Emergency Pod. Buffalo Bills fire Ken Dorsey

Summary

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

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

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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.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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

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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.

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Transcript

[Mike Catalana]

He was fired because this offense is lost. And Most importantly, number 17 is lost.

[Dan Fates]

You had a Ferrari. That was this Bill's offense with Josh Allen and Stefan Diggs and all these pieces. And you gave the keys to a guy with a learner's permit and it didn't work out. This is the Buffalo plus podcast brought to you by Connors and Ferris.

[Jenna Cottrell]

All right, welcome into a special edition of the Buffalo plus podcast in our brand new podcast studio, presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana, Dan Fates, I am Jenna Cottrell. Gentlemen, we are holding this emergency podcast. Please be sure to like, comment and subscribe to the channel because Ken Dorsey is no longer the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. Mike, why now?

[Mike Catalana]

They're in a panic mode at the moment. I mean, they really are. They're five and five. There's seven games left in the season. I think they could have made this move a month ago. They gave Dorsey opportunities. I will say one thing. He's not fired because of the way they played specifically in the game against the Broncos. I find that take, and it's a big national take, to be idiotic. It's people who have not watched this football team. Josh Allen was bad in that game. The Bills turned the ball over, they dropped a few balls, all those things. He was fired because this offense is lost. And Most importantly, number 17 is lost.

[Dan Fates]

I said it before, I will say it again. It didn't work. You had a Ferrari. That was this Bill's offense with Josh Allen and Stefan Diggs and all these pieces and you gave the keys to a guy with a learner's permit and it didn't work out. Mike makes the point. Probably could have been fired a month ago. And we talked about it yesterday as we are running on what we're running on adrenaline and coffee at this point, like that's pretty much all this is. We got home at like 3:30 last night. This Ken Dorsey was a dead man walking. Whether he got fired today, whether he got fired before the bye week or whether he got fired in the off season.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

So the sense of, oh, he's the fall guy, somebody you had to do something. And what it comes down to most, and we talked about it last night, was protecting and trying to get Josh Allen back to being Josh Allen. Because that's what seems the most lost out of all of this. And that is what you can afford. You can afford to rotate an offensive coordinator. You can afford. If the Pulas think that it's the best for Josh Allen is to move on from Sean McDermott, which I know a lot of people out there are calling for. That's fine. But the main thing has to be getting Josh Allen back to who Josh Allen is.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He's like a shell of himself out there. We talked about it last night, what we've seen throughout this season. I mean, we're halfway through the season as well. So, yeah, I think when people are like, hey, it's McDermott's got to go. This is the first move in the series of moves. If that were to ever happen, it's got to be Dorsey first, though, considering where this offense is at, the talent that we talked about, the execution that we have seen this team do. We talked to Josh Allen last week. He's like, I remain confident in the process because we've seen it happen before. But yet at the same point, this offense has been so consistently inconsistent in their ability.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't know. I mean, I see the EPA and the dvoa, and, you know, the numbers are good. We've said this before. I don't want to dismiss the numbers like they don't exist. Come on, fellas. Ladies, watch the games. Listen to the quarterback. Look at the score. Like, the issue is not in general, what they do in certain circumstances, which is what those numbers measure. Yeah. The issue is it's a quarterback who you say is a Ferrari. He was in his career, has played at an elite level.

[Dan Fates]

Yep.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And now he's. I said it last night, just a guy. How does Josh Allen become just a guy?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, even Dan Orlofsky saying on the Pat McAfee podcast, like, this was an easy Bills offense to prepare for. And when someone. I mean, obviously he has his caliber, a former NFL quarterback. But when someone like that is just turning on the tape, Dan, and can easily tell, that to me, is huge.

[Dan Fates]

It goes back to last season, the Vikings game, when they lost to the Vikings. Patrick Peterson went on a podcast and said, I knew because Gabe Davis lined up here. I knew he was running one of two routes. Like, you're going out and openly telling people and that, I know what you're going to do.

[Mike Catalana]

And then Patrick Peterson intercepted the ball. That's the thing. Yeah. Then he did it.

