BY NICK ST. DENIS
Thursday, the Buffalo Bills lost their defensive coordinator to a head coaching job elsewhere.
Friday, they hired a new defensive coordinator who recently lost a head coaching job elsewhere.
The Bills hired former Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz to lead their defense a day after saying goodbye to Mike Pettine, who spent just a single season in Buffalo before bolting to the Cleveland Browns.
Schwartz was fired by the Lions at the end of 2013 following a subpar 7-9 campaign. His tenure in Detroit as a whole was disappointing, as he went 29-51 in five seasons at the helm despite leading the Lions to their first playoff appearance in 12 years in 2011.
That aside, Schwartz is very good defensive coach and an extremely solid hire for the Bills. He spent eight seasons as the Tennessee Titans' defensive coordinator prior to his stint with the Lions.
"We are excited to add a talented and accomplished coordinator in Jim Schwartz to our staff," Bills coach Doug Marrone said Friday, via BuffaloBills.com. "Schwartz has led aggressive and productive defensive units throughout his time in the NFL and we feel our defense will continue to improve under his leadership."
Schwartz's defenses are known to be stout against the run and maintain a consistent presence in opposing teams' backfields. And at their best (in 2011), the Lions made a living on takeaways and defensive touchdowns.
The Bills boasted one of the league's best pass rushes last season and had a nose for the football. If Schwartz can make good use of his run-stopping acumen, Buffalo's defense will continue to be on the rise.
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