Archives for December 28, 2016

'No high-profile candidate would take the job without Bill Belichickesque power. And, if such a coach was hired, Whaley would figure to be one of the first to go … so he’s not hiring one.'

'But now, with that top-five defense a shell of itself and that postseason drought having reached 17 years, the Bills concluded that Ryan no longer is the right man for the job, announcing Tuesday that he has been fired.'

'That would seem to put an end to any speculation about his job security with the team. Whaley, who officially took over as general manager in May 2013, previously was part of a four-man team – along with owners Terry and Kim Pegula and President Russ Brandon – that hired Ryan in January 2015.'

'Ownership has made so many mistakes with the Bills and Sabres that I’m not sure how they could inspire confidence in any decision made with either franchise.'

'He came aboard proclaiming his defensive genius and pleaded with desperate Bills fans to climb aboard the Rex Express. In fact, many did. He was new and exciting and bold and funny. All the things people despised about Rex during his days with the Jets became attractive when he took over the Bills.'

'Instead, the defense went backward under Ryan. His run defense was especially poor this season, allowing three separate 200-yard individual rushing performances, which only two other teams in NFL history had done before.'

'Trusting Whaley, who per the team’s Twitter account “will officially be leading the organization’s head coaching search,’’ and Brandon to select a third coach in five years after they already whiffed on Doug Marrone and Rex Ryan has left Bills Nation quoting Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.’’'

'"Kim and I and our entire Bills organization share in the same disappointment and frustration as our fans, but we remain committed to our goal of bringing a championship to Western New York.'

'The Bills announced that General Manager Doug Whaley will lead a search, so if they do look outside the organization, here are 10 other candidates the team could consider. How many of these candidates would be willing to work with Whaley? The answer to that is very uncertain.'

'Here are some notable tweets reacting to the news…',.

'Still, the parallels seem to end there. Bylsma and General Manager Tim Murray seem to be on roughly the same page, while Ryan and GM Doug Whaley weren't in the same book. And it seems improbable the Sabres would make a coaching change after just two years of having Jack Eichel on their roster and with a few key prospects still in juniors, the AHL or college ranks.'

'If ownership and/or other members of the Bills’ front office wanted Ryan to sit Taylor because of his contract status and the coach refused, that very well could have been the final straw in the marriage and the reason the coach was fired after giving a press conference Monday, just days before the season finale.'

'"Bruce DeHaven was not only one of the premier special teams coaches the history of the NFL, he was also a premier SPECIAL PERSON," former Bills coach Marv Levy said in a press release provided by the team. "His work ethic, his love for and his dedication to the game, his caring about those players from whom he was able to bring forth their maximum talents and who revere him are all signature features which distinguished him.'

'With both teams eliminated from the playoffs, the game isn’t exactly must-see TV, though Tuesday's firing of Coach Rex Ryan makes it more interesting.'

'Or, like Buffalo nutrition coach Jennie Fagen, you can funnel your frustration into one of the most powerful coping tools known to Western civilization: musical theater.'