1. Constant evaluation
Entering the second week of OTA practices, Buffalo's new offensive play caller is in the information gathering phase of his new role on the Bills coaching staff. He certainly has an offensive system but incorporating new additions on the offensive side of the ball and potentially giving larger roles to up and comers that have spent time in the system.
But finding the right fit for all those pieces takes a great deal of evaluation week over week in the offseason, through training camp and the preseason and even a couple of weeks into the regular season.
"You just don't have a full grasp of those new pieces, the personnel that you've got. What do they do extremely well when the bullets start flying? So, you have a vision, but what I think the most successful coaches do is they have that vision, but they're able to adjust and do some different things as the season unfolds and declares.
"I think the best the best coaches are the ones who are constantly evaluating what they're doing. What's good? What doesn't fit you? It doesn't mean its bad stuff. It just means it doesn't fit your personnel that year. It's about what you're doing and how you're doing it and always looking for better ways."
2. In lockstep with Josh
There's a reason coach Dorsey got the full endorsement of Josh Allen when the team's offensive coordinator post came open. In the three years that Buffalo's quarterback and now former quarterbacks coach worked together, they discovered they see the game the same way in almost all respects. Dorsey is confident that only helps them going forward now with Dorsey as his play caller.
"My relationship with Josh and having a good feel for him on how he reacts to things and the things he likes the things he doesn't like; I think all that's all that's really important. It's a great opportunity to just kind of hit the ground running because there's not that feel out period of like trying to figure out, how does he see this or, versus how do I see it.
"I think we're both extremely competitive and we both have a similar philosophy in we'll both want to do whatever it takes to help our team win. Whatever role that is, whatever we have to do, that's the thing I love about Josh is like he's got that mentality.
Dorsey also confirmed there will be some healthy give and take between them through the course of games with regard to play calls and such.
"He's got a great feel for the game and a great mind for the game," said Dorsey.
3. Dividing his time
No longer just the quarterbacks coach, Dorsey is adjusting to spreading out his time amongst the different position groups both in the meeting rooms and on the practice field as the coordinator on the offensive side of the ball.
"I've definitely tried to make a concerted effort this year to be in each room," he said. "I think that's important because guys know me, but they don't like know me. I don't think they kind of understand what makes me tick sometimes, my pet peeves or my competitiveness or whatever it is. I think a lot of those guys get that because I've been down the field with them. But I think it's important to be in every room and be a part of what they're doing and what they're teaching and to show that I'm on the same page as all these guys, who we've brought in and who are great coaches."
4. Controlling volume with variety
Every offensive coordinator wages an annual battle with remaining unpredictable to their opponents while not loading up their players with too much volume in the playbook to compromise execution. Dorsey and the Bills offense have the benefit of a proven system that works. It creates unpredictability through variety rather than volume.
"The nice thing about it is for us is we've done a lot of different ways of doing it whether it's personnel packages, formations, splits or route adjustments," Dorsey said. "So, we've got a lot of different ways to kind of do our core stuff and that's the exciting part about it, because we've got things that I think the guys believe in that when you call them, no matter what the situation is, they have the utmost confidence in executing and controlling the volume.
"I mean is there that exact number that you have, no, but I think the more you do this, the more you kind of have a feel for what's the right amount and what's going to be too much."
5. Gameday location is TBD
Dorsey spent each of the last three seasons on the sidelines on gameday as the conduit to the offensive players for Brian Daboll, who called plays from up in the booth. Now that he's in charge of calling plays Dorsey said that's a decision that will be made in the preseason.
"I'm not sure how that's going to work in terms of whether it's up in the box or on the field, to be honest with you," he said. "I think we're going to try both and see what's most comfortable and roll with that. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out the best way to proceed with the installs and the development and the continued growth of this offense. And once we get into those preseason games, really kind of buckle those types of things down in terms of whether it's box or down the field."
