The Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott in January after another season where they fell short of the Super Bowl. After a thorough process, the Bills hired offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the head coach role. There are a lot of differences between the two coaches — one has a defensive background and one an offensive background, for instance — but their coaching styles are very different, as well.
At the press conference introducing Brady, offensive lineman Alec Anderson told reporters in a scrum
that Brady is a “dawg”. Anderson didn’t stop there talking about his OC-turned-HC.
“Joe comes with high energy and tell you how he feels,” said Anderson. “He has his own personality. Not so much business attire. He’s not ‘one of us [players]’ but we don’t have to have our assholes so tight all the time.”
Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins shed a little light on the dynamic in a conversation with me this week, bringing up the age difference between the coaches unprompted.
“He doesn’t really have to do anything [to make people loosen up]. Like, he’s just a younger guy,” Dawkins said, repeating himself for emphasis. “There are some guys that come around and it’s like, ‘Oh, snap, dad’s here.‘ And there’s some guys that come around and it’s just like, ‘Oh, snap. Like, bro’s here.‘ Right? And I think Joe Brady has like that younger flow where some guys can relate on a more calmer level instead of you know a more stricter way of coaching.”
McDermott wasn’t old when he took over the Bills at age 43, nor when he departed at 51. His authoritative vibe, his reserved nature, and his clinical approach are more old school, though.
At 36, Brady is just four years older than Dawkins. He wears shorts and sneakers to the office every day no matter how cold it is and joked about the buttoned up wardrobe at his introductory press conference was the most uncomfortable part of the job.
Dawkins likened him to an even younger coach. Sean McVay was just 30 when he took over the Los Angeles Rams in 2017, was the youngest coach to reach a Super Bowl at age 33, and was the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at age 36.
“Like, L.A., right? Like, he was young when he first started. He came in. He won. He was a young guy. And we’re talking about, ‘Oh, he’s one of the youngest coaches…’. It’s cool,” says Dawkins. “But, like, you just get a young, hip coach wearing Jordans. We’re speaking [the same language] and looking in similar lenses, right? Instead of learning a language, he’s already living it. So guys are a little bit on the more comfortable side.”
Dawkins was drafted in 2017, a few months after McDermott was hired, and the former Bills coach is the only one he has played for in the NFL. The two experienced a lot of success with the Bills, heading to the playoffs eight times in nine seasons including five straight division titles and making their way to two AFC Championship Games.
Dawkins clarified that just because they have a new head coach with a new approach doesn’t mean the old way of doing things can’t also be successful.
“Both ways work very, very well.”
We’ll have more from this interview with Dion Dawkins in the coming days and weeks.
Dawkins joined us to promote Crest Oral-B’s Closing America’s Smile Gap Initiative:
“Tooth decay is the #1 chronic illness in underserved families, and 50% of low-income parents skip or delay their own dental care to get their kids the care they need. This is the ‘smile gap’.”
For Dawkins, this partnership is personal—he understands that confidence, health, and opportunity all start with something as simple as a smile.
Consumers can play a direct role: purchasing Crest products—like Crest 3D White Deep Stain Remover—helps fund free dental cleanings for families in need through this partnership.
