The Buffalo Bills have found their new offensive coordinator after Joe Brady, who previously held the role, was elevated to head coach. Pete Carmichael Jr. will now be tasked with getting Josh Allen over the hump and into a Super Bowl. Buffalo has chosen someone with 17 years of NFL experience—the first 15 as offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints and the last two as a senior offensive assistant with the Denver Broncos.
Most recently, Carmichael has overseen the development of Bo Nix which by all metrics has been a successful endeavor as he appeared to be on his way to a Super Bowl before suffering a season-ending injury. Carmichael worked with Drew Brees during his long tenure in New Orleans, jumping out to immediate success and maintaining a prolific offense during the future Hall of Fame quarterback's career.
In 2009, Carmichael's first year running the Saints, they led the offense in points, yards and passing touchdowns. They would once again be the highest-scoring unit in the league in 2011. With the help of Brees, they were able to be one of the top-four passing teams for an incredible eight consecutive seasons while leading the league or being second in passing scores six times over that span.
Equally impressive is that New Orleans was top 10 in total yards for Carmichael's first 11 seasons running the show. Over his entire 15 years there, they were top-10 in scoring 12 times. Later in Brees's career there was a shift toward a more rush-heavy attack as Alvin Kamara came into his own.
| Year | Team | Yards (NFL rank) | Points (NFL rank) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Saints | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | Saints | 6 | 11 |
| 2011 | Saints | 1 | 2 |
| 2012 | Saints | 2 | 3 |
| 2013 | Saints | 4 | 10 |
| 2014 | Saints | 1 | 9 |
| 2015 | Saints | 2 | 8 |
| 2016 | Saints | 1 | 2 |
| 2017 | Saints | 2 | 4 |
| 2018 | Saints | 8 | 3 |
| 2019 | Saints | 9 | 3 |
| 2020 | Saints | 12 | 5 |
| 2021 | Saints | 28 | 19 |
| 2022 | Saints | 19 | 23 |
| 2023 | Saints | 14 | 9 |
| 2024 | Broncos | 19 | 10 |
| 2025 | Broncos | 10 | 14 |
On one hand, it's obvious that having an all-time great at quarterback makes an offensive coordinator's job easier. On the other, Carmichael has a long, established track record getting the most out of that talent.
Offense has not been Buffalo's problem and at worst Allen has been merely human occasionally during his playoff stumbles. James Cook came into his own last season and there's no question that he's one of the most productive and reliable backs around. The Bills' issue was a lack of dynamic playmakers at wide receiver. Their fans can hope for upgrades there or that Carmichael can figure out a scheme that makes them more impactful.
Brady remaining as head coach will also ensure continuity and there's reason to think he'll be actively involved in that process as well. Long story short, the Bills know what they're getting in Carmichael who will look to once again pilot an high-scoring unit.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How New Bills OC Pete Carmichael Jr.'s Offenses Have Fared in the NFL.
