The Buffalo Bills finished the 2016 NFL season as the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in the NFL with over 200 more yards than the No. 2 ranked Dallas Cowboys.

Much of the credit for that feat can be given to running back LeSean McCoy and the Bills’ offensive line. The strong front helped McCoy rush for 1,267 yards and an astounding 13 touchdowns.

Credit is also due for former Buffalo coach Anthony Lynn and former running back Mike Gillislee. Gillislee finished with 577 yards and 8 touchdowns, a huge accomplishment for a backup running back.

What doesn’t help McCoy is that the former members of the Bills are just that, former.

The New England Patriots, arguably Buffalo’s biggest rival, noticed how Gillislee played and signed the 26-year-old to a 2 year, $6.4 million contract to lead their running back committee.

The Bills are betting on Jonathan Williams to back up McCoy in Buffalo and are hoping that the second-year running back plays like he did during his time at Arkansas. Williams rushed for 1,190 yards and 12 touchdowns in his junior campaign and added two more touchdowns through the air.

In Anthony Lynn’s case, he took over for Greg Roman as offensive coordinator after a week two loss and turned a lackluster offense into a yard-churning, run-heavy machine. After serving as the Bills’ head coach in the final game of the 2016 season, Lynn moved on to Los Angeles to become the coach of the Chargers.

Buffalo attempted to replace Lynn this offseason by hiring Rick Dennison as offensive coordinator and Juan Castillo as their offensive line coach/run game coordinator.

What’s troubling about this year’s coaching hires is the track record of Dennison’s rushing offense. Dennison served as the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos in 2015 and 2016, heading up offenses that boasted the 17th and 27th best rushing attacks respectively. In both of those seasons, the Bills finished 1st overall.

If you look into the statistics associated with Castillo’s offensive line and run game with the Baltimore Ravens, again, it’s troubling. In Castillo’s last two seasons with the Ravens, Baltimore’s rushing offense finished 26th and 28th in the league, right in the same neighborhood as Dennison’s groups.

The argument against these statistics could be that the caliber of players provided to Dennison and Castillo at their previous jobs wasn’t as strong as what Buffalo currently has. The Bills have a top ten running back as well as one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. It comes down to whether or not you believe the results were due to talent or coaching.

Even if the rushing offense of the Bills takes a step back in 2017, it could open the door for opportunities in the passing game. McCoy already stated this offseason that he is excited for an expanded role in the passing game.

If you look at the receiving yards among running backs in the NFL, McCoy finished just 14th last season. Passing to McCoy in the offense could absolutely help the team and help create a successful passing attack, something Buffalo fans have craved for years. Heck, Dennison was even on the coaching staff of the Broncos’ team in 2015 that wanted Tyrod Taylor, so you know Dennison has to be licking his chops at this opportunity.

Although the track record of below-average rushing offenses appears to be troubling on the surface, the implementation of a different passing attack and an offense that is familiar could end up helping the Bills in the long run.

At the end of the day, the coaches that Sean McDermott brought in to surround him are guys he believes in and guys that he thinks will benefit the team. Look for McCoy and Buffalo to slump a little in the running game but excel in the passing game in 2017.