The Buffalo Bills are 5-1 and look every bit like a Super Bowl contender. But one persistent problem has followed them through the first six games: a defense that has repeatedly turned comfortable afternoons into shootouts.
That has put defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard in the spotlight.
USA TODAY has Leonhard among 13 NFL coordinators under the most pressure as the season approaches its midpoint. It's not necessarily a hot seat in the traditional sense. Leonhard is overseeing a significant transition away from former coach Sean McDermott's defense, and USA TODAY notes that his job security probably isn't in question.
But the expectations in Buffalo are different.
The Bills have allowed at least 29 points in five of their first six games, and with
Josh Allen and the offense giving Buffalo legitimate championship aspirations, the defense could become the biggest obstacle to a Super Bowl run.
Regardless of whether their jobs are in jeopardy, here are 13 NFL coordinators under the most pressure to reverse their early-season trend lines:
Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis
A stark turnaround in an 18-16 win over the Rams likely lowered the temperature on Rallis considerably. Still, the holdover from Jonathan Gannon's coaching staff can't let that performance be an outlier. No other team has allowed more points per game than Arizona (29.7), which also has ranked among the league's least efficient units in generating pressure. But Rallis wisely pivoted from his previous reliance on four-man rushes and unleashed a bevy of blitzes against the Rams to great effect. A similar approach might be required to prop up a group that's still short on top talent on that side of the ball.
Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard
Unlike some others on this list, Leonhard probably isn't facing questions of job security as he oversees a fairly significant shift in adapting former coach Sean McDermott's defense to a radically different scheme. But with Buffalo otherwise looking capable of competing for its first title, he's hardly off the hook.
The Bills have raced to a 5-1 start despite giving up 29 or more points in all but one of their first six games. Weekly shootouts surely aren't what was envisioned by Leonhard, who came over after helping the Denver Broncos become one of the league's most stifling units the last two years. But with the defense liable to give up big gains whenever edge rusher Greg Rousseau or defensive tackle Deone Walker don't create sufficient disruption, Buffalo's defense has made for a wild ride. There might be only so much that Leonhard can do to cover for a glaring problem at corner and other holes, but this might be the greatest impediment to a Josh Allen Super Bowl run if left unaddressed.
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker
With Brian Schottenheimer's offense weighing Dallas down the last two weeks, Parker is no longer the sole target of scorn on the Cowboys' coaching staff. Still, things seem mighty unsettled for a defensive play-caller who only needed to bring about modest progress to be considered successful in Year 1.
It's easy to see why Jerry Jones and Co. sought to bring Mike Pettine out of retirement as additional support for Parker. Dallas ranks 31st in defensive EPA per play (+0.12) while sitting last for defensive EPA per dropback (+0.28) and rushing yards per game (149.8). At least the move to bring on Pettine seems like a sincere attempt to aid Parker rather than a warning shot to him. And with the Cowboys having a healthier roster than any of its NFC East foes and a schedule that serves up five teams with losing records in the next six contests, there's reason to believe that better days are ahead. But if Dallas can't box in a severely shorthanded Eagles attack, things could get dire in a hurry.
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard
There's nowhere to hide for a Detroit defense that, even after a promising performance against the Cardinals, ranks last in yards allowed per game (404.4, nearly 20 more than the next closest team) and defensive EPA/play (+0.13). A good portion of the Lions' woes can be attributed to personnel shortcomings, particularly in a woefully undermanned secondary. Still, even though Sheppard said it was insulting to suggest his unit was being carried by the offense, how else would you explain the Lions' results this season besides pointing to the disparity between the two groups?
Lions coach Dan Campbell has tried to take the focus away from the defense, saying that all parts of the operation can stand to improve. Even if he ends up being given a good deal more grace than others on this list, Sheppard has to start conjuring solutions for a team at risk of squandering a fifth consecutive season with a top-five offense in both yardage and scoring. Bracketing Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Michael Wilson to keep both in check was a good first step. Still, ultra-versatile safety Brian Branch's season debut comes at a critical time, with Detroit challenged to slow down the Green Bay Packers' explosive downfield passing attack.
Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo
While Colts coach Shane Steichen appears safe for the time, owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put everyone in Indianapolis on notice this week with the firing of general manager Chris Ballard. Change is afoot for an organization that earlier this year seemed committed to the status quo, and it's hard to imagine the upheaval will stop at Ballard's dismissal.
One year after Anarumo's complex coverages and simulated pressures had opponents turned around, the Colts' defense now only seems to be confounding itself. Missed tackles have become a fixture of the unit, with its vulnerabilities at the second level and over the middle becoming even more pronounced. Indianapolis ranks last in rushing EPA/play allowed (+0.05), per Next Gen Stats. And with a league-worst pressure rate of 24.4% and just three takeaways, the defense has been just as bad at generating splash plays as it has been at preventing them. Defensive tackle and team captain DeForest Buckner's declaration that he was "sick and tired of the same song and dance every year" after a loss to the Titans was a rough look for the team. But it's likely that sentiment is shared by some decision-makers who probably will try to take corrective action on that trajectory.
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel
What's left to say about an outfit that rapidly separated itself as the biggest disappointment in the league? The Charges are dead last in EPA per play (-0.26), while Justin Herbert has thrown a league-worst eight interceptions.
At this point, it's almost impossible to envision the Bolts becoming the scintillating scoring machine many foresaw when McDaniel was first hired. The search for mere functionality might point Jim Harbaugh toward streamlining what's long been understood as a fairly intricate scheme that can require extensive time to click. But Harbaugh's shifting tone, from backing McDaniel without reservation after Week 4 to saying he would "evaluate every part of what we're doing," underscores the depths of the Chargers' discontent. Cleaning up the incessant penalties and stabilizing the protection should be the short-term priorities, but a fundamentally broken operation might not be fixable on the fly.
Los Angeles Rams special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone
Amid yet another special teams meltdown, Sean McVay made explicit that he wouldn't jettison Ventrone, saying last week that he has "a lot of confidence" in the coordinator and that "there’s no changes that are gonna be made there." Given that last December's firing of special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn did little to stop a late-season downturn, staying the course with the staff might be a necessary step for an otherwise volatile unit. After Harrison Mevis was cut and replacement Blake Grupe suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his first game with the team, Los Angeles is looking to Brandon McManus to stem its kicking woes.
Ventrone might not bear responsibility for the injury to Grupe that necessitated a third kicker in as many weeks, but he is culpable for a unit that has converted a league-worst 60% of its field goals. And the Rams' struggles to handle their own kickoff coverage as well as create a spark on their own returns have reflected poorly on Ventrone, with the team ranking 29th in average starting field position and 30th in opponents' average starting field position. There's still plenty of time for repairs, but this underperforming cohort can't afford many more slip-ups on this front.
New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley
Typically reserved team owner Gayle Benson took everyone within the organization to task last week, saying fans were "right to expect more than we have delivered." Staley's defense responded by New York Giants backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy to engineer three fourth-quarter scoring drives, bringing his team to the precipice of a nearly unfathomable comeback before falling just short in a 34-27 New Orleans victory. At least the first three quarters of that game should give some confidence to a group that, after exceeding expectations in Staley's inaugural season at the helm, has come unglued at times in 2026. With no consistent top performers outside of edge rusher Chase Young, New Orleans' defense sits tied for last in points allowed per game (29.7). Just as the offense needs more splash plays, Staley's crew also might have to count on big swings after four takeaways proved integral to the win over the Giants. Failing that, however, New Orleans might continue to have difficulty generating consistent stops.
New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich
The 64-year-old didn't make it to the end of the season in either of his previous two pro coaching posts. Seems fair to question whether that trend will hold yet again.
