Joe Brady has created the NFL version of "Total Football" - it's historic

[MPL]

So, Joe Brady watched Ted Lasso?

 

[Nephilim17]

We've achieved far more than the pundits predicted and while I like what Brady has done, I don't think all of the credit goes to him (though much of it does).

Josh is playing way smarter far more consistently this year, taking what the D gives. 

 

The O-line is the best we've had in a long time.

Those are big factors too. But kudos to Brady. Hope we can keep him.

[Sierra Foothills]

22 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

Id pump the brakes on this one.  The offense has been great but I am not sure how many of their best plays were a result of the scheme.    I feel like the Bills do a lot off schedule as a result of Josh buying time on scramble drills.   I feel like more than ever Josh is holding the ball for a hell of a long time.

 

12 minutes ago, JerseyBills said:

The WR room quietly got better lol. Addition by subtraction for real, we are stacked at WR , RB and TE and our OL is one of the best in the game 

 

8 minutes ago, Malazan said:

 

Allen is sitting at 2.88 seconds to throw which is 15th in the NFL.

 

2023: 2.88

2022: 2.87

2021: 2.9

2020: 3.04

2019: 2.86

2018: 3.22

 

So it seems that your perception may not be reality in this case.

 

It boils down to how much credit you want to give Joe Hines-Brady and how much you want to give Josh.

 

In light of the data, it's unfair to not give Hines-Brady high marks.

 

Even if you want to give more credit to Josh than to Hines-Brady, you have to ask yourself: Why is Josh playing so well, especially compared to how he was playing under Dorsey?

 

Give credit where it's due.

[L Ron Burgundy]

Very cool theory and comparison worth thought.  He's been tremendous for us imo.  But the real test will be in the playoffs when we get into a game we have to score a ton against good defenses.  

[Kelly to Allen]

He the best oc we've had since Ted marchibroda and I've seen real maturation from Josh within structure. 

 

Allen's game for example vs Seattle earlier in the year was reminiscent of something you would see from Brady. Just ruthless patience and quick answers within the pocket 

 

Excellent coach. 

 

Allen's overall season reminds me a lot of the growth I saw from Kelly in 1990. Especially as a leader 

Edited December 30, 2024 by Kelly to Allen

[hondo in seattle]

3 hours ago, Big Turk said:

Joe Brady may very well go down as one of the greatest offensive minds in the history of football. He has done what no other team in the history of the NFL has done...become prolific in a historical context with no true #1 WR, no 1,000 yard WR and no 1,000 yard rusher thru 16 games.

 

Essentially, he has created the NFL version of "Total Football" that was pioneered by The Netherlands with their great "Orange Crush" teams of the 1970s with Johann Cruyff as their star. Anybody can be the "go to guy" in any given week, and anyone can make the key play.  You cannot simply "take away" one player, the Bills offense is diversified in a way that no other offense has been in the history of the NFL. Just like on those Netherland teams, they don't have true "positions" as thought of by other teams. People are lining up all over the place to create matchups that favor the BIlls dependent on who they are playing.

 

Think I am going too far?  I am not. Consider:

 

1. Points per drive. The 2024 Bills are averaging 3.12 points/drive - In the history of the NFL, only the 2007 Patriots have averaged more at 3.19.  The only other teams above 3 are the 2018 Chiefs, the 2013 Broncos and the 2001 Rams.  All of them featured multiple stars and HOF players.  We are essentially doing what the most prolific offenses in NFL history have done without the supporting casts to do it.
2. 2024 Bills tied an all-time NFL record with 8 straight 30+ point games.
3. 2024 Bills tied an all-time NFL record with 13 different players catching a TD pass.
4. 2024 Bills set a franchise record for most points and TDs in a season and have the highest points per game at 31.8 thru 16 games
5. Josh Allen leads the NFL in EPA/play
6. 2024 Bills set a franchise record for 40+ point games with 4
7. 2024 Bills set a franchise record for 30+ point games with 12

 

Brady is the very definition of doing more with less and doing it in ways where no one person can be keyed on by the defense, meaning they have to be prepared for anyone to beat them at anytime.  This was never more apparent than during the Lions game when Ty Johnson, a 3rd down RB was our leading receiver with over 100 yards, our "#1 WR" Amari Cooper wasn't even targeted and the Bills rolled up 559 yards of offense and 48 points and were so unstoppable that it forced the opposing coach to try a desperation onside kick with 12 minutes to go in the 4th quarter only down 10 points.

 

I am not sure there has ever been a better job done at OC in NFL history considering what Brady had to work with and how he fit together his gameplans to attack the opposing teams weaknesses and create an ever shifting target for who they would try to stop on offense.  The level of absurdity with how good this offense has been with a bunch of "no names" for the most part on it is absurd.  Patently absurd. If Brady does not win assistant coach of the year in the NFL, they should just throw the award away because it has no meaning.

 

I had some fears and worries about Brady before the  season but have loved what I've seen the past 10 weeks.

