
Joe Brady on the Bills Josh Allen offense
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But we heard from Joe Brady today about Khalil. You asked a great question. Why don't you talk about it?
A
Well, I asked him about.
B
That was your setup.
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I know. You know he's not dancing. Well, thank you for the. Thank you for the compliment. This is the Buffalo plus podcast, brought to you by Connors and Ferris.
B
All right, welcome back to the Buffalo plus channel, presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana. I am Jenna Cottrell. Dan Fates back at home in Rochester. Please be sure to, like, comment. Subscribe to the channel. We so appreciate it. You might realize we are in Orchard park today.
A
At least we're inside.
B
Yes.
A
I gotta tell you, we're out there at practice, it was beautiful. And then it became Buffalo.
B
Yeah, it started to rain. It got cold. I was hot at one point in this outfit, and then I was cold at one point in this outfit. So it was, you know, it's. It's western New York. You're gonna get hit every season, it seems like, in one day. All right, so we're here for OTAs, and today we got to talk to the Bills offensive coordinator, Joe Brady. Obviously, he was the interim OC after Ken Dorsey was fired late last year. Now he's officially taking over the offense. What was your impression you got from Brady today?
A
I think it's a real big difference when you take over. And I don't mean it from an arrogance standpoint. I mean, like, he had a long, long stretch of auditioning for this job.
B
Yes.
A
And so while you can say that can be a good thing, it can also be a really bad thing that they just decide we're gonna go elsewhere. Because a lot of times when you're hiring a coach like that, they're stepping up in what they're doing. They're coming from another organization. You're trying to see how they will fit with you. Joe Brady had been around, but he was. I mean, it was a stretch. It was, what, mid November when they hired Him.
B
Yeah.
A
Through the toughest part of the year, great stretch of wins, and Josh Allen having a lot of faith in him. But I think he sat there today as not a noticeably different guy in a sense of like. But I do think he has a confidence to say, okay, I can take a breath, I can put my offense in and I can make this work the way I believe it can work long term for this team.
B
I texted you and I said he sounds like a future head coach.
A
Yeah.
B
Because I thought the way he handled the questions he was asked about Stefan not being around, he was asked about, in terms of the offense, what you want to see how this offense wants to move about. You know, how there's not a bonafide kind of number one guy. I thought he handled everything really well. And I thought his first sound bite that he talked about was perfect, where he said, you know what? We'll let him say it.
A
Look, at the end of the day, this is Josh Allen's offense, right?
B
Yeah. So shockingly enough, it's Josh Allen and the offense will go through him.
A
But you know how many coaches won't say that? Not at John. Not specifically about Josh Allen.
B
Yeah. But just in general.
A
Like, Bill Belichick would have never said that about Tom Brady. The greatest of all time. It's like they don't want to admit, oh, God, we have a great player, somebody's pretty good, and we're going to do what works for him. And I think he was right. First of all, when you're changing the whole wide receiver room except for Khalil Shakir, that, yeah, you might as well make it what Josh is comfortable with. The other guys are all having to somewhat start over. Why not keep it? It's not like you brought in four guys from the Washington commanders and they all had the same offense, brought him from all over the place. It's a new room. But if Josh is comfortable, it's going to spread throughout the whole team.
B
I think that's so true. And I think you mentioned Khalil Shakir. Pretty interesting. When people were talking about, essentially, he is the only wide receiver on this roster last year who caught a touchdown from Josh Allen, caught a pass, but Andy Isabella, I thought he caught a pass at one point. That's besides the point, but that's interesting.
A
Now I gotta. I'm gonna have to look that up. I don't think Andy Isabella caught a regular season pass return to punt.
B
Okay, we'll have to look at it. But either way, either way, minutia aside, it's Insane to think about that, how different that room looks. But we heard from Joe Brady today about Khalil. You asked a great question. Why don't you talk about it?
