Archives for December 2016

'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.”'

'Russ Brandon and Doug Whaley — or just Whaley, depending on how much Bills PR you believe about Brandon's role in personnel — built the roster. They drafted EJ Manuel, shipped out draft picks for so-so players — Bryce Brown, anyone? — and whiffed on the few they kept. Since Whaley took over as GM in 2013, Buffalo's roster has gone from third-youngest in the NFL to 10th-oldest, according the data compiled by PhillyVoice.com.'

'Defence is the Ryan brothers’ specialty, but the Bills’ defence was a huge disappointment both in 2015 and 2016, as the franchise’s playoff drought extended two more years, to 17.'

'While coaching the Jets for six seasons — and reaching the A.F.C. championship game in his first two — Ryan built a reputation for creating strong, aggressive defenses. He was never able to manage that with the Bills, however, and his teams in Buffalo also suffered from the same shortcoming he endured with the Jets: the absence of a top-tier quarterback.'

'"I have one more shot to be head coach and I have to get it done," a candid Ryan said in January 2015 when he was introduced as the new coach of the Bills. "I understand I won't have another opportunity and don't want another opportunity. This is the shot that I want."'

'Ryan welcomed former Bills greats who had become disillusioned. He succeeded a money-grubbing coach who quit on his players and bolted town with a cowardly group text, a thin-skinned insecure man with a penchant for condescending co-workers and players.'

'In what would be a most bizarre turn of events, Coughlin is considered a leading contender in Buffalo to replace Ryan, who within hours of being fired Tuesday is a hot ticket in television. ESPN is interested having him in studio for this weekend and/or the playoffs and then making him part of their NFL coverage.'