Bills Reveal Defensive Play-Caller for Bears Matchup

After months of speculation about who will be calling the shots for the Buffalo Bills' defense this season, fans finally have an answer, at least for one game.

Heading into their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, coach Sean McDermott revealed that first-year defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will call the defensive plays from the box.

However, McDermott made it clear that while Babich will call the plays against Chicago, he is not confirmed to be the team's full-time defensive play-caller. The team will evaluate their performance in the first game, and go from there.

While the team hasn't decided on a long-term answer, McDermott made it clear that he has confidence in Babich, and has given him plenty of space throughout camp.

"He doesn't need me looking over his shoulder all the time and he needs to know I trust him as well," said McDermott.

This decision adds a new level of importance to their preseason opener, as the team's defensive performance could heavily impact who calls plays for the defense throughout the entire 2024 season.

For the Bills defense, this will be the first time that McDermott will not be calling plays since 2022 when Leslie Frazier still held the defensive coordinator position. Last season, with McDermott operating as both the head coach and defensive coordinator, the Bills finished ninth in yards-allowed-per-game and forced the third-most turnovers in the NFL.

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The Bills open their preseason at home against the Bears on Saturday.