New Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard did a lot in his introductory press conference on Thursday to make Bills Mafia excited about the future of the defense. Despite the scheme change coming to that side of the ball, Leonhard matched head coach Joe Brady’s vision for the defense in every regard, emphasizing again that the team will look to be more aggressive in putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and playcallers going forward.
Still, not everything went so smoothly. The former Denver Broncos defensive pass game coordinator was asked about the play from the Divisional Round game in which Brandin Cooks was ruled to have not completed the catch to the ground, resulting in an interception for Leonhard’s defense in overtime.
Leonhard didn’t playcate to the Mafia with his answer, saying, “Was not. We caught it, Denver caught it, that time.”
New DC Jim Leonhard’s honesty on controversial play sets an early tone with Bills Mafia
Leonhard gave his answer with a laugh and assured Bills fans that his answer favoring the Broncos isn’t exactly set in stone.
“I’ll have a different opinion here very soon. To me, it’s still the 2025 season. That Super Bowl hasn’t been played yet, so I have to have a little bit of loyalty there. But ask me in another week, and I’ll give you a different answer,” he said.
Leonhard’s stance is justified, to a point. But it doesn’t make it any easier for Bills Mafia to accept it.
To Bills fans, the play wasn’t so black and white, with many, including then head coach Sean McDermott, simply asking for a longer look to allow for absolute certainty that the officials got the call on the field correct. Of course, plenty of Bills fans have seen the angles that have them convinced that Cooks hit the ground before losing possession of the ball. Cooks himself was convinced he caught the ball, too.
But it’s in the past now, and it’s not as though the Broncos are playing in Super Bowl LX either. Their season effectively ended that night, as well, with starting quarterback Bo Nix suffering his season-ending ankle injury.
Of course, Leonhard set the standard for himself to defend the logo on his polo no matter where he is. After Sunday, he’s all Bills all the way. And that’s good news for the Mafia, who are already excited to see what his new defense brings to the table in 2026.