Buffalo's new coordinators getting first chances with Bills

Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR) - Under new head coach Joe Brady, the Buffalo Bills have two new coordinators to start the season: Jim Leonhard on the defensive side of the football, and Pete Carmichael Jr. on offense.

While Carmichael Jr. will be the new offensive coordinator in Buffalo, it will still be Brady assuming duties as offensive play caller.

In last year’s 23-19 loss in Houston, the Texans had eight sacks and were all over Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Carmichael Jr. is no stranger to just how good that Texans' defensive unit is.

“I think they’re a top defense in the league," said Carmichael Jr. on Thursday prior to practice in Orchard Park. "They create a ton of disruption and pressure on the edges. They can create from either side, and even up the middle.

“Their linebackers they’re fast, they’re physical, they tackle well. Then you start talking about the secondary and you’re talking about ball skills and turnovers they’re able to create. It’s a big challenge for us.”

Of course Carmichael Jr. wasn’t going to get into how they’re going to go about trying to neutralize the pass rush.

Carmichael Jr. watched last year’s game with Brady, and the new offensive coordinator thinks they’ll have it figured out this time.

“We all sat down as an offense and we watched all the film, and it’s what are some of the things that they did that have to be better," Carmichael Jr. said. "I think we’re confident in the plan that we’ll put together, and make sure we’re putting our players in a position to be successful.”

Leonhard made his NFL debut as a player with the Bills, and now he’s making his debut as a defensive coordinator in Buffalo.

“It’s the first time calling plays in the regular season, but there’s nothing that matches that excitement you have as a player and finally getting to the NFL. So I’m definitely excited," said Leonhard before Thursday's practice. "I’m not trying to diminish that, but it’s nothing close to the same as being a player.”

Leonhard coaches these guys up, and comes up with the game plan. However, he feels at the end of the day, it’s the players that have to do it.

“It’s the play, speed and the confidence. That’s how I judge a good defense," Leonhard said. "There’s going to be mistakes, there’s going to be calls I want back. There’s mistakes that are going to happen, but if guys are playing fast, if they’re playing confident, if we’re able to communicate pre-snap within the calls, we’re going to give ourselves a really good chance to have success. You want guys to make plays, but am I helping our guys to be in better position to make plays within the scheme. Ultimately, it’s a player’s game, and they’ve got to go finish. That’s where I have to be critical on myself.”

Within a game plan is player rotations and what they may be. Leonhard has a philosophy about that.

“To me, it’s more guys earning the right to not come off the field, as opposed to earning the right to be on the field," he said. "There’s a flow element to a game, and there’s a rhythm and timing, and some guys, you don’t want to disrupt that. And other guys, it’s good to go a couple of series and take a step back.

“Your backers don’t necessarily rotate, but your defensive line, they’re rotating all the time. So it’s just getting guys to understand.”

Leonhard believes there’s more to defense than execution.

“We’re not going to let the offense dictate the game. We have to throw our punches too," Leonhard said. "I don’t like to be reckless, as far as how I call a game, but I’m not going to just sit back and say that we’re just going to out-execute you week-in, week-out, every situation to comes up throughout the game.

“There are certain scenarios within a game where we want to be really aggressive, and there’s others where we will consistently be a little bit more passive on, and we have to make an offense react to us at times.”

Leonhard adds he’s going to be down on the field calling the defense, because he feels more comfortable being on the sideline.