A
Well, I asked him about that was your setup. I know you know, he's not dancing. Well, thank you for the. Thank you for the compliment. What I said to him was last year where he was in knowledge of the offense and like, was there certain things for him and then this year more of the offense opens up for him or is it just a matter of there's going to be more opportunities for him? And he basically said like he. He had the offense. He said there's going to be things between he and Josh. And I think that's where the difference. I think the time Josh spent, not that he doesn't spend it with all the receivers, with Gabe Davis and Diggs now goes more to a guy like Khalil where their connection, it improves certainly by the end of the year. You showed me the numbers. The numbers over that period of time are really good for Shakir in the late part of the year. And so you say, okay, there was a little bit of that, but now they start working together. And I think it's a combination of things. I think faith in Shakir and also targets. I mean, come on, there's over 200 targets that went to those two guys. They're going to somebody.
B
Yeah, it makes sense in terms of what you need now that those two guys are gone. But I really liked what Brady had to say about. You saw the evolution of him last year, which you. Everyone did, especially later on in the season. And then also coupled with the fact that there is that opportunity and the work ethic that Khalil Shakir has, the mentality that he takes. And we got to talk to him today. And you made this point about how he's so calm.
A
Yeah, he was that way before as a rookie. I, I laughed because I think Dan and I were at rookie camp that year and we were walking right over here, walking off the field and we were going to interview him and he's like introducing himself to us, like, hey, guys, I'm like, yeah, we know who you are. And then last year, I remember talking to him at camp when he was talking about his dad texting him.
B
Dad is a veteran.
A
Yes. Military vet. And he would text him, you know, if things didn't go well. And I just think the guy's. He's just got it together. I mean, I think he is a confident without being arrogant athlete. I think he knows he's good, but he doesn't say that in any other way. He appears to be a great teammate. He did say he's focused on being more vocal.
B
Yes.
A
It's not. Doesn't come naturally to him.
B
Well, I think that's really important because he is more of a. He's talked about how he is more of a quieter, lead by example type of guy, but because there are so many new faces here, he wants to be someone that if someone has a question, they can come to him. And in the weight room, if someone needs something, they can come to him. And I think that is important because he's also staying true to himself.
A
Yeah.
B
And I think that we, we talk so much about how in Buffalo you can be your big brash personality as long as you keep the main thing. The main thing. But I also think on the flip side of that, guys like Khalil Shakir or Taron Johnson, who are a little bit quieter, who are trying to become leaders, but also do it in their own way as well.
A
I think the other players are going to look to those guys. I don't think there's any question. He also said something that I know and I don't think we talk about it enough. He said, when you're running routes, he goes, you could be running the clear out for the other guy because on the next play or another play, he's running the clear out for you. And that's when a team, and I'm paraphrasing here, but that's when a team is working together. When you're working as hard for me when I'm getting the ball as I am for you when you're getting the ball. That's what makes your offense really good. Now do not take this the wrong way. He was saying nothing bad about Gabe or Steph Diggs. There is none of that that comes out of here. Those two guys were really popular and I know a lot of people down on them because they're going. But he was talking about that's what makes it work for players because they also talked about Diggs being that guy at practice every day, come in at 110%, which is the way he was, and how that gets replaced out there on the field.
B
Yeah. I think, and we've heard this phrase a lot today is everybody's gonna eat.
A
Yeah.
B
And they. Maybe that is what is gonna be so different about this season. Whereas last year it was Stefan Diggs and then it was everyone else, Gabe Davis, then Khalil Shakir, and then that now it's, it seems a little bit more even.
A
Yeah.
B
So there's an upside to that. There's also a downside.
A
Yes.
B
So there's. You have balance with that. But I just, I was. I'm always impressed when we talk to Khalil Shakir because I feel like, and we've said this in the Buffalo plus podcast studio, like, I'm worried about, you know, not having a number one guy, what that means for Khalil Shakir because he's done so well at exceeding expectations in his limited role. But if you open that role, is it going to be too much? But when we talk to him, it's just, I feel more confident today after talking to him because I feel like his approach is that of focus and respect and being humble. And I think that it's a learning mentality. And I think this entire offense, I mean, even Josh Allen talked about how it's a lot of learning, it's a lot of teaching.
