The Bills Will Regret Never Giving Josh Allen a True Offensive Guru

Many would say the Buffalo Bills have a great coaching staff, maybe even top 10 in the league. They have won the AFC East five seasons in a row and no signs point to that run coming to an end. Having the best Quarterback in your division, like Buffalo does with reigning MVP Josh Allen, gives you a significant advantage over the competition. Another reason for their success is Sean McDermott and the staff he has assembled. McDermott’s defense has been regarded amongst the best in the NFL since he took over as head coach in 2017. A big reason for this is McDermott’s ability to groom their draft picks into elite talent. Some homegrown talent that now have major roles on the team are Terrel Bernard, Christian Benford, James Cook and Gregory Rousseau. What makes him so successful at this is his ability to run schemes that allow his players to play to their strengths and improve under his guidance.

With this success has also come failure as McDermott’s defense has not been able to perform at a high level in the playoffs, especially in key moments. For example, in 2022 it looked like Buffalo was going to get their revenge on Kansas City after scoring with 13 seconds remaining in regulation to take the lead. In spite of that performance from Allen, Kansas City was able to go down the field in three plays to kick a field goal and force overtime. We all know how this game ended. What about in 2023 when Buffalo faced Cincinnati in the divisional round. The Bengals put up 24 points before halftime and ran Buffalo out of their own stadium. It has been proven time and time again that whenever Josh Allen and their offense needs a stop, McDermott and the Bills defense have failed to get it done.

This has put GM Brandon Beane in a tough position for years now. McDermott is too good of a coach to fire as they constantly have regular season success. However, he has not been able to get this team back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994. Also, Josh Allen is getting set to enter year 8 in the NFL and is not getting any younger. This poses the question, “Will Buffalo’s biggest regret be not hiring an offensive guru earlier in Josh Allen's career?” My answer is yes.

This strategy of getting an elite play caller is proven to be effective throughout the league. Case in point with the 49ers hiring Shanahan, Rams with Mcvay, Eagles with Sirriani, and the Chiefs with Andy Ried. All of these coaches find ways to improve their Quarterback’s ability with their overall knowledge of the game. All of these teams have won a Super Bowl except for the 49ers, who have made three appearances during Shanahan’s tenure. That’s not necessarily a fault of his, as you could argue that he hasn’t had the same level of Quarterback play as the other three coaches have had with Stafford, Hurts, and Mahomes respectively. By now it is evident that in today's NFL, offensive head coaches win championships. This is magnified when they are paired with elite Quarterbacks, like the Bills have in Allen.

Giving Allen a coach like this would very much improve the Bills offensive execution through a full 60 minute game. In the past, the Bills have stuck with what has worked for them in previous games, even if they are not executing. With an offensive mastermind, they would be able to identify the problem quicker and make in game adjustments that will lead to more successful outcomes. This would be beyond important for Buffalo as sometimes the offense hasn't performed to the best of their abilities in the postseason.

This does not take anything away from current offensive coordinator Joe Brady. He has done an amazing job for Buffalo since taking over halfway through the 2023 season. Last season, Buffalo had their greatest offensive season in the Allen era, hence why he was able to finally get his MVP. Be that as it may, in their last two playoff losses Brady has shown inexperience at times and it has hurt them. Having a Quarterback with so much talent is rare, and there are no excuses as to why the Bills have not made it to the Super Bowl yet. Circumstances may be different heading into 2025 if Buffalo decided to pair Josh Allen with an offensive guru a few years back.

The Buffalo Bills have been consistent Lombardi Trophy contenders for years with the roster that they have constructed. However, their inability to get over the hump in the postseason raises valid concerns about whether they’ve wasted the prime years of Josh Allen. McDermott has proven during the regular season that he can field an elite defense but none of that matters if he can’t deliver results in the playoffs. It's common among elite defenses that they find ways to improve their game in the playoffs but Buffalo has yet to figure that out. In today’s NFL, having elite offensive coaches often separates contenders from pretenders. If Buffalo chose to pair Allen with an offensive guru they would have unlocked even greater potential, and maybe even a Super Bowl ring. As Allen moves deeper into his career, the Bills may look back one day and wonder if their biggest mistake wasn’t who they hired, but in who they didn’t.