The Bills have brought on two coaches in the last week to be assistants on the defensive side of the ball — Ryan Nielsen, who has previously served as a defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in stops with the Saints, Jaguars, and Falcons, and former Patriots cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino.

One thing is very fascinating about bringing in these two hires. Both of them bring a ton of experience and expertise in running man coverage. Buffalo could be breaking from their zone-heavy tendency heading into a new season. Nielsen, in particular, ran man coverage last year in Jacksonville at the second-highest percentage in the NFL. Nielsen’s tenure working with defensive lines has also yielded great results. In New Orleans, from 2017-2020, the Saints ranked third in overall pressure percentage, and third in total sacks. That would be a welcome improvement for Buffalo.

A shift in philosophy would be notable, but it would also require the Bills to make some much-needed improvements on defense. First, they desperately need to find more pressure up front, both from the interior and from the edges. Secondly, Buffalo needs more press-man corners outside of Christian Benford.

General Manager Brandon Beane is going to have his work cut out for him this offseason, and it’s imperative that he makes noteworthy improvements to the personnel on the defensive side of the ball if the Bills are going to earn their spot in the Super Bowl.