OC Joe Brady breaks down Bills’ offense’s biggest strength

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady feels as though the character of his offensive players is one of his unit's biggest strengths.

Kyle Silagyi | Aug 7, 2024

Bills quarterback Josh Allen talks with offensive coordinator Joe Brady during drills on day three of the Buffalo Bills training camp. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott sparked spirited social media discourse early in the 2018 NFL season when he said of his then 1-3 club “culture trumps strategy.”

And though some twisted the sideline boss’ words at his expense, the quote is still perhaps McDermott’s most concise summarization of one of his core beliefs as a leader: it all starts with culture. Sustained success stems from a sound culture constructed from the ground level of high-character individuals; triumph won’t last very long if the organization itself has a poor culture or if it's not consistently placing its players in the best positions to succeed.

Essentially every decision McDermott has made since taking the reins of the team in 2017 has been with its culture in mind, and the results are today easily visible; Buffalo’s roster both past and present often laud the team’s culture, with players frequently talking about becoming ‘the best version of themselves’ in Orchard Park.

The culture today looks to be as strong as it’s ever been, this despite an offseason in which stalwart starters like Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Mitch Morse, and Stefon Diggs departed One Bills Drive. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady even feels as though the character of the individuals who make up the offense is one of the unit’s biggest strengths, praising the demeanors of his offensive players ahead of Wednesday’s training camp practice.

“The biggest thing is, I just really like the character of the guys that we have," Brady said. "That’s so big to me. I believe that, you have to obviously have talent, but you combine talent with character, and I believe you’re going to have success. At the end of the day, we have to go out there and we have to play football, and we have to throw and catch, we have to score, we have to have a good offense, but I think with the type of people that we have, it allows us to do some of the things that we want to do. I’ve been really pleased with how the guys have worked together, bonded, had success, cheered for others' success. That’s stuff that we have to continue to build on.”

Bills head coach Sean McDermott talks with offensive coordinator Joe Brady during drills on the opening day of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford Wednesday, July 24, 2024. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Character is perhaps an attribute most detectable in the receiving corps, as Brady has asked Buffalo’s wideouts to embrace an ‘everyone eats’ mindset in the wake of significant offseason turnover at the position. There’s likely not going to be an individual player who demands north of 150 targets, but if the unit works together and prioritizes the success of the larger offense as opposed to personal achievements, the passing attack should, in theory, continue humming given its talent throughout; the receiving corps has fully embraced this mindset, a testament to their character and the culture the team has built.

The Bills’ offense will look vastly different in 2024 than it is in past years, but it’s positioned well for success given the team’s culture. Buffalo fans will get their first look at the team’s reworked offense this Saturday as the Bills host the Chicago Bears in a preseason clash.

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