The Buffalo Bills proved one thing with their Week 1 win over the Houston Texans: This is Joe Brady’s offense.
As offensive coordinator, Brady had only so much input into the offense. There were glimpses of what he wanted to do, but it wasn’t truly his.
As a defensive-minded coach, former Bills head coach Sean McDermott preferred to control the clock, establish the run, and stay on schedule. While it’s a small sample size, the Bills seemed to change this philosophy against the Texans.
With a revival of the deep passing game and fewer rushes, the offense looked clearly different. This isn’t a Sean McDermott Buffalo Bills team anymore.
But what exactly changed?
The Bills’ Aggressive Passing Game
The biggest difference with the Bills’ offense in Week 1 was how aggressive their pass game was. At times last season, it felt like they were playing not to lose, rather than to win. So seeing the team push the ball downfield was a breath of fresh air.
While the run game led the NFL in rushes, yards, and touchdowns, it often hindered them from being aggressive. Zoning in on the run as much as the Bills did last season kept opposing teams in the game.
The sample size is small under Joe Brady so far, but the underlying stats were promising. The aDoT (Average Depth of Target) on Josh Allen’s throws this week was 12.8 yards. For Buffalo fans last year, throwing the ball past the first-down marker seemed foreign. If the offense continues on this trajectory, that won’t be the case anymore.
Another thing to note: the offense averaged eight yards per play. This includes run plays, but the almost 240-yard difference between passing and rushing yards tells the story. Joe Brady wanted to send a message with the new-look offense, and he succeeded.
The Bills got the best out of their top two receiving options. Dalton Kincaid had five catches for 130 yards, making him the single-game receiving yard leader for Bills tight ends in the last 50 years. On top of that, the newly acquired D.J. Moore pitched in five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.
There’s a lot to look forward to after a promising Week 1 for Buffalo’s passing game. They’ll look to keep this momentum going into their Thursday night matchup against the Detroit Lions.
Less Focus On the Run
Against the Texans, last season’s rushing leader, James Cook, only had 13 carries for 57 yards. When he did get opportunities, Cook was still efficient.
Looking at Joe Brady’s background, this difference in offensive philosophy was to be expected. He was a passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at LSU, and he comes from the Sean Payton coaching tree. Assuming he would keep the same balanced style of offense as the defensive-minded Sean McDermott was wishful thinking.
While the offense is different now, the Bills still have much of the personnel needed for a successful run game. They returned four of five starting linemen and their entire running back room.
If the Bills had lost, the conversation might be different, but for now, things have worked. For opposing teams preparing to play against Buffalo, a new and improved passing game creates an even bigger headache.
To prepare for an aggressive offense, Josh Allen’s broken plays, and a run game ready to break through at any point is no easy task. The run game might not be the focal point anymore, but it will still be successful.
When all aspects of the Bills’ offense click, they have arguably the league’s best group. The ceiling is so high that it will make up for the defense’s growing pains.
What to expect in the Future
It’s easy to overreact to a Week 1 win. For example, last season, the AFC Champion New England Patriots lost to the Las Vegas Raiders, who would go on to receive the first pick.
A lot can happen in the remaining 17 weeks, so take everything from Week 1 with a grain of salt. That said, the Bills and Texans will compete for a Super Bowl this year.
The Bills made a statement in what was one of Week 1’s biggest games, and they didn’t even play their best football. At some point, Joe Brady will find the right balance between his aggressive passing game and using James Cook.
Bills fans can ride the high of this big win, but it’s important to remember there will still be growing pains on both sides of the ball. Some remaining questions for the team should be: When the deep ball gets taken away, can the offense turn back to the run game? Or when will the defense fully adjust to Jim Leonhard’s system?
All will be revealed in time. Week 1 was a big win for the Bills, but everyone needs to remain patient. When this team hits its full stride, they can be better than anyone.
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