Buffalo Bills News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady gives instructions during drills at St. John Fisher University Tuesday, July 29, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joe Brady's stubborn play calls cost slumping Bills two weeks in a row

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ralph Ventre | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 9:17 AM ET

So much for learning from the prior week's mistakes.

It seems as if head coach Sean McDermott was onto something when he called out the Buffalo Bills' play calling for getting "too cute" during the Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots.

Although he didn't specify, one has to assume McDermott was disappointed by the choice to attempt a jet sweep handoff to tight end Dawson Knox on the Bills' first offensive possession. With Buffalo facing a 1st-and-10 from the Patriots' 47-yard line, quarterback Josh Allen and Knox were unable to execute a clean handoff and the ball was fumbled away.

When asked about the head coach's comment, Bills' offensive coordinator Joe Brady, somewhat smugly, brushed off any hint of criticism and defended the decision while addressing reporters the day after the 23-20 loss. Therefore, it shouldn't have come as a surprise when Brady went back to the non-traditional play call at a key spot during the October 13 road loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jet sweep madness

Even more maddening this time around, with an effective James Cook on the sideline, Brady ordered a jet sweep to Elijah Moore on a 3rd-and-1 play from the Buffalo 48-yard line as the Bills trailed, 21-14, with 11:08 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Naturally, Allen and Moore flubbed the handoff, pushing Buffalo back into a 4th-and-5 and forcing a punt.

As retired Bills' wide receiver Stevie Johnson so eloquently proclaimed on X, "respectfully terminate the [expletive] jet sweep from playbook."

Cook can only watch

Making the sin even harder to forgive, Cook recorded a four-yard gain on second down before coming off the field to make way for the dud of a gadget play. With two downs to gain one yard, why not a simple handoff to the featured running back who averaged 5.1 yards per carry in the loss? Nevermind not calling Cook's number, the Bills didn't even have him on the field at a crucial moment in a primetime road game.

In what's sure to make one's head explode, that aforementioned four-yard carry on second down wound up being Cook's last touch of the game despite the Bills obtaining two more possessions in the final quarter.

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

When asked about the idea behind sidelining Cook for the 3rd-and-1 play, McDermott simply said "it's a good point."

As for the jet sweep call, the head coach offered "we can be better."

Actually, coach, you and your staff can be a lot better.

Two straight short-yardage blunders

The failed jet sweep marked the second straight possession that ended with the Bills unable to convert a short-yardage attempt.

With the third quarter clock winding down, Buffalo faced a 4th-and-2 from Atlanta's 46. Of course, Cook was on the sideline as Brady dialed up a pass play out of shotgun formation. Allen awkwardly rolled to his left with a blitzer coming off the opposite edge, but the quarterback was unable to get the ball to running back Ty Johnson, who was open for a split second beyond the first-down marker.

There's no question that the offense has looked disjointed at too many instances already this season. It's long past time for Brady and the Bills to cut the nonsense and get back to basics.