OC Joe Brady ‘not concerned’ about snapping issues as Bills OL adjusts to new center

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady is not overly concerned with new center Connor McGovern's early snapping issues.

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Buffalo Bills guard Connor McGovern (66) at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Excellence from the center position was long assumed—and frankly, taken for granted—at One Bills Drive, as former Pro Bowler Mitch Morse has expertly anchored the Buffalo Bills offensive line throughout the past five seasons.

The team was forced to part ways with the stalwart as a cap casualty in the spring, looking internally for a succession plan in the wake of his departure. Buffalo ultimately identified starting left guard Connor McGovern as its new starting center, sliding him a few feet to his right to what the 26-year-old described as his “natural position;” though he started 17 games for the Bills at guard last year, he logged nearly 1,000 snaps at center throughout his collegiate career.

And though center may be the position at which McGovern is the most comfortable, his current transition hasn’t been seamless. He’s struggled to consistently snap the ball throughout camp, with beat reporter Alex Brasky noting on Monday that he’s counted four snaps between the lineman and quarterback Josh Allen that have ended up on the ground. The issues initially occurred exclusively in shotgun, but a Monday snap in which the quarterback lined under center also ended up on the turf.

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While snapping issues are far from ideal, offensive coordinator Joe Brady isn’t yet hitting the panic button. He reiterated confidence in McGovern while speaking to reporters on Tuesday, stating that he and Allen have been putting in extra work both before and after practice. 

“[McGovern is] so natural at the center position,” Brady said. “He’s such an elite communicator, and that’s so important as a center, being able to get everybody on the same page. We play so many games on the road, and being able to talk, he does a great job in the room just leading. Yeah, balls on the ground are always going to be a concern, to me, you never just push it aside. But that’s expected, too; they’re staying after practice, doing before. Some of it is just different, them getting on the same page, you’re changing snap counts, and now you’re going in pads against some guys. I’m not concerned about it. I don’t like when balls are on the ground, but nothing that I think is out of the norm.”

It’s premature to be overly concerned with McGovern’s early snapping woes, but given the importance of consistent snaps (the offense literally cannot run without them), this will be a talking point until the veteran eliminates errant snaps from his game. He and Allen will continue to work on their communication and exchange throughout the rest of camp; if the blues continue to sing, it will be interesting to see if Buffalo considers giving some first-team reps to Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, a former All-SEC center whom it selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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