Aaron Glenn issued the obligatory vote of confidence last week for Reich, who has helped the offense avoid the rampant setbacks that plagued last year's unit. Yet any sense of efficiency has been consistently undermined by an inability to deliver in crunch time, particularly in the red zone, where the Jets rank last in touchdown rate, and in two-minute scenarios. A light schedule the next two weeks – at home against the Dolphins and Raiders – should provide an opportunity to pick things up before midseason, but there don't seem like many sources capable of pushing this unit forward.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion
There might not be a play-caller throughout the NFL in a deeper early-season hole than the one Mannion finds himself in. Between an all-new backfield and front that featured three fill-ins, the offensive lineup that the Eagles trotted out against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 was almost unrecognizable from the one that the coordinator first envisioned carrying out his scheme.
But with Tanner McKee in line to hold down the rest of the season in place of Jalen Hurts, Mannion appears to be an impasse. A scheme rooted in being under center and emphasizing play-action looks doesn't suit the fourth-year signal-caller's skill set. That could prompt Mannion to abandon much of what he was counting on to resuscitate this attack. But doing so would essentially leave him with no proof of concept for how this offense should operate under better circumstances. Getting Saquon Barkley back from a hamstring injury should at least boost a ground game that has seen rushing attempts stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on nearly a quarter of the team's carries, according to Next Gen Stats. That's about the only reason for optimism to be found for Philadelphia's offense, though.
Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury
Following in Klint Kubiak's footsteps was always going to be an exceedingly difficult task, even as Fleury maintained he intended to maintain as much of his predecessor's framework as possible. In his first season as a play-caller, however, Fleury is experiencing many of the challenges Kubiak encountered while having far fewer avenues for relief.
The inefficiency of the run game is once again the primary culprit for Seattle's problems. But while Sam Darnold picked up the slack early last year to keep things afloat until the rushing attack took off late in the regular season and into the playoffs, the quarterback has come unglued this fall, throwing seven interceptions in his four games since returning from a glute injury. The issue came to a head last week, when Darnold's two late interceptions doomed the team in a 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. With Zach Charbonnet on track to make his season debut after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in January and first-round rookie Jadarian Price potentially joining him with a return in the near future, Seattle could finally strike the offensive balance necessary to create some sense of harmony. But Darnold also has to be more decisive and attack the intermediate area more efficiently to avoid the sacks and interceptions that are proving insurmountable for the unit.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson
Having an undrafted free agent take over at quarterback might typically buy an offensive coordinator a reprieve. But outside of a surprising outing against the Cowboys that scored the team its lone win so far, Robinson hasn't done much with either Jalon Daniels or Baker Mayfield to help his own cause.
While Bucky Irving has enjoyed a resurgent campaign, Tampa Bay's offense can't claim to do many things well consistently. Turnovers have compounded the team's troubles with holding onto late leads, with Daniels' two fourth-quarter interceptions factoring heavily into a 26-19 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Bowles seemingly on the hot seat himself in his fifth year, executing a midseason change might be difficult unless things truly reach a breaking point. Regardless, unless Robinson can coax high-level play out of Mayfield upon the quarterback's return, don't expect much stability from a franchise that's now on its fifth different play-caller of Bowles' tenure.
Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll
Notching their first win of the season might have spared the Titans from scrutiny for a week, but even the 26-20 victory over the Colts didn't reflect well on Daboll or his offense. Tennessee netted just 186 yards on a day in which its defense and special teams did most of the heavy lifting.
Nearly all of the numbers are foreboding for the Titans, who rank last in yards per game (236.3) and are tied for 31st in scoring (14 points per game). Yet in Year 1 of Robert Saleh's reset, the development of 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward might be the better reflection of Daboll's value rather than the overall health of the offense. The early returns haven't been favorable to either the coordinator or the quarterback, the latter of whom has largely looked erratic and unsettled. While Ward's supporting cast hasn't equipped him with nearly enough help, both the quarterback and Daboll still have work to do to demonstrate they deserve to be seen as long-term solutions for the franchise.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills' Leonhard lands on list of coordinators under pressure