A
It is. I will say one thing that concerns me about the offense and for the passing game, I like a lot of the players individually. I think there's a skill set. I think it can be really good. But when you started out a season with Steph Diggs and you start out a season even with Gabe Davis, there was an expectation of what they are because they had done it in the league, gave certainly not as much as Diggs, but Diggs put up the thousand yard seasons and the 100 catch seasons and all. So you knew that. I think when you look at this Bill's wide receiver group, every guy in that group needs to do more or you hope they do more than they've ever done on an NFL field. They're either rookies like Keon Coleman, who by the way, made, I love the catch, he's like going across the middle, nothing huge, but the hands out, snagging the ball, bringing it down, getting up. Before he would get quote, tackled, Khalil.
B
Shakir was asked about him, called Keon Coleman an animal. I love that. That's what you want. That's what you want. Absolutely. Like the way he approaches the game when he steps out on the field, he's got this big personality, but when he's on the field, it's like, all right, it's time to do my job.
A
Yeah.
B
And no one's going to come in between that. Love that.
A
But the opening game is against the Cardinals. Is his first game in the NFL.
B
Yes. Yes.
A
Then you have guys, you know, who have not. Look at Shakir. Really good In a relatively small sample. Got to do more. Samuel finally playing with a really good quarterback. The numbers have been okay, but you're going to expect more. So you look down that whole roster, and then we know about the other guys. MVS has two super bowl rings, but, you know, he's been somewhat of a disappointment for who he could have been for his whole career. And then, you know, so you have those guys. So that's the part that I sometimes look at, by the way, who brings the most energy to practice every day?
B
Mac Hollins.
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He is.
B
He's.
A
He's a wild man.
B
He's juicing. He's like, that's. Well, no, no, no, no, no. He brings the juice.
A
He does.
B
He brings the juice. The guys say that he brings the.
A
Juice without the shoes.
B
Yeah. So he doesn't really wear shoes. He's very into nature. And then if he's not, he's just barefoot. Apparently, he's very into grounding. We're gonna do a story on him. Seems like a really, like, interesting dude. Definitely.
A
But he's a big guy.
B
He is super vocal on the field. The first day last week, I was like, who is screaming all the time? It's not Dan Fates.
A
I know. Well, it might be, but it was Case.
B
Exactly. Let's talk about some of the other observations from practice. You mentioned the really nice catch from Keon Coleman. Demar Hamlin also had an interception today.
A
Again, I love the play. The Bills were running their offense down. I guess it would have been red zone. And they had Ty Johnson on my favorite route, the wheel route. He's coming around. And here comes Demar. Josh threw it up. I'm. We're standing there. It was close. And you see demar comes over, snags it out of midair, takes it back, quote for a touchdown. Nice play. Good athletic play, you know? So he's like, hey, Flacco, I'm the comeback player of the year. No, he didn't say anything, but it was a nice play. And I think he's in that role of backup safety for this year, so we'll see how he does.
B
But that was good to see some nice plays. And then you got to talk to Austin Johnson.
A
Yeah.
B
I have not seen Mike smile.
A
Okay.
B
So widely. What's the word? You were. You were. You were excited.
A
I was excited because. Okay, so they just tell you the quick story. So Austin Johnson, new defensive lineman for.
B
The Bills, Good friends. Daquan Jones.
A
Yes. They played together at Penn State. Austin went to St. Augustine Prep, which is my High school in New Jersey. Now that's a connection. And you can say whatever. I'm twice his age, so that's fine. But we played for the same basketball coach. Austin was all state. I was not.
B
You were all waterboy?
A
No, but I played for Paul Rodeo back when he started his career as the coach. Paul is still coaching. He's well over a thousand wins in the state of New Jersey.
B
So impressive.
A
Austin was a senior when he was all state and they won the state championship. My brother Dave was one of the assistant coaches on the team during that time. And so Austin is a St. Augustine Prep guy. There's been a few in the NFL and in the NBA, but he's there. But people get a kick out of when I say we had the same coach. First of all, they think he's. The Coach is like 100. Well, Paul is in his. He's got to be right around 70. He started coaching in his 20s, like he was a young guy coaching. And so we were joking that he was like, he's ripping the tie off. Well, he did. I said he did that when I was playing too. He was mad, but I loved it.
B
Also when we were talking to Austin Johnson and Austin Johnson said to you, you sound just like your brother. I was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing.