[Dan Fates]

It's like they didn't then say, like, hey, guys, got to make some changes. Let's rip this thing up and let. Let's start over. No, they kept smashing their head against the wall, Jenna, as you so eloquently put it, they kept getting with the hit with the bag of crap, and then we're Saying h, flowers or daisies or what? This is why a change had to be made again. It. It was going to happen eventually. And honestly, I think the fact that it's made now at 5 and 5 gives you a tiny bit of. They're not packing in for the season. Because I think if they're packing it for the season, I think they just roll the ball out there. They play the last seven games with Dorsey. They know that he's a dead man walking. You move on.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I feel like the pressure has just been turned up so much, though, on Sean. On. Exactly. That's why I feel like. Because it was all coming back on Sean. He was like, I gotta do something. I gotta make a move. I gotta get some of the pressure and alleviate some of that and give myself a little extra room in terms of the Runway.

[Dan Fates]

I don't think Sean would have been doing his head coaching duties if he just wanted to roll out, you know, the whipping boy of Ken Dorsey to sit there and go, well, he's gonna be far at the end of the year. Might as well just keep rolling him out there. Like, you have to make a change. You have to do something.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, I, I see that, and I think he did. And that's why after the game, when McDermott was asked, like, are you planning on going to make a drastic change? And he kind of bought himself a little bit of time, but at the.

[Mike Catalana]

End of the day, only a few hours.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We were leaving Orchard park yesterday at 1:30 in the morning, driving by Sean McDermott's office, and of course, it was because of all the fire and all the upset, all the criticism, and it's like, Ken Dorsey. I'm. I'm a little surprised because we've talked so much about Sean being a loyal guy, all this stuff, but at the end of the day, the numbers are the numbers in terms of this offense has not been good enough. And something needed to.

[Mike Catalana]

You made the point about McDermott. Blame falls on him here, no question, because this team is, in all phases, has had issues. We don't even get a chance, really. Talk about special teams, They're a disaster. Okay, so you have that the defense is. Dan puts, you know, they're held together with duct tape and they play hard, but they've had chances to end games. They didn't get it done. But this issue has been the offense. John McDermott moved on from his defensive coordinator. He took over the role of D.C. in my opinion, while he's done a very good job with that, it has taken away from his role as the head coach. I think there's just moments he's not there. The last bullet is to change the offensive coordinator. So I don't know. And we can talk about Joe Brady. I don't know if Joe Brady's gonna be there for a little while. But the issue now for the rest of this year, sure, you want to fight to make the playoffs. I think a bigger issue for this franchise is to get Josh Allen back to looking and feeling like Josh Allen.

[Jenna Cottrell]

How much of this goes on Josh?

[Mike Catalana]

There's a lot that goes on him. He's made some dumb mistakes. He. Yes, I, I don't love the play calls. I don't like the formations. I don't like the pace that they play most of the time. I don't like that they don't use motion. I don't like that they don't put the quarterback. All those things.

[Dan Fates]

What do you like?

[Mike Catalana]

But there are moments when Josh is back to throw. He's thrown a pick on that same route, I think four times this year.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And know the exact one you're talking about.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. And I did it last night and I'm like, that is still on Josh Allen. And it's his read to make that throw on the fourth down play. I think Dalton Kincaid takes two steps. He's got the first down. Just throw him the ball. That's what he's there for. And they don't get the fourth down play. So he has made mistakes. I am not absolving him. But I say to you guys, Josh Allen's going to be around longer than anybody else.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He's got the longest leave.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Gotta fix him.

[Dan Fates]

It's also, I think what the test, it goes back to Dan Orlovsky again. I think when he talks about football, I listen, especially on the Bills, talking about how schematically they're broken. And again, I'm not trying to be an all 22, you know, offensive coordinator on my couch. But like Mike, he's thrown a pick on that same place several times. Like, do something different. Like, like, I, I don't get it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

How could you be so controversial yet so you know what I'm saying?

[Dan Fates]

Like, and it's one of the things too, Orlovsky is also saying that there's nothing that is schemed up for Stefan Diggs. And this has become a thing where it's like, hey, by the way, when the offense isn't going well, just throw it to 14. How about you force a couple balls to him? I've said it before, it's okay to force it to 14 and it goes back. Bring up Brian Dable. He had about five to seven plays. They were go to plays. They were bread and butter identity defining plays that when they really needed a first down, when things were kind of going haywire, when Josh was a little bit lost, they had those plays. He went, hey, settle in Josh, we're going to go run this play in this play and then we'll get going again. There was never any of that for 25 games of, of Ken Dorsey. It was clunky, it was. What did Sean say? It was hectic at times.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It was an adventure.

