Archives for December 28, 2016

'Rex is walking out of town with his tail between his legs, having never backed up any of his big talk. The Bills won just 15 of the 31 games he coached; they tacked on two more years to their postseason drought; their defense got much worse as the players never bought into, nor understood, Ryan’s complex scheme; and while no one ever questioned the work ethic of Ryan or his players, it was clear the Bills were not a well-prepared team, and they were often an out-coached team on game days.'

'Ensuring that the best record embattled coach Rex Ryan can finish with is 8-8 for a second year in a row when the season ends on New Year’s Day against the New York Jets (4-11). As for the Dolphins (10-5), now 8-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less, they’re in fine shape for a playoff invitation, having swept two three-point games from the Bills.'

'"I'm trying to figure out why would they sit Tyrod? I mean, he played so well last game. I don't understand. I don't know. I don't know anything at all about that."'

'Promoting Lynn to head coach would show continuity, something that the Pegulas have preached since taking over as owner of the Bills. Coughlin is another name that has been reported as a favorite for the job. Rex Ryan actually set up a meeting between the Pegulas and Coughlin in the offseason for a role with the team this season. Despite the meeting going well, Buffalo never extended an offer to Coughlin.'

'"I feel like we should've been just more aggressive on defense, because that's the kind of players that we have," Dareus said. "We want to put our foot on the pedal and keep it down knowing what we're doing, and being strategic on what we're doing. Not trying to matchup with this team, or that team. We want to have our identity (knowing) this is who we are, and what we're going to do.'

'Whaley reportedly had issues with both Doug Marrone and Rex Ryan, so the pressure will be on him now more than ever to hire not only the right guy, but a guy that he can work with. The team also has an important decision coming up in regards to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who has already been benched in favor of EJ Manuel for the team's Week 17 finale against the New York Jets.'

'Douzable's first two tweets showed that he was in shock over the news. To his credit, Douzable said that the players had a responsibility in the dismissal as they let Ryan down.'

'The Pegulas can hardly feel the same disappointment and frustration as fans who have dealt with 17 straight seasons without the playoffs. While the Pegulas have owned the team for only two of those 17 seasons, the pressure has never been greater to find a coach capable of leading the Bills to the playoffs.'

'The decision to bench Taylor protects the Bills against him getting injured. Buffalo has to decide by March whether to pick up the option on Taylor's contract, which would carry more than $30 million in guaranteed money. However, the option is guaranteed for injury, so if Taylor were to get injured in a meaningless Week 17 game, the Bills would no longer have the option on the contract.'

'The last month was what caused Ryan's undoing. The team allowed 29 unanswered points in a loss to the Oakland Raiders and then allowed a franchise record 236 rushing yards to Le'Veon Bell in a loss to the Steelers. Ryan also committed numerous blunders in the team's loss to the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Eve. This season he came just the fourth coach since the merger to miss the playoffs for six consecutive seasons.'

'According to reporters from ESPN and NFL Network, a decision behind the starting quarterback could be the reason for the rift.'

'But how far do the Bills have to go exactly? Here’s a comparison between the 2016 Bills compared to the six teams representing the AFC in the playoffs…'.

'But the organization shouldn’t stop there. General manager Doug Whaley should go. Team president Russ Brandon should go.'

'The question now is who will coach the Bills in 2017? There are plenty of candidates who could coach the team next year.'

'“He is an awful head coach. He took a leading defense in the league to almost the worst,” season ticket holder Maggie Farnham said. “I think he should have been fired sooner and it was obvious. He came from the New York Jets and was let go for a reason and we just extended his time in the league. Some coaches need to stick to their skills and talents. His aren’t coaching.”'