 

Points per drive - to me - is a big thing.  I believe points per drive and yards per drive are great ways to measure the potency of an offense.  If an offense scores a lot because it gets a lot of drives, what does that really tell you?   The fairest way to measure an offense is to measure how productive it is on the drives it gets.  To be sitting at #2 all-time is impressive.

 

Take Allen away and this group looks nothing like a historic offense.  Joe and Josh have both been impressive. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2024 by hondo in seattle

[Sierra Foothills]

I see some here want to withhold a more durable judgement until the playoffs.

 

That's a valid position but I would point out that minimally, the games against Kansas City, Detroit, and the Rams all had playoff magnitude.

 

Edited December 30, 2024 by Sierra Foothills

[MPT]

I think he's been good, but not great. 

 

His game planning leaves a lot to be desired. Most of the time it feels like he's throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. He does get credit for leaning into plays that are effective and that has helped us become one of the best second half teams in the league. But it often results in clunky starts and early deficits. Kincaid and Knox don't seem to be part of any game plan.

 

He calls a balanced game but that can also lead to predictability. The run game has been great but he has the benefit of a great offensive line as well as one of the best OL coaches in the league. 

 

His passing schemes aren't impressive. Receivers are rarely schemed open and most of the time the OL holds up long enough for receivers to create their own space or for Allen to scramble and make an insane pinpoint throw. One of Dorsey's best qualities was his mesh concepts which seem to have mostly vanished.

 

The screen game has been much better than in the past so I definitely like that. 

 

So yeah, I mostly love our offense and Brady is the guy in charge so I like the guy. He also needs to evolve in a few areas if he's ever going to be one of the great offensive minds.

[TPS]

47 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Good post.  Thanks for sharing.

 

My opinion-  I think Brady has done a very good job and he’ll probably be the Bengals HC next year.  
 

That said-  I give the majority of the credit to Josh.  He’s 1 of 1

Majority, yes; but Josh still needs someone to rein him in sometimes—trying to do too much himself, or taking the risky pass over the gimme.
As many of us have said for years, the only one who can beat Josh Allen is Josh Allen. 

[machine gun kelly]

But, but McD is a bad coach and should be fired right (insert sarcasm)?

 

Brady has done a nice job under McD’s direction.  It’s kind of hard to argue with 13-3 and a third straight year of the #2 seed, and the 5th straight AFCE win.

[CSBill]

50 minutes ago, MPL said:

So, Joe Brady watched Ted Lasso?

 

Exactly what I thought. 

[H2o]

I like Joe Brady. I think he and Allen mesh well together. Allen and Daboll also meshed well together, Daboll got a HC gig, and we all see how that has turned out. Peyton Manning got multiple people HC jobs, Tom Brady got McDaniels hired twice (even though he backed out the 2nd time), and Aaron Rodgers got Hackett a HC job. A HOF QB can make a lot of play callers look better. 

[Logic]

Outstanding post. 

I have not seen it stated the way you did, and the comparison you made to "total football" is spot on. 

The crazy thing is that, while at first blush it may seem like exaggeration or hyperbole, an examination of the numbers themselves relative to the production of other historically great teams reveals that its not. 

The Bills may realistically finish the season without a 1,000 yard receiver and without a 1,000 yard rusher. Considering their historic offensive production, that is WILD!

Great post. And here's hoping we somehow, some way get to keep Joe Brady beyond this season.

[zow2]

1 hour ago, Matt_In_NH said:

 

The bolded makes total sense to no business owner ever.   

 

Turn the clock back a few years, same argument made about Dabol and now he is clearly a great leader and finds ways to win at least 3 games every year.

 

That would be my concern, that's why i said it.  But let's be real.  Daboll went to a lesser roster and no Josh Allen.  That would not be the case in Buffalo.  

[Nihilarian]

1 hour ago, Kelly to Allen said:

He the best oc we've had since Ted marchibroda and I've seen real maturation from Josh within structure. 

 

Allen's game for example vs Seattle earlier in the year was reminiscent of something you would see from Brady. Just ruthless patience and quick answers within the pocket 

 

Excellent coach. 

 

Allen's overall season reminds me a lot of the growth I saw from Kelly in 1990. Especially as a leader 

All well said!

 

I love Joe Brady as OC! Buffalo now has a formidable rushing attack, which they didn't have under the last two clowns. The run game is so darn important to keep the offense balanced. I only hope he pulls a Ben Johnson and chooses to stay in Buffalo.

 

He is my dream OC and I fear he will be stolen by some team looking to upgrade their HC/offense this offseason. Teams must be blind to not see what he has done here in Buffalo. 

 

Think of fewer turnovers from Josh this season. The power-run game, working with an extra O lineman, helps make Josh the most protected quarterback in the league, along with a top-two-run game.

 

Currently, the 2024 Buffalo Bills are #2 in points scored,#9 in yards, and #1 in the NFL in rushing TDs.  

[Low Positive]

So, TBD wants a guy fired at halftime on Sunday and then wants to fire the HC and hire that same guy as HC on Monday morning? Sounds about right. 

