Stunning pass mark for Joe Brady's Bills in 2026 revealed

Joe Brady, in his first time in a head coaching role, takes over a Buffalo Bills team built to win now.

In a completely different situation that most head coaches find themselves in, Brady won't have a grace period in Buffalo. He needs wins, and he needs them now.

Sean McDermott was fired because of the playoff failures, which means Brady has to, at the very least, make the playoffs and win a game or two. If not more.

That is tough for a first-time head coach.

And Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, his expectation is that Brady leads the Bills to a 12-5 record.

"Brady offers a measure of continuity to a team that was hardly floundering—the Bills won 12 games in 2025," Davenport wrote. "Buffalo endeavored to give Allen the "go-to" wideout the team badly needed with a trade for D.J. Moore. Buffalo also tried to bolster the pass rush with the addition of edge-rusher Bradley Chubb.

"But there also isn't a first-year head coach in the league under more pressure than Brady. The expectation for the Bills is a trip to SoFi Stadium in February to play in Super Bowl LXI. The inability to meet that expectation is why McDermott got the boot."

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Brady under huge pressure in Year 1

In truth, Joe likely already knew that when he applied for the job. 

Having had a front-row seat to multiple playoff failures as an offensive coordinator, Brady knows what is expected of him and his team in 2026.

And it isn't just to make the playoffs. It's to win it all.

That is a tall order, even when you have Josh Allen in his prime. After all, McDermott did and still couldn't get over the playoff hump.

Will Brady? We get the sense that over the next handful of years, if he wants to keep his job, he'll have to.

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