Tag: Ken Dorsey

Browns interview former QB Ken Dorsey for OC vacancy

Former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator and Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey interviewed for Cleveland’s offensive coordinator position.

The Cleveland Browns have interviewed Ken Dorsey for the offensive coordinator position, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS. Fans might remember Dorsey as the Browns’ backup quarterback from 2006 to 2008.

Dorsey has pursued a successful coaching career since he retired from professional football in 2010. He started as the quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2013 and held the position until 2017. He was the quarterbacks coach during Cam Newton’s MVP campaign and the Panthers’ Super Bowl run.

Dorsey became the quarterbacks coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2019, where he helped spark Josh Allen’s drastic improvement. Allen and Dorsey built a great relationship with each other.

When Bills’ then-offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was hired as the head coach of the New York Giants, Allen lobbied the Bills to promote Dorsey to offensive coordinator.

Dorsey was the offensive coordinator for one and a half seasons before being dismissed by head coach Sean McDermott earlier in the season. In Dorsey’s first season, the Bills had the second-best offense in the NFL.

Dorsey was fired earlier this season after the Bills experienced bad turnover luck. The Bills’ offense was among the top-three in the league per EPA. Allen blamed himself for Dorsey’s firing.

The Browns will be interested in Dorsey’s offensive philosophy that prioritizes heavier personnel packages. The Browns will want to lean into multiple tight end sets after being one of the worst-performing teams when trotting out three wide receiver sets.

The Browns will continue their extensive search for a new offensive coordinator. The organization interviewed former Seahawks’ offensive line coach Andy Dickerson earlier in the week.

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Bills’ Joe Brady gets animated after Josh Allen rushing TD vs. Steelers (video)

#Bills’ Joe Brady gets animated after Josh Allen rushing TD vs. #Steelers (video)

Buffalo Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady was excited after quarterback Josh Allen’s career-best rushing touchdown in the Bills playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 2023 AFC Super Wild-Card round matchup.

The Bills extended their lead 21-0 on a 52-yard rush by Allen  midway into the second quarter. This was Allen’s fourth rushing touchdown in his playoff career.

Brady, who took over after offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was fired in mid-November, has helped the Bills offense land in top-five points-per-game. That play has extend the Bills’ winning streak to six games in a row including an undefeated December.

Brady was very animated as the rest of the staff up in the booth give him props.

Check it out below:

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Moving on from Pete Carmichael is just part of the Saints’ path forward

Moving on from Pete Carmichael is just part of the Saints’ path forward. Finding the right offensive coordinator is the most important decision of Dennis Allen’s career:

It wasn’t an easy decision, but the New Orleans Saints did it: they fired longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael on Tuesday, cutting off one of the last remaining pieces of their Super Bowl XLIV-winning team.

Now what?

Moving on from Carmichael isn’t enough. The Saints must replace him with a play caller who brings something new to the table: an upgrade, not a lateral move. By parting ways with Carmichael (and assistant coaches like Kodi Burns and Bob Bicknell) they’re signaling that it was Carmichael holding back the offense for the first three months, not quarterback Derek Carr.

So finding an offensive coordinator who can get more out of Carr while improving the run game is going to be key. Maybe that’s someone already on staff like passing game coordinator Ronald Curry. Maybe it’s someone who has worked with Carr before, like Jon Gruden. Or maybe an entirely fresh perspective could be the answer. There are assistant coaches on the rise around the league like San Francisco 49ers passing game specialist Klint Kubiak and Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson who could be in demand.

At the same time, Allen has tried and failed to recruit upgrades in each of his first two years on the job. He could be in a similar tough spot again this year with candidates looking elsewhere for better opportunities. If that’s the case, Allen might have to settle for a retread like Ken Dorsey (ex-Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator) or Jim Bob Cooter (the Indianapolis Colts’ OC, who defers play calling to head coach Shane Steichen). This is the most important hire Allen will make in his three-year run as head coach.

If Allen misfires and the Saints miss the playoffs yet again in 2024, that has to be the end of the line. That must be what’s at stake here: playoffs or bust. Another average-at-best showing from the offense and near-.500 record can’t be good enough. Not when the Saints marketed Allen’s own hiring two years ago as a move that would keep them competitive in the playoffs. After hiring his own coaches and drafting his own players and getting his own quarterback, Allen won’t have any excuses or anyone else to blame if he can’t guide this team to the postseason next year.