[WideNine]

One of the biggest success stories has been his ability to coach-up JA17 leveraging alignment and motion to better recognize defensive coverages and pressures and call out protections and make adjustments.

 

Even more impressive was getting Allen to take the easy profits and check downs when they are there.

 

Allen's arm strength and mobility molded some big-play hunting habits that are not easy to break and easy to fall back into. I have heard former QBs refer to it as 'arm arrogance".

 

Some of that I think is a bit of jealousy for the unreal things Allen can do that they never could, but some of it is legit critque for better decision-making needed.

 

Daboll would scheme guys open underneath and so would Dorsey, but when you watched the tape Allen either did not see those or would  turn those down for more low percentage deep options.

 

The combination of letting go of some egos that demanded to be force fed, Brady helping Allen mature and understand where his answers were when facing different situations, Brady's commitment to the run game, and Allen's own desire to become a more complete QB all have meshed together well this season.

 

Some credit goes to Kromer and the outstanding performance of our OL which has allowed Allen to operate upright, opened rush lanes, and created an environment where Allen can operate more within the structure of the play call.

 

You can tell that Allen has also worked hard at ball placement (and velocity) on the screens as well as the short to intermediate routes to better allow our receivers to "go get it" in stride and provide RAC opportunities all while doing better at limiting INTs and avoiding negative plays. He embraces a growth mindset.

 

Some folks think an offense can only score points with big plays, but if you can avoid penalties, move the chains with runs and passes, and get a few chunk plays when needed, it is surprising how it can add up on the score board.

 

 

[co_springs_billsfan]

2 hours ago, Big Turk said:

Joe Brady may very well go down as one of the greatest offensive minds in the history of football. He has done what no other team in the history of the NFL has done...become prolific in a historical context with no true #1 WR, no 1,000 yard WR and no 1,000 yard rusher thru 16 games.

 

Essentially, he has created the NFL version of "Total Football" that was pioneered by The Netherlands with their great "Orange Crush" teams of the 1970s with Johann Cruyff as their star. Anybody can be the "go to guy" in any given week, and anyone can make the key play.  You cannot simply "take away" one player, the Bills offense is diversified in a way that no other offense has been in the history of the NFL. Just like on those Netherland teams, they don't have true "positions" as thought of by other teams. People are lining up all over the place to create matchups that favor the BIlls dependent on who they are playing.

 

Think I am going too far?  I am not. Consider:

 

1. Points per drive. The 2024 Bills are averaging 3.12 points/drive - In the history of the NFL, only the 2007 Patriots have averaged more at 3.19.  The only other teams above 3 are the 2018 Chiefs, the 2013 Broncos and the 2001 Rams.  All of them featured multiple stars and HOF players.  We are essentially doing what the most prolific offenses in NFL history have done without the supporting casts to do it.
2. 2024 Bills tied an all-time NFL record with 8 straight 30+ point games.
3. 2024 Bills tied an all-time NFL record with 13 different players catching a TD pass.
4. 2024 Bills set a franchise record for most points and TDs in a season and have the highest points per game at 31.8 thru 16 games
5. Josh Allen leads the NFL in EPA/play
6. 2024 Bills set a franchise record for 40+ point games with 4
7. 2024 Bills set a franchise record for 30+ point games with 12

 

Brady is the very definition of doing more with less and doing it in ways where no one person can be keyed on by the defense, meaning they have to be prepared for anyone to beat them at anytime.  This was never more apparent than during the Lions game when Ty Johnson, a 3rd down RB was our leading receiver with over 100 yards, our "#1 WR" Amari Cooper wasn't even targeted and the Bills rolled up 559 yards of offense and 48 points and were so unstoppable that it forced the opposing coach to try a desperation onside kick with 12 minutes to go in the 4th quarter only down 10 points.

 

I am not sure there has ever been a better job done at OC in NFL history considering what Brady had to work with and how he fit together his gameplans to attack the opposing teams weaknesses and create an ever shifting target for who they would try to stop on offense.  The level of absurdity with how good this offense has been with a bunch of "no names" for the most part on it is absurd.  Patently absurd. If Brady does not win assistant coach of the year in the NFL, they should just throw the award away because it has no meaning.

Força Barça!!

[BullBuchanan]

The hyperbole here is off the charts.

Just checking, the guy still has Josh Allen right?

[Warcodered]

41 minutes ago, Logic said:

Outstanding post. 

I have not seen it stated the way you did, and the comparison you made to "total football" is spot on. 

The crazy thing is that, while at first blush it may seem like exaggeration or hyperbole, an examination of the numbers themselves relative to the production of other historically great teams reveals that its not. 

The Bills may realistically finish the season without a 1,000 yard receiver and without a 1,000 yard rusher. Considering their historic offensive production, that is WILD!

Great post. And here's hoping we somehow, some way get to keep Joe Brady beyond this season.

I mean they've been saying it all year, Everybody Eats.