[Dan Fates]

Adventure. The last thing I want my offense to be called, an adventure.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, but it's true because we've seen all of what this team has been and you're right, it never felt. It always felt disjointed. Even when there was big chunk plays. You're like, okay, well what's going to happen next, Dan?

[Mike Catalana]

Do you want to just look towards the camera and just go like that? Yeah, take your bow.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, take your bow.

[Mike Catalana]

Because pre hiring of Dorsey you said where the mugs. Dan was right.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, we gotta get some mugs. But I get why, I get why the Bills made the move initially to go with Dorsey because that was the guy that Josh Allen.

[Mike Catalana]

Josh wanted him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I get why you did that.

[Mike Catalana]

And, and he had been on the staff, he had worked with Dall. They thought they were going to continue what dayl had.

[Dan Fates]

They thought wrong.

[Mike Catalana]

They did get.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They did.

[Dan Fates]

And that was my thing. And first we were talking about this at the drive home yesterday at 2:30 in the morning. We're on our drive home and we're all going, well that's hindsight to know that Dorsey wasn't going to pan out. And I said not for this guy. Not for this guy. That was driving. It wasn't hindsight. I said it when they hired him. He wouldn't have been my first choice. And I went back and listen.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You did.

[Dan Fates]

And I went back and listen.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I have to say that I went.

[Dan Fates]

Back and listened to the pod. It's called Dable to Dorsey, like what's next for the Bills offense. And I said this is a bad job for Dorsey to take because I said either if Josh regresses, you're going to get the blame and if the offense succeeds, you're not going to get any of the credit because you're just continuing what Brian D and Josh Allen have already done. It was a lose, lose spot for, for Ken Dorsey, I hope. Wish him the best. I, I, I think he'll pick up and continue on his career because I think he is, can be a good coordinator of down the road. But this is an example. Like, look, Brian D. Failed five times as a coordinator. Like it's hard to be an offensive coordinator. It is very, it is constantly criticized. But somebody has to take the fall. If you want to call him the fall guy. A change had to be made.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Change did have to be made. You were right in terms of saying that. Oh, I know.

[Mike Catalana]

Which makes me, I opened up the store, didn't I?

[Jenna Cottrell]

You, you did. I mean, you literally told him, I.

[Mike Catalana]

Gave him the chance to take a bow and then he just went on. He's going to do it two more times in this pod.

[Dan Fates]

Dunk all over this one.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I get why they made the move. I also get why they had to move on. Yeah, it all makes sense. But Joe Brady now coming into this position. So he was the passing game coordinator at lsu, obviously worked closely with Joe Burrow, then was the offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers under Matt Rule. That did not go well. He didn't do a whole ton. He didn't do a lot of play play calling responsibilities in terms of lsu. I mean, Mike, they're in a weird spot now, but there's seven games left in the season. I mean, what does Joe Brady have to do? Just take this, this offense down to the brass tab.

[Mike Catalana]

What he has to do or what he will do, because what he will do is do what Sean McDermott wants him to do. And I'm sorry, Dan, I'm going to watch his face to react to this. They are going to run the football more. They are going to run it more because the passing game in general is broken. And they showed an ability to run it a little bit more. I'm not saying they're gonna be a running team. I'm saying is they're going to do that because they need to get Josh Allen back on track.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They need to be scoring points and have the offense.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. And look, I make fun of the numbers. I like the numbers, I like the analytics. But the biggest number you come up with is scoring points with your offense. I mean, you just have to. And this offense has failed in all those circumstances. The first halfs are a joke, an absolute joke with this team.

[Dan Fates]

They're averaging seven points a game, seven in the first half, which is fourth lowest in the league. And that could only be behind the Giants, the Cardinals and the Patriots.

[Mike Catalana]

And you played teams like the Giants, the Broncos, who gave up 450 points to the Dolphins in that one game is that bad. The Giants, who have given up a hundred in each game to the Cowboys, and you lost to the Patriots. You lost these three games. Not all on the offense. A lot on the offense. So what it has to be done, Joe Brady, is. It's like short week. Hey, Joe, come here. Take over. Josh is, you know, not right. And you're playing the Jets. Go get him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I will. I agree, though, in terms of you need to get. Get the offense just moving in a positive direction. And right now, that is the run game.

[Mike Catalana]

Quarterback under center more. Run the ball more. I'm telling you, this doesn't mean. This is who they though.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You need to build confidence. You gotta.

[Dan Fates]

I don't think you build Josh's confidence up by taking the ball out of his hands.