A
Yeah. So he.
B
That's a pretty cool moment.
A
He knows my brother pretty well. My brother in law is the athletic director at the school. So Austin had not really played football. And I have to be sure whether it was his junior or senior year. And the football coach is saying this big athletic kid who was a great basketball player, you want to play football. And he comes out for the football team and of course he's a great football player. And Penn State recognizes his talent. Penn State was in a bad way. This was after the Paterno stuff and Bill o' Brien was the coach and they went after him and he decided to go there. And he played, you know, for Penn State and eventually got drafted. I think in the second round, third round, he got drafted and he was with the Titans. He's been with the Giants. He ran the league. And now he's here. Now he's here with the Bills. He says he's a versatile guy and Daquan really helped bring him here. Loves the culture, loves the vibe in Buffalo.
B
Josh Allen.
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Yeah. I asked him, I said, does that come into play? He's like, oh, yeah, because you know, you can win every game.
B
Yeah, I don't blame him. I'd be the same way.
A
And he got a chance to talk to me.
B
Yeah. You were so excited.
A
It is.
B
He was excited to talk to you, though.
A
I mean, he. He. You know, he, like. He knows some of my family, which is funny. Yeah, but.
B
But you sound just like your brother.
A
Got me. And I will also tell you this, and you, Mark, in the comments. There is not a single high school or college in the country that has our nickname. St. Augustine.
B
Okay, wait, I know this. Oh, it's the Hermits. The Hermits, yes.
A
No one's got the Hermits.
B
Yeah, it's because it's weird.
A
Not for us. Not for us at St. Augustine.
B
Does that mean you just stay in your house?
A
No. Yeah, it is, because the school is. This was a tiny little school basically in the woods in Jersey, and then. That's not the school Austin went to. I mean, he's got the big field house and all this stuff. When I went there in the 1800s, it was like. I'm kidding. You could have laughed. I. It was a very different place. But, yeah, it was cool.
B
Do you know my high school mascot?
A
No.
B
No guesses.
A
I'm trying to remember, aren't you? What's your school like? Saratoga north or something? What is it?
B
Saratoga Springs.
A
Okay.
B
The Blue Streaks.
A
What is that?
B
I think that's also a. I don't know any other school having that nickname. Mostly because it's not a great nickname.
A
Yeah, well, we haven't had to change. Either one of our schools hasn't had to change. Nobody. Nobody's like, Hermits have not complained about our name.
B
Of course. They're so loud and boisterous.
A
Yeah. And listen, as a player, listen. I think he's been around. I think they brought him in and it's a one year deal. I think they believe he can be one of those rotational guys that help. He's been a decent player around the league. I think he had three and a half sacks played with the Giants, so he's not. I don't think he's a stat guy. I think he's just a guy that can really help. Daquan likes him. Daquan's back, so I think that's good.
B
I think it's. It makes sense.
A
Yeah.
B
And add that versatility, like he said, that's what his game can bring. So I think a lot of Bills fans will like that. Anything else you want to add?
A
No, I think it's. I think there's pretty good vibe here. Again, it's so early. We were joking about. It's 100 days until the start of the regular season, which seems like a lot, but it goes fast.
B
It does.
A
They still got some OTA work and they got the mandatory camp coming in, and then before we know it, there'll be a fisher for training camp. So.
B
It's wild. I feel like this. This part of the year always just flies by.
A
It does.
B
But, yeah, we'll have plenty more coming up on the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel. I guess that's it for right now.
A
Yeah. We want you to make sure, if you're hearing this maybe on one of your audio channels, we appreciate it. Go ahead.
B
Bob Babich.
A
Oh, yes, we got to meet him. So Bob Babich comes up to me, and then he sees Janice. I remember Bob coaching him. Yeah, so do I. Bobby is his son. Son, yeah.
B
Who's now the defensive coordinator.
A
Coordinator. Okay. And Bob was like, hey, Mike. And I was like, hey. Because I remember him. And then he's like, watch you guys. And then he points at you and he's like, yeah. He goes. His wife. And they watch it. So hopefully they're watching here.
