NFL
By: Charlie Gross
Thirteen Seconds of miscommunication and poor defense ended the Buffalo Bills 2021 season in a heartbreaking fashion. Changes were made to the coaching staff, front office, and roster as the Bills look to satiate their appetite for a Super Bowl win. Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll and Assistant General Manager left for the New York Giants. Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane have retooled and refueled this roster and coaching staff for a championship run.
Buffalo Bills 11-6 (Lost in the divisional round)
Offense
The Biggest change for the Bills comes with the departure of Brian Daboll to the Giants and the promotion of Quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey to Offensive Coordinator. Daboll did a great job developing Josh Allen and laying the groundwork for a dynamic offense. It’s Dorsey’s job to continue that success while diversifying the offense. Under Daboll, Buffalo ran most of their offense through the Wide Receivers in 11 and 10 personnel. Dorsey looks to run more 12 personnel while also getting the Running Backs and Tight Ends more involved. While Dorsey is the offensive coordinator, he isn’t the most prominent name added to the coaching staff.
Buffalo added Joe Burrow’s former OC and former Panthers OC, Joe Brady as the new Quarterbacks coach. Brady brings another young, up-and-coming mind to the Bills’ offensive staff. While there are sure to be some growing pains with a new OC who’s never called plays in the NFL, Sean McDermott has done his best to help Dorsey by adding former Carolina Panthers OC Mike Shula to the coaching staff as a senior offensive assistant. New offensive line coach Aaron Kromer rounds out the major changes to the offensive coaching staff. Kromer is one of the best OL coaches in the league.
Changes on the offensive side of the ball weren’t limited to just the coaching staff. Roger Saffold was added to play Left Guard while Ryan Bates will take over the Right guard spot. This new offensive line should be the best one the Bills have had in the “McDermott Era”. Gabe Davis was promoted to WR2 pass-catchers O.J. Howard, and Jamison Crowder along with rookie running back James Cook and rookie wide receiver Kahlil Shakir were added. The Bills hope to play up to their potential on offense this year.
Defense
Leslie Frazier’s top-ranked unit underwent changes of its own. Longtime Linebackers coach Bob Babich retired, his son, Bobby Babich took his place. Buffalo spent its 1st round pick on cornerback Kaiir Elam, finally giving Tre White a running mate with athletic upside. The Biggest changes for this Bills defense came on the defensive line. Buffalo enters the 2022 season with five new defensive linemen. Star Lotulelei, Jerry Hughes, Vernon Butler, Harrison Phillips, and Mario Addison all departed. Von Miller, DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle, Shaq Lawson, and Jordan Phillips were brought in to shore up the run defense, and the Bills needed “finishers” at pass rusher. The Bills had a lot of pressure and Quarterback hits but not enough sacks in key moments last two years.
Special Teams
Former Special Teams coach Heath Farwell’s contract was not renewed and he was replaced with Matthew Smiley. Buffalo finds itself with questions at the Punter and Kick and Punt Return positions. The Battle for the return duties seems to be a three-way battle between Isaiah McKenzie, Tavon Austin, and Kahlil Shakir. The “punt god” Matt Araiza looks to make Matt Haack expendable. For more on these battles check out my article Here
Outlook
The 2021 season turned out to be a disappointment for anyone who plays for or roots for the Buffalo Bills. So what will 2022 bring? There might be a few growing pains on offense at first but I believe the Buffalo Bills could win as many as 15 games this upcoming season. A historic offensive season in terms of statistical production isn’t too far out of reach and the defense could easily finish as a top 5 defense for the third straight year. Even with a difficult schedule, it’s hard not to have extreme optimism. Buffalo is a team that has grown together and paid its dues together. While the losses in the playoffs have been difficult to watch and hard for the players themselves to experience, adversity builds character. I believe this is the year that hard work and experiencing adversity pay off.
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