The Buffalo Bills announced the firing of offensive coordinator Rick Dennison Friday morning. This move shouldn’t come as a huge shock to anybody who has followed the team all year.
During the one season under Dennison’s control, the Buffalo offense regressed in most categories.
Buffalo fell from 16th to 27th in total offense, and averaged over five fewer points per game. The biggest drop-off was in the rushing category. In 2016, the Bills had the best ground game in the NFL. Under Dennison in 2017, it fell all the way down to 6th.
There could be many reasons for the drop-off in production. One thing is clear, however. Dennison’s scheme didn’t fit what the roster did best, and he rarely adjusted to fix it.
Dennison also implemented a new zone blocking scheme up front, which players said was difficult to learn at times.
Upon learning of his termination, Dennison said he was proud of what he and the 2017 Bills accomplished during his tenure.
From fired #Bills OC Rick Dennison to the Buffalo News: "I am proud to be a part of a group that worked so hard and did something that hadn't been done in a long time."
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) January 12, 2018
We speculated earlier this week that a change may be in the works, but now that the speculation has become a reality, the Bills will begin the search for a new offensive coordinator.