B
Very cool. Very much appreciated. That was awesome.
A
Let me. What do you think's a little. Not a scoop, but what you heard last week, did you talk about it?
B
Oh, no. Are you putting it on the spot?
A
Why not? You could say that. Just. Okay, what'd you hear?
B
Well, I asked Taron Johnson about Bobby Babich becoming.
A
This is Bobby Babich Jr. Yes, I think it's Junior.
B
Yes, I believe so. About him becoming defensive coordinator. And McDermott has talked about how, you know, they haven't decided yet who was called the plays. That's what he said in press conferences. And Taran had mentioned that Bobby calling the plays has been really cool.
A
So now that could just be in the off season, seeing how it goes before they make a decision.
B
But, yeah, I was like, oh, you caught that.
A
That's good.
B
It's interesting.
A
Yeah.
B
I asked the question, so I was paying attention.
A
Everybody else zoned out.
B
Yeah, it was hot in here. I don't blame anyone. It's fair. It's fine.
A
So Bob and the Mrs. And the whole family, if everybody's watching, we appreciate it.
B
Yeah, we always love it. Always so surprised when anyone watches.
A
And I think next week we get to talk to Bobby.
B
I believe so. Yeah, I do. Yes.
A
All right, so that'll be good.
B
Okay. So please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe, as well as share. We always appreciate.
A
And like I said, audio channels because you interrupted me, which. That doesn't happen very often.
B
Oh, man.
A
Spotify iheart. Wherever you're hearing this on your audio podcast, we appreciate it.
B
Yeah, definitely. And if you are listening on the podcast version, the audio only version, please be sure to subscribe there.
A
Yes.
B
As well. So hit all the channels, all the notifications, all the likes. We always appreciate it. All right, I'll stop. The shameless plug of Buffalo Plus. For Mike Catalana, I'm Jenna Cottrell. For Dan Fates, who's not here, thank you so much for watching. We'll catch you next time here on Buffalo Plus.
A
This is the Buffalo plus podcast brought to you by Connors and Ferris.
Episode: Joe Brady on the JOSH ALLEN offense, why Shakir is cool and Mike talks about the glory days
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell
Guest/Subject: Joe Brady, Bills Offensive Coordinator
This episode provides insider observations from Bills OTAs, focusing on Joe Brady’s first off-season as the official offensive coordinator, the emerging role of Khalil Shakir, and personnel changes within the receiver room. The hosts break down how the offense is being reshaped around Josh Allen, offer personal anecdotes (including Mike’s connection with new defensive lineman Austin Johnson), and touch on leadership dynamics evolving within the Buffalo locker room.
Brady as Official OC: After taking over mid-season last year, Joe Brady now has the full reins. The hosts note a shift in confidence and presence from Brady in his new role.
Alignment with Josh Allen: Brady was direct that the offense is built for and around Josh Allen.
Handling of the New Receiver Room:
The coaching staff is adapting to a completely reimagined WR room, with only Khalil Shakir being a returning contributor who caught passes from Allen last year. Brady is seen as open, approachable, and confident — “he sounds like a future head coach” (Jenna, [02:44]).
Increased Opportunity: With Diggs and Gabe Davis gone, Shakir is positioned to see a major uptick in targets and leadership responsibilities. Mike notes that over 200 targets from last year need redistribution ([05:43]).
Work Ethic and Mentality:
Teamwork Ethos:
Discussion centers on whether the receiver group can meet the demands of the offense, with every member expected to do more than they've shown so far. Even promising rookie Keon Coleman is singled out for a highlight-reel catch in practice, but faces first-NFL-game nerves ([10:25]-[10:39]).
Energy and Personalities:
The episode captures the shifting sands of the 2024 Bills offense: a humble but assertive OC in Joe Brady, immense pressure and opportunity for Khalil Shakir, and a doubt-laden but high-upside receiver room ready to support Josh Allen’s leadership. It’s football talk layered with personality, personal history, and optimism tempered by realism. The hosts mix analysis with light-hearted banter, making it engaging for die-hard and casual fans alike.
For further coverage and future episodes, the hosts encourage visiting Buffalo Plus on YouTube and subscribing for updates.