When a capable team sputters when it matters the most, a coaching overhaul is usually one of the answers. The Buffalo Bills are certainly betting on that. After multiple hires, they’ve added a new name for fixing their defense; this time, he comes from the college ranks.

The Bills hired Illinois co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Terrance Jamison as their Defensive Line coach on Friday.

Given the fact that Joe Brady will be taking good care of the offense already as a head coach, the second weak point for the Bills was their defense. In the 2024 season, they ranked 11th in points allowed, only slipping to 12th this year. They ranked 20th, according to PFF, in overall defense. That weakness played a huge role in why they couldn’t get past the divisional round.

With new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, the Bills’ defense will try to achieve an aggressive identity. We already know how having an attacking defense helped the Detroit Lions this season, as they ended up being the fifth-best defense in the league, according to PFF. With Jamison, that plan can succeed.

Jamison transformed Illinois’ defense, especially in his first year there back in 2021. That season, the Fighting Illini jumped from 97th to 31st in scoring defense and from 114th to 52nd in total defense. He also has about a decade of experience coaching the defensive line, starting at Florida Atlantic. While Jamison doesn’t have much NFL experience, he has coached multiple NFL players during their college years.

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Houston Texans edge rusher J.J. Watt, Kansas City Chiefs edge George Karlaftis, and former Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher and current free agent, Trey Hendrickson, are all his disciples.

Hendrickson was tied to Buffalo last offseason as well. However, he stayed in Cincinnati to help the Bengals. He had a league-high 17.5 sacks in 2024 but was limited to only seven games this season due to an injury. But with Jamison’s arrival, there might be a possibility of the reunion in Buffalo.

Terrance Jamison is replacing Marcus West, who left Buffalo for Tampa Bay after the 2025 season, and he brings a strong track record of success with the Fighting Illini for over five seasons.

He started as their defensive line coach from 2021-22, then stepped up to co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach from 2023-25.

Now, he’s the sixth coach joining the Bills’ revamped carousel, linking up with Pete Carmichael Jr. (new offensive coordinator), Jim Leonhard (new defensive coordinator), Jeff Rodgers (new special teams coordinator), Pat Meyer (new offensive line coach), and John Egorugwu (new inside linebackers coach).

While the team is focusing on improving its defense, it cannot be denied that its sixth-ranked offense can also use some improvements. But with their quarterback, Josh Allen, coming so close to the biggest NFL stage and losing every time has also started raising eyebrows. Many blamed former head coach Sean McDermott, but some have zeroed in on a different reason why the Bills keep hitting the same playoff wall.

Josh Allen “can’t win those big games,” says Saints DE

As the regular season wrapped up, everyone thought this was finally the year for the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen to reach the Super Bowl and claim victory. After all, the Winter Soldier has never gotten that far in his eight NFL seasons. And there was no Kansas City Chiefs that had majorly stopped them in their playoff run.

But those high hopes crashed hard in a heartbreaking 30-33 loss to the Denver Broncos. The New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan did not shy away from taking a blunt take on why Allen’s promising seasons always fizzle out the same way.

“Josh Allen, if I thought anything, I thought this year was the year. I said, ‘Oh, all these guys are out. It’s his time,’” Jordan said on the episode of First Take on February 4th. “And he proved what I thought about him. He plays excellent during season. He shows up, he’s Superman, but at the same time, he can’t win those big games.”

Allen did endure a brutal finish to his season, throwing two interceptions and fumbling the ball three times in the divisional round. And this happened after the entire universe had conspired against his rivals to keep them out of Allen’s Super Bowl-winning dreams.

Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson weren’t even in the postseason mix this time. With the road seemingly wide open, Allen still came up short, leaving him without a ring again.

“I repeat, winning a Super Bowl is a quarterback stat,” Jordan wrote, reposting his First Take clip on X.

Certainly, Josh Allen wouldn’t deny the fact. However, he is also ready to take the reins next season once again and rewrite his history in hopes of avoiding the tag of being the great QB who couldn’t win the big one. But with Joe Brady leading the charge and fresh coaching faces, the Bills are betting big on a total reset.