Bills' decision on Bobby Babich should be no-brainer

Time to move on

Babich has talked a good game since being named the Bills' defensive coordinator in 2024, but results have been lacking in some key areas since he took over.

First, let’s start with the run defense, which was abysmal this season.

The Bills finished as the fifth-worst run-stopping unit in the league during the ’25 campaign, allowing 136.2 yards rushing per contest in the regular season. Buffalo often allowed massive single-game outputs, as there were four separate occasions in which the Bills allowed their opponent to record over 200 yards on the ground. In 2024, the Bills allowed the Ravens to go for 271 yards rushing against them in Week 4 and later 176 in the playoffs. But beyond that, their highest total allowed to an opponent was 153, given up to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

Next, let’s examine the pass rush.

After stocking up on the defensive line both through the draft and free agency, the Bills finished the year with three fewer sacks (36) than the season prior (39). Part of that was because of Brandon Beane’s failure to identify talent in the draft, and also due to a couple of key injuries. But part of the team’s inability to get the quarterback on the ground must also be placed at the feet of the man running the show.

Since McDermott took over as head coach in 2017, the Bills have always had a bit of trouble when it comes to rushing the passer. But when Babich took a more prominent role as DC, things have taken a turn for the worse. In fact, the year before he was named defensive coordinator, when Sean McDermott was his own DC during the 2023 campaign, the Bills finally seemed to put it all together, finishing fourth in the league in sacks (54). Buffalo's defense has been ranked 12th in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate each of the past two seasons under Babich, while it was ranked ninth in 2023 under McDermott, per Next Gen Stats.

Devil’s advocate

The Bills were one of the best teams in the league at limiting opposing passing games' production this season, allowing the fewest yards passing in the NFL (2,668). For that, Babich deserves credit.

Additionally, there were instances, such as the second half of the Bills’ postseason defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos, when the defense did its job in key situations, giving the offense a chance to win critical contests. And it was able to do so while missing two of its key pieces defensively, defensive tackle Ed Oliver and free-agent acquisition Michael Hoecht, both of whom were lost for much of the season due to their respective ailments.

But as a whole, there just was not enough to write home about this season, as the Bills were a sieve against the run and couldn’t rush the passer at a high enough rate. Those are two significant areas of weakness that Buffalo could not get a handle on with Babich in his current position.

Stand by it

Through it all, Babich shared defensive play-calling duties with former head coach Sean McDermott, never seeming to take the reins independently. So it’s difficult to cast the blame for Buffalo’s inefficiencies solely in his direction. It was McDermott’s defense at the end of the day.

Still, when the team fired its former head coach, it signified it wanted a new look, and rightfully so. It was the right time to move on from McDermott, regardless of how shamefully the team handled his dismissal. And if the Bills were to retain Babich, his protégé, it would only build upon the contradictory nature of hiring its next head coach from within.

After professing the need for change while speaking to the media this past week, the Bills' leadership pulled an about-face, sticking with what they know in Brady. They must not do the same with Babich, or things could really go off the rails quicker than some already expect.

Instead, it would be wise for Buffalo to bring in a fresh defensive mind, such as Leonhard, and move forward into a new era on that side of the ball.