[Mike Catalana]

I'm not talking about. I'm sorry, I'm not talking about. You run it 40 times. Yeah, they ran it at least effectively last night. They ran it when they needed to and went down the field. Great call. The James Cook. Bounce the ball on the turf, pick it back up, run it in the end to run it towards the end zone. But they need a little bit of a different identity than just third and nine. Josh scrambles around, throws it up. I mean, that's what they've done. And maybe scheme a player 2 for 14.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Josh Allen went from sprinting to stumbling. You got to get him back up to where he was. And I think by having a run game that complements and give some confidence, that it gives the ability for this offense to at least get some positivity going.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

How about easy throws?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Also? That. That is also there a thing.

[Dan Fates]

I guess that's where I'm at. And I, you know, you look at what the Las Vegas Raiders did, they fire Josh McDaniels and they had Devonte Adams, and they just pretty much said, hey, we're gonna throw it to him a lot. Like, let's not make this. Like, again, it's a short week. We talk about simplifying. The Bills simplified their game plan when they played the Bucks on that short week, and it worked and it was awesome. And they did what the Bills do well, and they went up tempo and they spread. You know, they were able to spread the ball out. Like, why don't you just say this week, like, hey, we're just going to feed Stefan Diggs until he throws up?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Like, that's not what they.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, first of all, that's what I'm saying. In this week, they're playing against the Jets. Sauce Gardner has played well against him. This is a really good jets defense.

[Dan Fates]

Phenomenal jets defense.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. And you've got to protect Josh Allen in this game. I'm just saying is over.

[Dan Fates]

Under is like, got to be, like, 12 in this game.

[Mike Catalana]

I think it's 13. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

This is gonna be an Iowa football game.

[Mike Catalana]

Okay.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Gross.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. I'm just saying is we sit there in the media room and watch Josh Allen. You guys see him on the sidelines. He's not right.

[Dan Fates]

Nope.

[Mike Catalana]

He's not right.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No.

[Mike Catalana]

This is goal number one after the game, sitting there. I was saying to you guys last night, come on, Josh. Like, there is blame that goes to Josh here.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And he needs to own it. He owned it in the jets game. And I'm also going to say I. For. For your life. I like the low positive for your football life. I don't like the low positive. I don't like his vibe on the field. And I know some of that comes from the success. I know he's got these moments, but I see him after the game, and I'm like, come on, Josh. You're the leader of this team.

[Jenna Cottrell]

People react to him.

[Mike Catalana]

They do. And you hold some responsibility to your friend getting fired.

[Dan Fates]

Absolutely, he does.

[Mike Catalana]

And so I'm. I'm not saying he can't. I think the guy is a phenomenal player. I want to see that come back, and something needs to be done.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Right now, it seems almost that he doesn't care, and I know that that's not the case.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Sometimes it just seems like he's so dejected, so drained, so almost checked out.

[Dan Fates]

Almost, like, aloof.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Where resigned is what I feel like. He. Like, it's like, yep, this has happened where losing before was.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Like, it's hard to win in this league when your quarterback plays. Like.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Said that week one, this was. This was Jets.

[Dan Fates]

Like, they used to talk about the Yankee team and how Derek Jeter used to be everything. And like. Like, his vibe and the way that he carried himself reverberated through that clubhouse. He would. He bat lead off, and whether or not he got a hit, he would come back to the dugout and was like, this guy ain't got it today. Like, even if it was Randy Johnson throwing 100, because if he came back to the dugout and his teammates were like, oh, Jeter got out. I got no chance.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Josh has to have that. And like, he did. He. He's had that before. We talked about, like, him screaming up and down the line in Kansas City in the AFC Championship game. Like, that's the Josh. It's the drunk carnival ride that we. That you fell in love with. That. Hey, I'm gonna take on a linebacker in the middle of the field. Yeah, it's not smart. I get it. But there has to be some of that.

[Mike Catalana]

Some.

[Dan Fates]

Eff it. I'm going for it.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

Follow.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm Josh Allen, guys.

[Dan Fates]

Get on my back. I'll carry you.

