Buffalo Plus Podcast: Emergency Pod — Buffalo Bills Fire Ken Dorsey

Date: November 15, 2023
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fates

Overview:

This emergency episode of the Buffalo Plus Podcast dives into the Buffalo Bills’ decision to fire Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey after the team’s middling start to the 2023 season. Hosts Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, and Dan Fates offer insider perspectives and candid reactions on why the move was made, what it means for head coach Sean McDermott and quarterback Josh Allen, and what comes next for the team with Joe Brady taking over play-calling.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Ken Dorsey Was Fired (00:00–06:20)

• Offensive Stagnation & Josh Allen’s Decline
  • Mike Catalana opens with:

    “He was fired because this offense is lost. And most importantly, number 17 is lost.” (00:00)

  • Dorsey’s firing is not just about one bad loss (e.g., vs. Broncos) but a continued, season-long decline in offensive consistency and execution.
  • Dan Fates:

    “You had a Ferrari... and you gave the keys to a guy with a learner’s permit and it didn’t work out.” (00:07; 01:35)

• Timing and Organizational Panic
  • The hosts agree that the move was overdue and reflects urgency to salvage the season:

    “They're in panic mode at the moment. I mean, they really are.” —Mike Catalana (00:55)

  • Dorsey had become “a dead man walking”; the firing was inevitable after weeks of poor performance.

2. The Josh Allen Factor (02:44–09:24)

• Allen’s Struggles and “Fixing” the Franchise QB
  • Jenna Cottrell:

    “He’s like a shell of himself out there.” (02:44)

  • Main mission: Restore Allen’s confidence and elite play; everything else (staff, system) is secondary to that.
• Questioning Offensive Design
  • The crew references analytics like EPA and DVOA, but insist the numbers don’t match what’s seen on the field.

    "Watch the games. Listen to the quarterback. Look at the score... now he's — I said it last night — just a guy. How does Josh Allen become just a guy?" —Mike Catalana (03:17; 03:54)

  • Other teams and analysts (Patrick Peterson, Dan Orlovsky) have openly called the offense easy to predict and defend.

3. Accountability: Is Dorsey the ‘Fall Guy’ or Justified? (05:16–11:19)

• Pressure on Sean McDermott
  • Jenna Cottrell:

    “The pressure has just been turned up so much, though, on Sean… he was like, I gotta do something. I gotta make a move.” (05:16)

  • McDermott’s loyalty to Dorsey ended when offensive results and criticism mounted. The loss of his defensive coordinator and self-assumption of that role may have spread him too thin.
  • Removing Dorsey described as using “the last bullet” before head coach accountability.
• Player vs. Coordinator Blame
  • Mike Catalana takes stock:

    “There's a lot that goes on him (Josh). He’s made some dumb mistakes... but Josh Allen's going to be around longer than anybody else. Gotta fix him.” (07:21–08:10)

4. Offensive Identity Crisis (11:19–15:12)

• No Bread-and-Butter Under Dorsey
  • Dan Fates on lack of staple plays and predictable chaos:

    “There was never any of that for 25 games of Ken Dorsey. It was clunky, what did Sean say? It was hectic at times. It was an adventure. The last thing I want my offense to be called, an adventure.” (09:24–09:25)

• The Dorsey Hire: Retrospective Doubts
  • Hosts reflect on Dorsey as Allen’s pick and a move intended for stability, but question whether he was ever the right fit.

    “I said this is a bad job for Dorsey to take... It was a lose, lose spot for Ken Dorsey.” —Dan Fates (10:36)

5. What Now? Joe Brady, Running Game, and Immediate Future (11:34–15:43)

• What Will Joe Brady Change?
  • Expect more running, with a simplified scheme, and an urgent goal to rebuild Josh Allen’s confidence.

    “They are going to run the football more... because the passing game in general is broken.” —Mike Catalana (12:06) “I don't think you build Josh's confidence up by taking the ball out of his hands.” —Dan Fates (13:51)

  • The pressing metric: points per game in the first half, currently among the league’s worst.
• Feed Your Best Player
  • Dan Fates suggests a more direct plan:

    “Why don’t you just say this week, like, hey, we’re just going to feed Stefon Diggs until he throws up?” (14:43)

6. Leadership, Vibe, and Locker Room Energy (15:44–20:03)

• Josh Allen’s Personality Under Scrutiny
  • Both body language and on-field energy have shifted:

    “Right now, it seems almost that he doesn’t care, and I know that that’s not the case.” —Jenna Cottrell (16:32) “Where resigned is what I feel like. Like, it’s like, yep, this has happened, where losing before was...” —Mike Catalana (16:44)

  • Calls for Allen to regain his confidence, leadership, and signature fearless style — compared to Derek Jeter’s clubhouse presence.

    “Josh has to have that... it’s the drunk carnival ride that... you fell in love with.” —Dan Fates (17:18)

• Impact of Dorsey’s Firing on Allen
  • This is the first coach fired “on his watch.” Allen’s leadership and demeanor are more crucial than ever for the next seven games.

7. Big Picture: McDermott’s Hot Seat and Franchise Trajectory (19:38–End)

• What Happens if Things Don’t Improve?
  • McDermott’s last resort before job security is on the line:

    “Sean McDermott used this bullet here. The next one's aimed for him.” —Mike Catalana (19:48)

  • NFL’s relentless nature: even Bill Belichick could be fired, so no one is immune.
• Fixing Josh Allen, Not Just the Roster
  • None of the hosts believe Allen’s mechanical skills have declined; it’s about decision-making and restoring his edge.
• Closing Thoughts:
  • Jokes about extreme fan overreaction (“People texted me they should bench Josh. Like, shut—” —Jenna Cottrell, 21:13).
  • The consensus: This “stinks” but change was necessary, and all eyes are now on Allen, Brady, and McDermott.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “He was fired because this offense is lost. And most importantly, number 17 is lost.”
  — Mike Catalana (00:00)
• “You had a Ferrari... and you gave the keys to a guy with a learner’s permit.”
  — Dan Fates (00:07)
• “They’re in panic mode at the moment.”
  — Mike Catalana (00:55)
• “He’s like a shell of himself out there.”
  — Jenna Cottrell (02:44)
• “There was never any of that for 25 games of Ken Dorsey. It was clunky... an adventure. The last thing I want my offense to be called, an adventure.”
  — Dan Fates (09:25)
• “The next one's aimed for him [McDermott].” — Mike Catalana (19:48)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Why Dorsey Was Fired: 00:00–03:53
• Josh Allen’s Struggles: 02:44–04:01
• Offense Predictable & Easy to Defend: 04:01–04:37
• Dorsey as ‘Fall Guy’ & McDermott’s Pressure: 05:16–07:19
• Fixing Allen, Not Just System: 07:19–09:24
• Dorsey Hire and Move to Joe Brady: 09:45–12:06
• What Changes Now: 12:06–14:25
• Bills Identity & Leadership Shift: 15:43–19:05
• Big Picture & McDermott’s Future: 19:38–20:14

Conclusion

This episode is an unfiltered, insider breakdown of the Dorsey firing that underscores just how urgent and pivotal this point in the Bills' season is. While Dorsey shoulders the blame for offensive dysfunction, the future of the franchise rests firmly on Josh Allen regaining his form and Sean McDermott staving off mounting hot-seat pressure. The next seven games — and Joe Brady’s stewardship — will be the true test of the Bills’ resilience and adaptability in pursuit of saving their season and long-term direction.