through numerous growing pains as a first-time play-caller. It wasn’t all bad for Dorsey, because the Bills usually found their way to plus results on offense. The rushing offense improved in the second half of the season, likely due to McDermott’s push to be a more multifaceted offense. After all, Dorsey was the offensive play-caller of a 14-win team. But there are plenty of first-year play-callers around the NFL, working with far less at quarterback and at wide receiver, guiding their teams to impressive offensive results. Dorsey had a top-flight quarterback running his offense, and that quarterback seemingly regressed in turnovers and, at times, reverted back to some early-year tendencies. Daboll did wonders for Allen’s career in helping him to become the player the Bills have today, but some of the unflappable qualities began to fade in 2022. It all boils down to a legitimate line of questioning the Bills must discuss in the offseason. These are precious seasons in Allen’s prime, and they are not guaranteed even two or three years from now. Are the Bills a better offense with Dorsey as their offensive coordinator, or do they have room to grow with a more creative mind? Furthermore, did Dorsey get the most out of Allen with his play-calling? This is not a situation where the Bills are trying to build up to something. If it were, patience would be the correct play. But it isn’t. They are already built. They were ready to win now. And they fell short, with a disjointed offense as a prominent feature. If the answer isn’t a resounding yes to both of those questions, the Bills need to think long and hard about who will guide their offense in the future. They have a creative young play-caller on their coaching staff in Joe Brady who reportedly has drawn attention from the Jets, a division rival, for their offensive coordinator job. Dorsey’s future with the Bills is not an unprecedented conversation; McDermott moved on from offensive coordinator Rick Dennison after only one season in 2017. That decision led the Bills to Daboll, who helped mold Allen into the player he is today. Despite 14 wins and lots of passing yards and points, the Dorsey discussions aren’t, and shouldn’t, be an open-and-shut case.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Cubed Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 (edited) Was discussing it in another thread with Gunner but the lack of experience with Dorsey showed throughout the season. I couldn't remember during the season when they ran a quick pass game plan, like what the Bengals were running to help out their OL. The reason I couldn't remember was it was against the Rams, game 1. They softened up their defense then they aired it out. How could that type of game plan not worked again? Especially against the likes of the Jets. Or yesterday in the 2nd half. Edited January 23, 2023 by Wayne Cubed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YodaMan79 Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 (edited) Serious question. When these coaches are being evaluated, are they the one's held accountable for bad decisions players make/made in the games? I have a feeling the numbers would look much more favorable from an offense standpoint if 1/2 - 1/4 of JAs turnovers didn't happen. A number of those turnovers didn't look scheme related, just bad decisions. I wasn't looking at the all 22, but I often times saw 1-2 open targets underneath for a high % gain. I'm sure his bad decisions in the red zone contributed to the offense looking stagnant on paper. Edited January 23, 2023 by YodaMan79 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yobogoya! Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 Dorsey is a JAG, and it’s a tall compliment to Allen what he can do with just another guy as his play caller. Maybe I’m just too depressed, but I can’t think of an instance this year where a commentator called out something we did on offense as innovative or noteworthy. They would just gush about what Allen did, not about what the play was designed to do. That’s a big difference from Daboll, who typically had several innovative concepts and creatively designed plays seemingly on a weekly basis. You hate to dog a first year play caller who is still learning, but it’s hard to picture where this offense can grow to under Dorsey when the foundation of something unique was nowhere to be found all year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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