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Bills’ Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox were taken aback by Josh Allen touchdown run

Bills’ Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox were taken aback by Josh Allen touchdown run:

The Bills welcomed the Steelers for a Wild Card round matchup at home in Orchard Park on Monday night

And Buffalo ended Pittsburgh’s season with a final score of 31-17

And the first several big scoring plays for Buffalo came by way of three of their biggest offensive players in the passing game.

Tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid created mismatches with their size while providing big targets for quarterback Josh Allen, who found each for the Bills’ first two touchdown catches of the game.

Knox came through when his number was called for a touchdown play for the second consecutive week, and is now tied for the second most postseason TD catches in Bills franchise history.

“I was surprised it was that open” the veteran noted after the game, as he and Kincaid fielded press conference questions on their respective scores.

“It was the look we wanted,” added Kincaid about his touchdown play. “I don’t want to say I knew right away, but I had a pretty good feeling pre-snap and then post-snap it’s exactly where we wanted them to go to and Josh threw a great ball.”

The rookie led all receivers with 59 yards and the score amidst a well-spread-out passing game.

The two catches for scores gave Buffalo an early 14-0 lead. It was the first time that two tight ends for a team caught first-quarter touchdown passes in NFL postseason history

Allen was firing on all cylinders. He went for 203 passing yards with three touchdown tosses and 74 yards on the ground including a 52-yard scoring run which was good for the longest carry of his career. It was also the second-longest quarterback run in postseason history.

“It was third and long they played man,” the Bills QB said while breaking his play down for the press. “Didn’t have a great man call on so I decided to try to find a lane and got 15, 20 yards downfield and there’s a lot of guys screaming ‘slide’ and I didn’t slide and scored, so it worked out that time.”

The breakout rushing play impressed both Bills’ tight ends as well.

“It’s almost normal now, him making a crazy play like that almost every single game,” Knox added. “Sometimes you just can’t help but sit back and be a fan.”

The Josh Allen experience is still a newer one to the rookie Kincaid.

“It’s still surprising to me,” Kincaid said of Allen’s big plays. “Like ‘how does he stay up? How does he get the extra yards?’ and then tonight was ‘how did he score that touchdown?’, so I don’t know when it’ll get normal but it’s cool to watch.”

The Bills quarterback was firing on all cylinders. He went for 203 passing yards with three touchdown tosses and 74 yards on the ground including a 52-yard touchdown run which was good for the longest carry of his career.

“He’s a special player,” Kincaid added. “Best quarterback in the league for a reason.”

What we learned from the Bills’ win over the Dolphins

What we learned from the #Bills’ win over the #Dolphins:

The Buffalo Bills (11-6) successfully ran the table into the end of the regular season to secure a playoff spot after a rough start that saw them at 6-6 and on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

Five straight wins later, and they are the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and once more winners of the AFC East.

Buffalo’s start against Miami in the final game of the regular season was another ugly one that saw several turnovers in the first half.

After that, the Bills’ defense and depth players at positions on both sides of the ball stepped up, including an acrobatic heads-up touchdown by WR Trent Sherfield, a franchise record-long 95-yard punt return, and score by WR and return man Deonte Harty, and a game-sealing interception by S Taylor Rapp.

With that, here are three things we learned from Sunday’s win over the Dolphins:

Report card: Bills top Dolphins, 21-14

Report card: #Bills top #Dolphins, 21-14:

The 2023 NFL regular season has concluded and the Bills completed an eventful five-game winning streak to enter the playoffs with a fourth straight AFC East crown and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture.

Here is the BillsWire’s Week 18 report card for the Buffalo Bills (11-6) following the team’s 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins (11-6):

5 possible replacements for Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael

A new offensive coordinator is the most realistic change for the Saints in 2024. Here are some possibilities from Ken Dorsey and Eric Bieniemy to Jon Gruden:

Big changes are needed for the New Orleans Saints, but they appear to be willing to wait until 2025 when it’s easier to get out of Derek Carr’s contract and move on from him and head coach Dennis Allen as a package deal — obviously hoping both of them figure things out and finally achieve a winning season instead.

So the most realistic big change fans could expect for 2024 would be a new offensive coordinator. Pete Carmichael Jr. hasn’t gotten the job done in either of his two years as the Saints’ play caller. It’s possible that Allen could promote from within (passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry is an obvious possibility) but the Saints badly need fresh perspective in the room. They can’t keep trying to run Sean Payton and Drew Brees’ offense without either of them.

