Bills HC Sean McDermott reveals who will call defensive plays in preseason opener

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott told reporters on Thursday that defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will call plays in the team's preseason opener.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott adjusts a play during drills on the opening day of Buffalo Bills training camp. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has provided a bit of insight into where his head is at regarding who will call his team’s defensive plays this season, revealing during a Thursday press conference that new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will serve as Buffalo’s defensive play-caller in the club's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears this weekend.

“Bobby will call the plays this weekend, and then we’ll take it from there,” the sideline boss concisely said.

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While Babich having control of this unit in an early preseason bout is not necessarily indicative of McDermott’s final decision, momentum has been swaying in this direction throughout camp. The Bills promoted Babich, a long-time position coach who has been with the organization since McDermott’s arrival in 2017, to defensive coordinator in January to prevent him from being poached by one of several lurking teams; McDermott served in the post last season following the departure of tenured defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who, too, had been with the organization since McDermott’s hiring.

Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich sports his Slobber Knocker of the Week t-shirt during the Buffalo Bills training camp Monday. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

McDermott revealed in late May that he had not yet made a decision on whether he or Babich would call defensive plays come the regular season, and the two have split play-calling duties throughout training camp. That said, it’s always looked as though McDermott would prefer to hand the responsibility over to Babich—he just wants the first-year coordinator to have reps in the role before fully committing. 

Babich will get these reps in Saturday’s preseason clash. If all goes well and the coordinator performs as expected, McDermott may make a final decision before the preseason’s culmination; Babich perhaps tipped his hand a bit regarding whether or not he expects to call plays this season during a press conference earlier this week, telling reporters that he’ll watch games from the coaches’ booth this fall. 

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