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Before the season, the Bills had to make the playoffs. They were the favorites of the consensus to win their division. It wasn’t outrageous to think they could win the playoff twice and reach the AFC Championship game.
How they got there is easily understood now, looking back from 19 games, but their path was completely unexpected just a few months ago. Simply put, no one knew Buffalo would boast one of the best offenses in football.
By the numbers, no team has improved more on this side of the ball. You could say that no player on both sides has improved more than Josh Allen, who catapulted into MVP competition in Year 3. He didn’t do it alone, of course.
The guy behind the guy is offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. And he’s the 2020 AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.
Daboll was named winner at NFL Honors Saturday. Consider this the culmination of three years of working alongside Allen, who entered the league as one of the most raw QB top 10 selections in recent memory.
The two arrived in Buffalo within months of each other, but success was not immediate. The Bills placed 31st in offensive DVOA this first season. They were 21st last year. This year, they were fifth. As a result, their offense climbed to second in the league with 31.3 points per game, an increase of 11.7 points from the previous campaign.
After reaching the playoffs in 2019 thanks to a top defense, the Bills won the AFC East this season and earned their first playoff victory in 25 years largely because of their offense.
It started with Daboll helping Allen become a more precise passer – his completion percentage has gone from 52.8 to 58.8 to 69.2 since 2018. The 45-year-old CO has also adjusted his plans to better match the Buffalo staff, spurred on by the addition of Stefon Diggs, and shape a cohesive downline attack. From week 1, Daboll’s unit resumed games against both poor and primary defenses (see: Rams, Patriots, Dolphins, Colts).
The longtime former Patriots assistant had served as the offensive coordinator for three NFL teams before joining Sean McDermott’s staff. But never for more than two years. Even a stint as offensive coordinator for Alabama, which produced a national championship, only lasted one season.
Daboll has found a home in western New York and, after drawing attention for two head coach vacancies, will be back for more in 2021. That could be a Great development for bills.
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