What Actually Makes a Good NFL Offensive Coordinator? And Are There Fewer of Them in 2023? Three OCs have already been fired this season, and offense is down across the board. But being good at this job requires a lot more than just play-calling and what fans see on the field on Sundays.
Dorsey was hired by Buffalo in 2019 to become the Bills quarterbacks coach. He was charged with overseeing Josh Allen’s development, and within a year, he helped Allen become an MVP candidate. That work earned Dorsey a promotion to offensive coordinator in 2022, and that season, the Bills offense improved in every major statistical category despite a tough schedule and a midseason injury to Allen’s throwing arm. Not a bad four years of work for an NFL assistant.
But this year, Dorsey’s second at the helm, the offense experienced some inconsistency; avoidable turnovers turned winnable games into losses, and Dorsey was unceremoniously fired last week following the team’s late-game meltdown against Denver. And Bills fans weren’t upset about it! Despite the offense’s success under his watch, Dorsey’s play-calling had become a point of frustration in Buffalo, with complaints ranging from “They’re throwing it deep too often” to “They’re throwing it too short.” And while there was never much substance to those criticisms, the offensive coordinator is always a good scapegoat when the head coach’s seat heats up—or when the first-round quarterback isn’t playing well. Matt Canada learned that lesson this week when the Steelers fired him following another Kenny Pickett stinker.
Such is the life of an NFL offensive coordinator. You have a job that 99 percent of fans and analysts don’t really understand.
Tough call. I read a bunch of negative comments about Roman today that have me rethinking him as an option.
Yeah, I've read some of those criticisms of Greg Roman too. It's hard to figure out what the truth is about these guys. At least for me. Monken (Roman's replacement for the Ravens OC) seems to have taken that offense to a better place. I loved that game against the 49ers yesterday. Ravens look mighty tough.
Dorsey fits what the board says it wants: Experienced OC with a proven track record with a young QB. He was a scapegoat in BUFF this year. Last year his OFF was better than the Baboll OFF from the previous year.
