Heath Farwell sprinted down the sidelines behind Percy Harvin, searching for a final block.
It was Super Bowl XLVII, and Farwell’s Seattle Seahawks led the Denver Broncos 22-0 when teammate and fellow special teamer Harvin snagged the ball off a bounce at his own 12-yard line.
In the last twenty yards, as Broncos safety David Bruton closed in on him, a slight shove from Farwell’s left hand knocked Bruton off-balance. It was enough for Bruton to lose his momentum, and Harvin to take it to the house and extend the lead.
Farwell, a key component of the Seahawks’ special teams for four years, played one more season before retiring. He returned two years later as an assistant special teams coach. Now, he replaces Danny Crossman as the special teams coach for the Buffalo Bills. Along with new offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, they’re two hires the Bills made in the offseason in areas that need immediate attention.
Farwell joins the Bills from the Carolina Panthers, where he was an assistant special teams coach last season. For the Bills, he inherits a group who struggled mightily last season.
Kicker Stephen Hauschka was hit by New York Jets defensive lineman Henry Anderson after attempting a field goal at the end of the first half in a 27-23 loss in Week 14, and he struggled the rest of the season. He went 2-4 the final two weeks.
Three different punters suited up for the Bills last season. Cory Bojorquez beat out incumbent Colton Schmidt for the job to start the year, but a shoulder injury in late October forced him onto injured reserve. Schmidt was eventually re-signed, but averaged only 36.25 yards per punt during his three games and was cut.
Former Miami Dolphin Matt Darr was signed and averaged 40.5 yards per punt over the final five games. It’s unclear if Darr is the answer at punter for the Bills next season, but it’s a question Farwell needs to address.
Under Johnson last season, the Colts offensive line improved greatly. They drafted guard Quenton Nelson with the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 draft and added guard Braden Smith in the second round. Ryan Kelly and Evan Boehm anchored the center position, and the Colts went five consecutive games without allowing a sack.
In his first season as a feature back, Marlon Mack finished with 908 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The year before, Mack barely topped 300 yards.
Johnson takes over a Bills offensive line with as many, if not more questions than the special teams. At the end of last season, the offensive line went through a huge turnover. Center Eric Wood retired because of a neck injury, and Richie Incognito chose to leave football. As a result, Buffalo struggled to continue its success on the ground, and LeSean McCoy’s total rushing yards dropped from 1,138 to 514.
The Bills fielded a corps that included Dion Dawkins, Vladimir Ducasse, and Wyatt Teller. Cordy Glenn was traded away to the Browns, and Ryan Groy and Russell Bodine competed for the starting center job.
Jordan Mills was thrust into a larger role than McDermott may have liked, and enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. His status is one of many questions facing general manager Brandon Beane, McDermott, and Johnson.
But for Johnson, it’s a homecoming to the Bills. He started as the assistant offensive line coach in Buffalo during the 2010 season, before moving on and coaching for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Oakland Raiders. Last season, he found success under the guidance of former Bills quarterback Frank Reich with the Colts. During Johnson’s last stint in Buffalo, Joe D’Alessandris was in charge.
The resurgence of the line is vital in the development of quarterback Josh Allen. Vital in the resurrection of McCoy’s running game.
And it starts with Johnson.
