Podcast Summary: Buffalo Plus – DAN ORLOVSKY joins Buffalo Plus to talk JOSH ALLEN, Joe Brady & his biggest CONCERN with the BILLS OFFENSE

Date: August 2, 2024
Host: Dan Fetes (Buffalo Plus)
Guest: Dan Orlovsky (ESPN Analyst; former NFL QB)

Episode Overview

This episode features ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky joining Dan Fetes to break down key Buffalo Bills topics: Josh Allen’s national reputation, what Allen needs to show in 2024, new offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s approach, and the analyst’s biggest concern for the Bills’ offense heading into the year. Orlovsky’s expertise as a former quarterback and renowned film analyst brings insider perspective on leadership, playing style, and how new offensive pieces might shape Buffalo’s success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Josh Allen’s Reputation: Responding to 'Overrated' Claims

• Dan Orlovsky’s take: Claims that Josh Allen is overrated don’t hold up under scrutiny. His play and body of work put him among the NFL’s elite.
• Quote:
  “It's moronic to say something like that … There's enough evidence over the course of a body of work of three plus years, four years, where you go, one of the best players in the NFL and certainly one of the best people at his position in the NFL, and it's the most important position.” – Dan Orlovsky, [04:14]
• Orlovsky explains that criticism of top QBs is inevitable, but Allen's performance stands with the very best (such as Mahomes).
• Football minds and unbiased observers agree: Allen is at worst a top 2–3 quarterback.

2. What Josh Allen Needs to Improve in 2024

• Orlovsky emphasizes that Allen must become more disciplined, making decisions that safeguard the team’s fortunes.
• Recounting his own NFL lesson: “At some point, you gotta realize you don't hold your job in your hands when you got the ball. You hold everyone's. … And Josh lost sight of that a little bit, I feel.” – Dan Orlovsky, [06:17]
• Allen’s evolution: Orlovsky wants to see Josh mature, especially in pressured moments—“grow up,” be less reckless, and avoid being the reason for a loss, as in the Jets game after Aaron Rodgers' injury.
• He challenges Allen to commit to “boring football” when needed—making routine plays, handing off on RPOs, and understanding his “point guard” role in the offense.

3. The Challenge of Playing 'Boring'—Lessons from Stafford & Allen

• Fetes and Orlovsky agree great QBs (like Matt Stafford and Allen) often prefer difficult, splashy throws—even when simpler options are open.
• Quote:
  “Those guys that are crazy talented, they always think, ‘I can make the throws that everybody else can't.’ The boring stuff is … are you willing to do and make the throws and the plays that like every quarterback in the league can make, even though you can make plays that no one else can?” – Dan Orlovsky, [09:19]
• Fetes recalls Allen’s teenage mindset: “No, Coach. Brett Favre says touchdowns first.” [17:14]
• The hosts examine if Allen, without last season’s weapons, can adapt to win with checkdowns and smart, steady decisions.

4. Joe Brady as Offensive Coordinator: Simple, Fast & Exotic

• Orlovsky praises OC Joe Brady, tracing his innovation back to the 2019 LSU championship run with Joe Burrow. Orlovsky lauds Brady’s ability to layer complexity onto simple concepts, making them difficult for defenses.
• Quote:
  “The thing that I love about Joe is there's this complexity in the simple … they don't try to run 47 plays, but they want to run them in 470 different ways. That's taking that simplicity of stuff … and just making it very exotic.” – Dan Orlovsky, [10:25]
• Brady’s willingness to use Allen in run situations, the various ways he can run RPOs, and his comfort with multiple weapon types excite Orlovsky.

5. Biggest Concern for Bills’ Offense in 2024

• Orlovsky’s major question: With changes at receiver, who will reliably beat man coverage? Especially against top defenses (Chiefs, Ravens, Dolphins, Steelers) in critical playoff situations.
• Quote:
  “Who's going to be the winner on a consistent basis versus good coverage guys?” – Dan Orlovsky, [12:43]
• The main worry is that, with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone, a proven man-beater hasn’t yet emerged. Names like Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman are mentioned as options, but uncertainty remains.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On national QB narratives:
  “Tom Brady's the only good quarterback, everyone else sucks … Now we're in a world where Patrick Mahomes is the only good one. If everyone else sucks, and it's like, no, there's other really, really, really great quarterbacks, and Josh is one of them.” – Dan Orlovsky, [05:14]
• On becoming a mature team leader:
  “Someone’s got to tell him to grow up.” – Dan Orlovsky, [06:08]
• On Matthew Stafford's mentality:
  “Because you can, but you can’t throw that one.” – Matt Stafford (as recalled by Orlovsky), [09:08]
• Josh Allen’s Wyoming anecdote:
  “No, Coach. Brett Favre says touchdowns first. And I said, I don’t care about Brett Favre. Throw the ball to the fullback.” – Josh Allen’s Wyoming coach (as recounted by Fetes), [16:28]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:14]: Orlovsky rebuts “overrated” takes on Allen; top-QB discussion.
• [06:08]: What Allen needs to improve (discipline, decision-making, leadership).
• [09:08]: Stafford story—mentality of elite-armed QB; challenge of taking easy options.
• [10:25]: Orlovsky’s scouting report on Joe Brady and offensive philosophy.
• [12:43]: Orlovsky outlines his biggest concern—the lack of proven man-beaters at receiver.

Overall Tone & Final Thoughts

The discussion is frank, technical, and insightful but also friendly—with mutual respect between host and guest. Both appreciate elite QB play but underscore the need for growth and adaptation as rosters and schemes change.

Fetes wraps with reflection on the “point guard” analogy and whether Allen can play the “boring” football that might be required of him in 2024, especially with a reshaped supporting cast. The episode balances hardcore football insight with approachable storytelling, making it apt for both diehard and casual Bills fans.