Two Bills Drive

'This isn’t to solely blame Ryan for their current problems. The results he had in Buffalo should have been expected given his record with the Jets. He was one game under .500 over 31 games with the Bills. He was four games under .500 over six seasons with the Jets. Rex Ryan did what Rex Ryan does.'

'The Buffalo Bills’ 30-10 loss to the New York Jets in Manuel’s first start this season as starting quarterback had a strong 35.9 rating New Year's Day on WIVB-TV, the local CBS affiliate.'

'This was one of multiple contradictions from the man who carries the title of general manager, a role that means he's supposed to be able to see the big picture of where the team is, where it's going, and how it will get there.'

'“For one thing, Terry Pegula is a straightforward and honest guy; I know him pretty well. The sentence that said ‘based on discussions that were going on all year,’ is the operative one, within the organization,’’ Polian said. “I’m assuming Doug Whaley was involved in them, and were having those kinds of discussions, leading to the decision Terry gave to Rex. The bottom line is, it’s a little disingenuous to say, ‘I wasn’t involved in the decision.’ Terry said there was discussion and you have to assume the general manager is involved in those discussions.’’'

'But then the show quickly turned into Mariah Carey’s New Year’s Eve. Or a Jim Carrey moment when Whaley said he was here to speak for the owners who apparently don’t speak to him.'

'If the Bills had been able to play a lick of defense, Taylor’s offense might have been good enough to get the Bills to playoffs. I say “might” because while the numbers are impressive, a deeper dive reveals that Buffalo’s strength of victory was woefully weak. Take the Week 4 win over the Jacoby Brissett Patriots out of the mix, and the Bills did not beat a single playoff team. In fact, the combined record of the six non-Brissett teams they beat was a gruesome 23-71-2.'

'San Francisco has shown interest in hiring Lynn in the past. Last year, Lynn interviewed for the 49ers' head coaching vacancy before the team hired Chip Kelly. The 49ers would proceed to interview Lynn for their offensive coordinator vacancy, but Lynn eventually removed his name from consideration.'

'Buffalo isn't expected to interview as many candidates as they did in 2015 based on comments from owner Kim Pegula, but it's a bit of a surprise that the Bills wouldn't at least interview Coughlin.'

'FOX Sports and CBS Sports both placed the Bills at No. 20.'

'ESPN: "Rex is an accomplished coach and one of the most engaging personalities in the NFL. We always keep an eye out for new faces who know the game and will appeal to fans. If Rex is considering TV work, we'd be interested in talking to him."'

'Judging by the reaction to Whaley's disaster of a press conference in Orchard Park on Monday, fans and media do not share the opinion he is the guy to find the best fit for the Buffalo Bills.'

'Meanwhile, social media blew up in and around the GLOW region as The Daily News recorded several thousand views during their live broadcast. Whaley never really gave the reporters much although he did mention that he had nothing to do with firing Rex Ryan, and instead pointed the finger directly in owner Terry Pegula’s direction.'

'It's smart, critical decision-making – the kind that doesn't produce results overnight – and not the organizational flowchart on a wall inside the team's headquarters, that will get the Bills back to contention.'

'Assurances aside, an overwhelming sense of skepticism prevails over a franchise with a spotty drafting history, continued uncertainty at quarterback, and a general manager who had difficulty explaining his exact role during a 40-minute end-of-season news conference on Monday.'

'Reich, 55, received high marks this season for his work with Philadelphia rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. He spent the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers.'