[Mike Catalana]

I think still be that and not be dumb. Like, people are saying, he's run, but don't try to run the guy over. Save yourself for another play. But you can still make plays with his feet. And you know, people say, oh, they don't. They don't let him run. McDermott was mad about him taking hits in the run game.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Watch Russell Wilson. What'd he do? That dude slides faster than Trey Turner. I'm just trying to think of who slides. You know what I mean? Like, he gets down. He does not take a hit. They're running around. Even when he sacked, he doesn't take big hits. I think that's what they're talking about with Josh, but I do think there is a part of him that needs to get. That's not going to happen like that. It's not going to happen Sunday.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, you talking about it, I'm curious what Josh Allen we will see even this week at practice at the facility, if there will be a different kind of vibe to him, if he will feel a little bit lighter or if he will have more input or what that will be like.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't think.

[Dan Fates]

I mean, look, he's typing, lighting cigarettes or cigars.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I know, but as close as he was with Dorsey, it always felt very different than his relationship.

[Mike Catalana]

Sure, but the guy got fired.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

This is not DL leaving for a head coaching job.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm not saying Josh is going to be joking, laughing, all that stuff, but I'm curious what his response will be and what he will tell us.

[Mike Catalana]

This is the first time, and hopefully for him, the first time in his career that coach got fired on his watch. Right. It's his coach. He was fortunate he had day ball for that period of time. This does happen in the league, whether it's a head coach. Right. I mean, look at the. Look at the great quarter coaches around the league or quarterbacks around the league who've played. Brady had his guys the whole time, basically the whole time. That's so rare this happened. So Josh has to respond. Well, there's seven games left.

[Jenna Cottrell]

There's seven games I Mean, that's a good chunk of games.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

What you can do. And if things can turn around, because the temperature is only going to keep going up if things continue to look the way they have.

[Mike Catalana]

Yep. And I said, Sean McDermott used this. This bullet here. The next one's aimed for him. I mean, it's just the way the world works in the NFL. I don't know if it'll be in the off season. I don't know if it'll be a year from. A year plus from now. He knows that, too.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

All coaches.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's why he made this move.

[Mike Catalana]

Hey, Patriots may very well fire Bill Belichick, and the guy won six Super Bowls. So let's not pretend, you know, let's not pretend this can't happen.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Dan Orlofsky did say also on Pat McAfee, though, that he doesn't believe Allen's mechanics have fallen off.

[Dan Fates]

I agree.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. I don't see that.

[Dan Fates]

No.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't see the mechanics. Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Decision making.

[Mike Catalana]

And that comes from him. And last thing I'm gonna say is, and I hear it from people I know, people just responding on Twitter. Hey, Josh, maybe cut down on the golf trips. Hey, Josh, maybe I was wondering, how about less commercials? This is what comes with that. Look, guys are entitled to their free time, but when you don't play up to that level, people are going to look for how much blame goes on you. Baker.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Now, Baker never played. The difference is Baker never played at Josh's level. Correct.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Which is true.

[Dan Fates]

But Baker was also a first overall.

[Mike Catalana]

He was so different. He's pretty good in his commercials, though.

[Dan Fates]

I loved him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Very funny.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Never that good as a player. He's okay. But Josh Allen, I'm sorry, I don't want to hear people say he's not elite. Josh Allen was an elite player.

[Jenna Cottrell]

People texted me they should bench Josh. Like, shut.

[Dan Fates]

Shut up, Molly.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, Radman.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I mean, it's unbelievable. It's like, that is not gonna happen. But you have to find a way for Alan to get back to feeling like himself.

[Mike Catalana]

Yep.

[Dan Fates]

This stinks.

[Mike Catalana]

Hey, by the way, love the place. Shout out. Brian Swarta right here. I was gonna say, he's taking care of us. He's got other stuff, too.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I wasn't expecting for this to be the first podcast.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

I was gonna say, yeah, this is.

[Mike Catalana]

An exciting update, but Dan made the point. A little sleep deprived, A little coffee.

[Dan Fates]

Little edgy.

[Mike Catalana]

Little edgy.

[Dan Fates]

We've all been. We've all been, like, snarking at each other, like, getting this whole thing set up. It's like, oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes. Yeah, that's fair. All right, well, thank you so much for joining us. Be sure to, like, comment your thoughts on the Dorsy firing, as well as subscribe to the channel. Yeah, give us a subscription, too, for.

[Dan Fates]

This beautiful podcast, please.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We always appreciate it for Mike.

[Mike Catalana]

Take another bow.

[Jenna Cottrell]

As I say, we'll catch you next time here on Plus Channel, presented by Connors and Ferris.

[Dan Fates]

This is the Buffalo Plus Podcast, brought to you by Connors and Ferris.