Bills' Sean McDermott Ready to Lead Buffalo's Defense: 'It Feels Natural'

McDermott spoke via the team's website about the struggle and advantages of being the head coach and the team's defensive coordinator.

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier shocked the league and Bills Mafia in February when he announced he would be stepping down to take a season off. Rather than replacing him with an interim defensive coordinator, head coach Sean McDermott decided to take on the additional responsibility of calling the team's defensive plays.

McDermott spoke about the struggles and advantages of being the head coach and the team's defensive coordinator on Tuesday when speaking to the media.

“It’s part of how I got here,” McDermott said. “So I just think you’ll be in the defensive staff room, having those critical conversations that come up solving problems, trying to evolve where we need to evolve, and where the game is going. And then working hand in hand with our players.

"Again, that’s been mostly the assistants to this point. Then together with the staff figuring some things out and it just feels good. It feels natural. And we’ll see where it goes in the future.”

McDermott has his work cut out for him to keep pace with the tone that Frazier set for the defense in Buffalo.

Under his regime, the Bills have been one of the best defenses in the league. In 2021, the Bills had an elite defensive unit that allowed the fewest passing yards (272.8) and points per game (17). This past season, Buffalo’s defense put up similarly elite numbers, surrendering the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game (104.6) and the second-fewest points per game (17.9).

Frazier plans to return in 2024. However, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, “it’s not clear that he’ll be back in Buffalo in 2024.”

Frazier, 63, has accumulated over 20 years of NFL coaching experience since becoming the Bills’ defensive coordinator in 2017. 

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