In his 9-season tenure in western New York, Sean McDermott has frequently pointed to the “complementary football” philosophy as the foundation of his coaching ideals and program. He draws this from his background as a former Scouting Assistant under the late Jim Johnson, who was the former defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, that Buffalo Bills coaching structure underwent change following the firing of Sean McDermott; Joe Brady took over the head coaching position. Brady rose to national footballing fame while being the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at LSU during their historic 2019 national championship run. And his influence was thoroughly visible in Josh Allen and Co.’s 36-31 season-opening victory over the Houston Texans.
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Following the win against one of the best NFL defenses, Bills’ veteran left tackle Dion Dawkins appeared on WGR 550 radio with Sal Capaccio and offered an honest comparison between the old coaching regime under Sean McDermott and the new one under Joe Brady. He noted the change from a defensive-minded to an offensive-minded coach and whether or not the Bills can feel the difference.
“McDermott is our guy, but McDermott was a defense-driven coach. Joe Brady is an offensive-driven coach. And you can drastically feel it,” Dion Dawkins explained via Sal Capaccio on X.
That comment carries heavy weight coming from Dawkins. Drafted in the second round back in 2017 during McDermott’s first season, Dawkins has been an ever-present blocker on Josh Allen’s blindside across 9 seasons.
Apart from his rookie season in the league, Dion Dawkins hasn’t taken less than 94% of available offensive snaps in a single season even once. As a longtime offensive leader, he has practically watched Buffalo’s system evolve firsthand under Sean McDermott and now the shift towards Joe Brady’s style of football, and he knows the ins and outs of both coaches better than anyone.
Buffalo moved on from McDermott after another playoff stumble, finishing with a divisional-round loss in Denver. While McDermott was great during regular seasons, his defensive units repeatedly surrendered leads in the postseason, as is reflected in his 8-8 postseason record in 9 seasons. Owner Terry Pegula opted to reset the franchise, pairing Allen with an offensive head coach to maximize their championship window.
It was under Sean McDermott that the Buffalo Bills managed to end their 17-year-long playoff drought. But his conservative vision seldom allowed the Bills’ offense to flourish the way it did in the first game under Joe Brady.
The Houston Texans had been coming out on top in the recent matchups against the Bills. In 2024, Houston held Allen to 9-of-30 passing for 131 yards in a 23-20 loss. The next season, Houston’s pass rushers delivered 12 QB hits on Allen and 8 sacks in a single game that ended 23-19 in favour of the Texans.
However, under Joe Brady, the Bills offense was unstoppable and managed to carry them to victory with a 4th-quarter comeback. Buffalo scored 36 against DeMeco Ryans’ elite defense. Josh Allen threw for 334 yards and 2 passing TDs and rushed for another 23 yards and 2 rushing TDs. He didn’t throw a single pick, earning himself a passer rating of 130.5.
Dawkins and the OL kept Josh Allen relatively clean in the pocket, conceding only 2 sacks, as they neutralized Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter while creating room for explosive, game-changing chunk plays.
On the flip side, however, the Bills defense under new DC Jim Leonhard surrendered 31 points to C.J. Stroud, needing late-game heroics to escape Houston. Their first game without Sean McDermott at the defensive helm showed that Josh Allen and the offense will have to bail them out in certain high-scoring shootouts in the future as well.
Even with the win, Buffalo is not getting ahead of itself. Brady stated that “it’s just one game,” while Allen pointed out “it’s 1-0” with a short turnaround ahead. The Bills will now look forward to testing their offensive gameplay against the Detroit Lions on September 17, Thursday, in their home season opener.