Falcons request permission to interview Bills interim OC Joe Brady

Yes, this is happening

On Saturday, January 22, 2023, then-offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey of the Buffalo Bills interviewed via Zoom to become the next coach of the Carolina Panthers. The request drew the ire of many within Bills Mafia due to the very important NFL Divisional Round playoff game the team had to prepare for and play the Sunday of that weekend.

Of course, Dorsey wasn’t announced as the Panthers’ next head coach. Carolina instead chose another person with ties to One Bills Drive in Frank Reich — and then swiftly ushered him out the door after 11 games and a 1-10 start.

Fast forward to today, with the news that the Atlanta Falcons have requested permission to interview Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady (whom they previously spoke with regarding the same role in 2021). Still not even officially in the role as offensive coordinator, it appears Brady has become sought-after in some NFL circles.

Brady stepped in for Ken Dorsey after the latter was let go by head coach Sean McDermott on the heels of a demoralizing loss at home to the Denver Broncos. Without facts to tell us why Dorsey was dismissed, it’s believed he lacked in key areas, with experience at the helm playing a role.

Looking back to that weekend of Dorsey’s interview, you’ll find that the Buffalo Bills wound up losing to the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-10, in the Divisional Round of last season’s playoffs. That game was punctuated by an uninspired performance overall, but one that featured a lack of adjustment and production on offense.

While it’s arguable that Buffalo’s offense lacked production under Dorsey to begin 2023, the theme of failure to adjust reared its head often and early in games, and led to his downfall. From a man interviewing to become a head coach, to out as offensive coordinator with Josh Allen as his key chess piece.

Brady got his feet wet in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant for Sean Payton. After two years in that role, he moved on to LSU where he served as the team’s passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2019 — working with future NFL stars in quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, among others. In 2020, Brady went back to the NFL, and to the watering hole that is the Carolina Panthers. His move back to the pros brought with it the title of offensive coordinator — a gig that didn’t go all that well for Brady in the end, culminating in his dismissal during December of 2021. From there, Brady joined the Bills as quarterback coach, a role he served in exclusively before adding interim offensive coordinator to his title.

The play here is to ask Bills Mafia if there’s concern in learning about the Falcons’ request to interview Joe Brady for their open head coach position. It’s a feather-in-the-cap moment at minimum for Brady, who’s called but eight NFL games with the Bills to this point.

Yet, that alone brings a measure of pause to the idea that he’s ready to become an NFL head coach — a lack of experience due to a short resume as OC.

Consider also the fact that after almost a quarter century, Bill Belichick is looking for new work as a head coach outside of Foxborough, MA. The first and only place he’s interviewed? The Atlanta Falcons who, by the way, are set to conduct a second interview with the esteemed Hoodie.

Belichick has been relegated to the unemployment line while the Buffalo Bills prepare to face the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend. He’s made it to the second round of interviews with Falcons management, yet for some reason the team wants to interview Joe Brady.

Cue the potentially spicy conspiracy theories.