Bills QB Josh Allen blames himself, turnovers for dismissal of OC Ken Dorsey: 'Sad to see him go'
After a 24-22 loss to the Broncos that included four turnovers and multiple penalties that set up Denver's game-winning field goal, something had to change in Buffalo.
That change turned out to be the dismissal of Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. The Bills fired Dorsey Tuesday morning, roughly 12 hours removed from the loss that dropped Buffalo to 5-5 and put its postseason hopes in further peril.
On Wednesday, quarterback Josh Allen lamented Dorsey's dismissal while singing his praises.
“I love Dorsey,” Allen told reporters after practice. “As a human being he’s one of the good ones. He’s been in this room with me for a very long time. I feel like I owe him a lot of the success that I’ve had in my career. He’s been a huge part of that. So, sad to see him go.
“The fact is, we play better as a team, we probably don’t have to make a move like that. He’s a big part of what we’ve been doing here the last few years."
Allen then put the brunt of the blame for Buffalo's struggles on himself and the team's turnovers.
“I’ve got to be better," Allen continued. "We’ve got to be better as an offense. Turnover-wise it’s abysmal when we lose, and there’s no secret to that.
"We’re not a broken offense. We’re not a broken team. But the splits compared to when we win and when we lose are massive. Again, that’s on my shoulders. We’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better.”
That doesn't sound like a man who believes that Dorsey was the problem. And, indeed, general offensive success isn't a problem in Buffalo. The Bills rank seventh in the league with 370.1 yards per game. They're eighth with 26.2 points per game. Allen ranks in the top 10 in the league in both completion percentage and yards per attempt.
The problem is the turnovers. The Bills have given the ball away 18 times this season, tied for the second most turnovers in the NFL. Allen's responsible for the majority of them through the air with a league-worst 11 interceptions.
That was the case Monday night. Buffalo's offense was fine when it wasn't turning the ball over. The Bills averaged 7.1 yards per play compared to 4.2 for the Broncos. But they couldn't overcome a 4-to-1 turnover deficit. Allen was responsible for three of them. He threw two interceptions and fumbled a handoff to James Cook that Denver recovered. Dorsey didn't commit those turnovers.
Allen said Wednesday that he spoke with head coach Sean McDermott and understands "the thought process of why we’re" firing Dorsey. Asked what kind of difference he expected Dorsey's dismissal to make for the Bills' season, he didn't have an answer.
“I honestly don’t know," Allen said. "I haven’t been in a situation like this."
The season's not over in Buffalo. The expansion of the playoffs to seven teams in each conference makes it that much easier to earn a postseason berth. But the Bills are on the wrong side of the playoff picture if the postseason started this week. The 5-4 Houston Texans would claim the final playoff spot in the AFC.
With seven games left, the schedule's not doing Buffalo any favors. The Bills have games remaining against the leaders and reigning champions of each conference in the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. They also face a pair of 6-3 teams in the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys.
There's no room for error in Buffalo. And it's up to Allen — not newly promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady — to figure out how to limit his turnovers. Allen's acutely aware of this.
