If there’s one thing the Buffalo Bills have excelled at in the last decade, it’s changing coordinators. Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier joined the team for the 2017 as part of Sean McDermott’s first year coaching staff. A relatively well-known commodity with little “sizzle,” Frazier elicited few strong reactions.
Under former head coach Rex Ryan, the team was promised a “bully” under a defensive mastermind. That promise never came to fruition and two years of underwhelming results in his supposed area of expertise were a significant factor in the decision to part ways with Ryan. Inheriting a mess on defense, Frazier was called in to set things right. His job seemed all the more daunting with a heavy dose of defensive talent exiting One Bills Drive. You’ve got the backstory, now let’s see the results.
- Saw notable departures before the season started such as Kevon Seymour and Reggie Ragland while the Bills stockpiled draft picks in what most predicted would be a season dedicated to “the tank.”
- Juggled mid-season losses due to trade/injury such as Marcell Dareus and Shaq Lawson.
- Yards per game allowed remained almost identical from last year. Frazier’s unit allowed 2 fewer yards per game than the 2016 team. However, the complexion of the NFL changed significantly. Ryan’s unit was ranked 19th in this category while Frazier’s fell to 26th.
- Both 2016 and 2017 held down the 29th spot in rushing yards allowed.
- The 2016 team was pretty successful against the pass coming in at 6th. This year fell to 20th. If you’re into efficiency metrics, Ryan’s team was worse in passing yards allowed per play (21st compared to 19th).
- Frazier improved the interception rate, going from 15th to 9th.
- Frazier’s team struggled rushing the passer, falling from 4th in sacks per pass attempt all the way to 31st.
- Both squads were middle of the pack in points allowed with very similar numbers. In 2016, the Bills allowed 23.3 points per game. In 2017 this fell to 22.4 despite notable blowout losses.