The Bills struggle with offensive consistency this season has raised questions about whether there will be a change made at the coordinator position or playcalling on offense.
Head coach Sean McDermott was to the point responding to just that line of questioning after Sunday’s 24-18 loss to the Bengals.
“No,” the coach said to the press. “Well, I get it. I understand everyone’s frustration, I absolutely do, and we’re working extremely hard to make the adjustments we have to make. And Ken is doing the same. So I remain confident in Ken and our offensive staff, and we continue to work hard at improving and getting the results we need.”
Dorsey responded to questions about Sunday’s performance as well, citing field position as part of the reason for a lack of tempo.
“We were in some backed-up situations so we couldn’t quite get into the tempo stuff at times there,” he said. “We definitely started off in it this past game. We realized it was effective for us, but at times the crowd noise became a factor with the communication in some of those backed-up situations.
It’s something we want to continue to utilize, we just have to make sure we’re effective in what we do and stay on the field. The big thing for us is when we start racking plays together, then you start getting into that rhythm. We need to find a way to get into that groove, however it is.”
Between the numbers, there’s been a different start for Dorsey than his predecessor, Brian Daboll.
Zooming out to look at Ken Dorsey's first 25 games as OC, compared to final 25 games of Daboll, here is what that looked like (excludes any games Josh Allen did not start) … pic.twitter.com/VAFHRTXS1t
— Mike Sando (@SandoNFL) November 9, 2023
Daboll had several stints as a coordinator for college and pro-level offenses before calling the Bills offense. He had a creative touch, tailored scheming, and a balanced approach that first-time OC Dorsey has, at times, lacked.
He acknowledged after the game it was important they “Make sure we’re balanced in our approach. The big thing for us is not to become one-dimensional and predictable. We’ve got to be able to do that to keep the defense off balance and we have to do that in a way that’s efficient for us while still being able to generate some explosive chunk plays. We’ve got to find ways to do that.”
Doing so successfully on the field and not merely in press conferences or in hindsight is what will matter.
No public indication has been given by the Bills front office or coaching staff that a change is imminent. Though since the offensive roster has gotten more talented players success will be expected.
One of the most successful coordinators in the NFL, Josh McDaniels, is available due to a recent exit from the Raiders. Some may start to draw attention to that or a need for change should Dorsey’s struggles continue.
Time will tell, beginning next Monday night against the Denver Broncos.
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