The Facts:
The Bills acted quickly to fill their vacancy at defensive coordinator, announcing late Friday night they’ve hired former Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz. “We are excited to add a talented and accomplished coordinator in Jim Schwartz to our staff,” Bills coach Doug Marrone said in a statement released by the team. “Schwartz has led aggressive and productive defensive units through his time in the NFL and we feel our defense will continue to improve under his leadership.”
Reported by the Buffalo News
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
The 47-year-old Schwartz replaces Mike Pettine, who agreed to become the Cleveland Browns’ head coach Thursday. Schwartz will enter his 21st season in the NFL and his ninth as a defensive coordinator when he directs the Bills’ defense in 2014. Before coaching the Lions from 2009-13, he was the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator from 2001-08 under coach Jeff Fisher. During that time, Tennessee ranked in the top 10 in both rushing yards allowed (fifth, 103.5 per game) and third-down conversion rate (sixth, 36.1 percent) during his tenure. Stopping the run will be a key priority for the Bills next season. While the team finished second in the NFL in both sacks and interceptions under Pettine, it finished just 28th against the run, and allowed an NFL-high 19 runs of 20 or more yards. While he was in Tennessee, Schwartz’s defenses finished in the top 10 against the run in five of eight seasons, including No. 1 in 2003. Schwartz’s background is in the 4-3 alignment. Under Pettine, the Bills ran a hybrid scheme out of a base 3-4 set.
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