Ken Dorsey is out: Bills take a dangerous gamble with season on the line

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1970-01-01 08:00

Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was fired on Tuesday following the loss to the Broncos.

On Tuesday, the Bills announced they were firing offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey after going 5-5 to start the season. Quarterbacks coach Joe Brady will serve as the interim offensive coordinator.

Dorsey's sacking comes after a Week 10 loss to the Denver Broncos in what head coach Sean McDermott called an "inexcusable" game. McDermott hinted at the possibility of a dramatic change in the Bills' building after the defeat -- now, it's pretty clear what was on his mind.

Ken Dorsey, who has been with the Bills since 2019, is out after less than two years of serving as the team's offensive coordinator.

In 2022, Dorsey's debut as OC, the Bills' offense sat at the top of the league as one of the most potent units in the game, ranked second in the league in total yards of offense and points scored.

Bills' Ken Dorsey sacking sends the right kind of message

This season, the numbers show the Bills' offense isn't really that far off -- they're still a high-performing, top-10 unit helmed by Josh Allen and his cohort of speedy receivers. In the turnover department, however, the Allen and the offense have visibly struggled to take care of the football.

Through 10 games, the Bills lead the NFL with 14 turnovers. Monday's loss marked the sixth consecutive game that Allen has thrown a pick (he threw two that game), and this far into the season, the Bills want to see better ball security and more "oomph" out of their franchise quarterback.

Dorsey alone shouldn't be blamed for Allen's often annoying tendency to chuck the ball downfield. He can be blamed for other issues like ongoing execution woes, late-game play sequencing, and just an overall lack of cohesion in the offensive scheme.

While some mid-season sackings reek of desperation, the Bills appear to have made the right move here. Under Dorsey, the offense was stagnant, unexciting, and sloppy, and the Bills needed something to change. Dorsey, for better or worse, was made out to be the scapegoat. Now, this Bills team has no more excuses going into the final make-or-break stretch of the season.