Two Bills Drive

'"It's a lot easier to be off your feet, staying inside, rather than being out here for two or three hours, standing on the turf field doing nothing," Lynn said. "So we — I gave him the veteran's day off."'

'Maybe it's the culture that needs to change or maybe it's the players, but something hasn't been right there in quite some time. They've tried offensive coaches and defensive coaches; nothing has worked. They've only even finished over .500 in two of those seasons (2004 and 2014) and they went 9-7 both times. We'll see if they can find the right recipe moving forward.'

'Taylor himself told the News that he's not looking to leave Buffalo, but it may not be up to him. Whoever is hired to replace Rex Ryan as the team's coach (Lynn reportedly has the inside track on the full-time job) may want to bring in his own quarterback to start fresh. That desire could get complicated by Taylor's surgery and contract guarantee, so it's no surprise the Bills want to get this sorted out as soon as possible.'

'While Ryan’s firing was almost inevitable, it won’t change the turmoil-filled culture in Buffalo. Those issues go higher up the chain, beyond the head coach. They haven’t drafted particularly well and a few players have had character flaws brought into the spotlight.'

'Taylor, 27, finished the year with a 7-8 record, while completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 3,023 yards, with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 580 yards and finished with six rushing touchdowns on the season.'

'Taylor reportedly has an injury guarantee in his contract that stipulates he gets paid the guaranteed portion of his new extension if he were to be hurt severe enough that the rehab goes into the 2017 league year, beginning in March. That would be the case even if the team ultimately decides between now and then not to exercise the extension.'

'“I don’t think this one game is going to change a lot,” he said. “Obviously, people will go back and watch the tape and think like that, but you can’t base one game off of one opportunity. I understand the opportunity, I know it’s a big opportunity for me, and I’m excited about it.”'

'“Discipline — whatever around the locker room that needs to be addressed,” Watkins started. “Just being a professional. As players, that’s got to get fixed first. And the coaches have got to be harder on us — not scared of us. Get at us, yell at us, curse at us…. whatever can get the player to do that job the best he can, that’s what he needs to do.”'

'[It’s] very stressful. Being at college, I probably lost five games, six games my whole career,” Watkins said of all the losing in Buffalo. “It’s a culture. That’s something that we’ve got to change, whether it’s us as players, the coaches, the organization, the mindsets of us. We’ve got to change. We’ve got to think like the fans — be all in. Whatever happens, we win the game, we come out on top… that’s what we’ve got to do.”'

'V"If they offered I might do it," he said. "After 47-years of coaching I really needed to get that deep breathe to step aside. But after a few years I would have liked to have gone back.'

'Bills 13, Jets 10.'

'“I think they just have to come in and whatever coach that we have, and I think (Anthony) Lynn is a great coach,” said Watkins. “He has that demeanor, that leadership. But the new coach has to change what needs to be changed. Change the culture, change the mindset and get players on board. If they’re not listening, cut them, kick them out, whatever. Sit them on the bench. I think that will help us move forward.”'

'“He looks sharp,” Marquise Goodwin said. “Obviously there are things we can all work on to help each other during the game and during crunch time. We just have to keep working this week in practice.”'

'The awkward exchange made it clear he hadn’t been prepared for some obvious questions, other than to say it was his decision. But the minute he honestly conceded he “wasn’t in that meeting when that decision was made” it was clear this was a front-office decree.'

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