The problem is that Allen has tried and failed to replace Carmichael in each of his first two years on the job; up-and-comers like Liam Coen would rather stay in the college ranks than try and advance their career on his staff, while coaching veterans like Jay Gruden, Scottie Montgomery, and Robert Prince are trying their hand elsewhere. If Allen is going to get a new coordinator, it’ll be someone who is either desperate for the opportunity, highly-paid to sweeten the deal, or both.

So who fits that description? Here are five names we’re watching closely.

How Joe Brady has started to turn the Buffalo Bills’ offense around

New Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady has already made a difference, and it starts with pre-snap motion and four-strong.

You never know what will happen when you replace a play-caller in season. You hope for the best, but there isn’t a lot of time to create the changes you want. But in the case of the Buffalo Bills, who fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey on November 14 and replaced him with former quarterbacks coach Joe Brady, there are clear changes and improvements to the structure of an offense that wasn’t really working under Dorsey.

Perhaps the most obvious case of Brady’s offensive mindset showing up on the field happened last Sunday in the Bills’ 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. While everybody was focused on the now-infamous Kadarius Toney offside scandal, there was Josh Allen’s 25-yard touchdown to running back James Cook with 3:48 left in the first quarter,

Trent Sherfield motioned left to right, which put four to the left side. And it was a cool design. Cook ran a vertical route from the backfield in slot position, Gabe Davis ran a comeback from the boundary, Danton Kincaid ran a seam crosser, and Sherfield had the flat route to that side.

It looked like the Chiefs were in Quarters, and you can see safety Justin Reid telling safety Mike Edwards to jump from the middle third to the offensive left side of the field. So maybe that was a check off the motion. Edwards drove down on Cook, who ran right past him, and that was easy button all the way. The Chiefs had a five-man blitz with safety Chamarri Conner moving up, but the line handled it, and that was that. 

As ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky pointed out, this was an example of “four-strong,” which placed a burden on Kansas City’s defense by putting four potential receivers to one side.

I went back and looked at each of Allen’s 25 touchdown passes this season, and the only other example of four-strong this season came on this five-yard touchdown pass to Cook against the New York Jets in Week 11. This was Brady’s first game as offensive coordinator, which tells you that Dorsey was not on board with the concept. Too bad for Dorsey, because this example of four-strong, in which Cook flared out to accentuate the bunch right design, was wide open. Especially when all three receivers charged to the middle of the field. The increase in pre-snap motion is cool, but it’s a lot cooler when it means something, and it can displace a defense for the betterment of the quarterback.

It’s not the only new wrinkle Brady has sewed into Buffalo’s offense, but it might be the most important as the Bills look for new ways to make the most of their receivers, and Allen’s otherworldly potential.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys got into the Bills’ offense at a deeper level — starting with the theories behind four-strong.

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You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os,” featuring all of Week 15’s biggest NFL matchups (including Bills-Cowboys) right here:

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You can listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Sean McDermott reportedly bashed Cam Newton in staff meetings

According to Go Long’s Tyler Dunne, former Panthers DC and current Bills HC Sean McDermott used to bash Cam Newton in staff meetings.

Sean McDermott may not have been the biggest Cam Newton fan in Charlotte.

On Thursday, Tyler Dunne of Go Long published “The McDermott Problem,” a three-part look into the former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator and current Buffalo Bills head coach. Included in the third leg of the feature is a spicy anecdote about McDermott’s feelings on Newton.

Dunne writes:

One of the Bills assistants Go Long spoke to for this series said that McDermott’s “frame of reference” as a coach was watching Newton — in his mind — “ruin” the Panthers. “He used to come into offensive staff meetings,” this source said, “and just motherf–k Cam Newton.” Aside from the objective lunacy, this created… awkwardness. Before becoming the Bills’ quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, Ken Dorsey served as Newton’s coach from ‘13 to ‘17. Dorsey was the coach most responsible for Newton’s rise, thus Dorsey understandably wondered if McDermott knew he was sitting in the same room.

Newton and McDermott shared a sideline for six seasons in Carolina. Their work helped push the Panthers to three NFC South titles and the franchise’s second-ever Super Bowl appearance.

Unfortunately for McDermott, he hasn’t been able to reach the same heights up north with Josh Allen—whose big-play ability is often compared to Newton’s.

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What we’ve learned about the Bills this season following the bye week

8 things:

The Buffalo Bills are ready to resume football this week as the 2023 bye is over. Up next is a tough matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But before the Bills (6-6) take in another game, there’s already plenty we have learned about this team in 2023.

With that, here are eight things we’ve learned before the week off and as they come out of their bye week this season: