Nihilarian

Let me answer that simple question. He would not be as productive simply because of the injuries. Watkins was playing hurt all last year with various injuries, and yet managed to play every game but was limited. Then for whatever reason the team used him as a decoy quite a bit. This year he missed three games due to an injury. So many Bills fans throw out the argument that he doesn't have a top QB throwing to him every game like Beckham does. Yet, another guy by the name of DeAndre Hopkins is #4 in the NFL in yards this year with scrubs like Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer, TJ Yates throwing to him. So the Bills fans excuse about the QB doesn't wash. The more simple truth is the Bills QB's just aren't targeting Watkins enough, and would rather throw to the single covered receivers. Or is Watkins doing enough to get open to see more targets?

Well written, and very well said! I couldn't agree more! When you see a man come into a team with as much head coaching experience as Rex Ryan has there are no excuses for failure. Ryan was handed a great defense and for whatever reason he decided to ruin it this year. If it was just the defense, but its not! Its the penalties! Its the poor game management at times! Its the poor red flag management at times. Its the big mouth motivating opposing teams. Its the team looking sloppy, and unprepared at times. All I know is I'm hoping these new owners don't stay with Ryan, and give him free reign to retool, rebuild the defense to fit his scheme which could take another three to five years. Then still be a loser only with different players. Enough of these losers! Do what the NY Jets did after they fired Ryan, and hire some experienced consultants in Ron Wolf, Charlie Casserly. Those two picked the new GM, HC and went from 4-12 under Ryan to now 8-5 with the #5 defense in the NFL. Meanwhile the Buffalo Bills are 20th in total defense, 22 in passing, and 30th in sacks! First in sacks the NFL last year to 30th this year under Ryan

This! It really is that simple! Bills fans that still like Rex Ryan as the Bills HC lose all credibility with me considering what he did to the #4 defense in the NFL that was #1 in sacks last year. That was #2 in sacks in 2013, and 10th in total defense under Mike Pettine. That even under horriable Bills DC Dave Wannstedt in 2012, and terribad BIlls DC George Edwards 2010-2011 the Bills defense was still better in sacks! 2010-Edwards DC 27th in sacks with No Mario, no Hughes, no Dareus, and just Kyle Williams 2011-Edwards DC 27th in sacks with no Mario, no Hughes, no Dareus, and just Kyle Williams 2012- Wannstedt DC 18th in sacks with Mario, Dareus, Kyle Willams, no Hughes 2013-Pettine DC 2nd in sacks with Mario, Dareus, Kyle, and Hughes 2014-Schwartz DC #1 in sacks with Mario, Dareus, Kyle, and Hughes The Buffalo Bills are currently 30th in sacks with only 19. The ramifications of what happens to a defense when they fail to apply pressure on the opposing QB are immense, and basically give that QB all day to throw. The Bills defense couldn't stop Sam Bradford, Eli Manning, Tom Brady, Blake Bortles, Andy Dalton when it mattered most. Last season the Bills were a terror in rushing the passer, and teams were worried about their QB getting hit so much, and this year they can't apply pressure at all. Ryan basically took three all pro's along with superb pass rusher Jerry Hughes, and neutered them with his gap control - drop back into pass coverage scheme.

Rex also promised the NY Jets fans a super bowl among other things, and he managed to break all those promises to Jets fans. 4-12 last year. you think any of them want Ryan back now that the Jets are 8-5, and they will more then likely be in the playoffs? This with Chan Gailey as OC, and Fitz at QB

I'm earnestly hoping this is not the case at all, and I have some thoughts on the head coaching / GM situation. Last off season the new owners were looking to hire an NFL "czar" (experienced NFL team adviser / president) to run the football side of operations, and contacted ex Buffalo Bill GM Bill Polian about the job. He agreed to take over at some point, and then backed out once Doug Marrone walked away from the team. The NFL even advised the new owners to hire a senior adviser, and for whatever reason they chose not to. My thinking is that once Russ Brandon / Doug Whaley heard that the new owners offered Bill Polian a job they both panicked because they both realized their jobs might be at stake. Polian had stated that if he took the job he would probably hire AJ Smith as the new GM, and hiring Polian would bring an abrupt end to Russ Brandon's involvement in free agency, and the NFL draft. Bills inside info person who posts in this forum "Leroi" has recently stated that Brandon has been involved in the draft process since Marv Levy retired as GM 2008-2015. Stating that I'm also thinking that Rex Ryan was nudged towards new ownership by Whaley / Brandon because of his history in building top defenses, and the Bills defense was / is loaded with top defensive talent. Rex Ryan himself recently stated that he has never had a defense worse then 11th in sacks, and he has had a reputation of constantly running an overload blitz with his defenses. Its what Pettine ran under Rex Ryan with the Jets, and what Pettine ran in Buffalo as the Bills DC. See the correlation of wanting Rex Ryan because of Pettine in thinking they would get the same defense that Pettine had run, only this defense would be run by the "master" himself. Now fast forward to this year, and these new owners might not be so happy with what was nudged their way by Whaley / Brandon. I'm really hoping that they hire that senior adviser like the NY Jets did to hire Todd Bowles considering the Jets are now 8-5 with a solid shot at the playoffs after being 4-12 under Rex Ryan last year. I have no desire to see these new owners do anything other then hire a team president to run the football side of operations like they initially intended. I might recommend a man like current Packers GM Ted Thompson who might just take a promotion to be the Bills team president. Then let him make the decisions on if he wants to keep Rex Ryan as HC. This would also move Russ Brandon out of the football operations involvement, and let him run the Sabres / Bills financial side. If anyone on the planet is smart enough to determine if Tyrod Taylor is the answer at QB its Thompson. A man who had enough football acumen to see Aaron Rodgers could replace Brett Favre before he even started an NFL game. look at all the WR's the Packers have obtained over the years with just #2 picks. The Bills could still keep Whaley as GM, and give him some help in making the final football decisions. Hiring that team president would also take the owners out of the football operations loop. JMO

This! What Ryan managed to do with a top 5 defense that was #1 in sacks in the NFL last year, and is now 30th is indeed criminal. Why he isn't blitzing as much as he has with past defensive units is the key question here! Is he trying to get Doug Whaley fired so he has more power over personnel? Hey, he figures the Pegula's are stupid enough to keep paying the last head coach so is he trying to get himself fired because he wants to pull a Doug Marrone, and still get paid while working another job so he can collect two paychecks? Or even worse is this all a facade, and he hates the Buffalo Bills as much as he does the Patriots because of his six years with the Jets? I honestly don't know that answer, and all I do know if he took a playoff caliber defense from last year and castrated it with his crappy scheme, and non blitzing. The front four defensive linemen are suddenly playing like average bums rather then the 1/4 billion dollar players the team invested into them, and its all because of a gap control scheme vs rushing the passer. On paper this was a playoff caliber team that every Bills fan out there thought the team was finally going to the playoffs this year! Hence this team sold more season tickets this year then they have in the past. The one area that let the team down the most was the defense! Then special teams have been bad! The penalties have been killing this team more games then not this last game 15 penalties for 101 yards, and the Eagles had 5. Poor game management, red flag management at times The coaching stinks, the Jets with Todd Bowles is better at 8-5! The Raiders with Jack Del Rio who took a 3-13 team from last year, and already has them at 6-7. Those Raiders just beat the Broncos in Denver! This was an above average team with 3 of 4 pro bowlers on the D line, and a defense loaded with top talent. #2 pick Ron Darby the probable DRotY! The offense greatly upgraded with Richie Incognito at LG. Charles Clay at TE a top player. RB LeSean McCoy for 6 mill per, and Tyrod Taylor who is having a good season. Ryan has no excuse, and if the Bills don't finish 9-7 then he should be fired! JMO

I'm really kind of surprised there is no thread started about how poorly the offensive line played in Philly. 15 penalties for 101 yards, and 7 of those came against the offensive line for 52 yards RG John Miller who had a holding call declined, and was held accountable for two penalties. RT Jordan Mills had two penalties LG Richie Incognito had two penalties C Eric Wood had one penalty. The line play was really bad at the end of the game when the Eagles had the Bills pinned deep, and knew they would be forced to throw the ball.

For some unknown reason there are quite a few Bills fans that just don't get the disparity between going from #1 in the NFL in QB sacks, hits, hurries to 30th, and almost last in QB sacks, hits, hurries. Those sacks are so very important because they take a toll on the QB by giving him nervous feet, and then he will hurry his throws. The opposing offensive lines will draw constant penalties while attempting to stop the pass rushers, sound familiar? Fans want to blame the players but three all pro's on that D line didn't just suddenly fall off the earth. They are playing in a defensive scheme that simply doesn't fit their respective talents. Might as well be asking LeSean McCoy to play TE, and he could probably do it too. The difference is he just isn't suited to play that position, and the Bills quicker, penetrating DT's aren't space eating, gap control 340 pounders either. Schwartz proved that lining up Mario, and Hughes on the outside of the OT is a far more effective way to enable those DE's to get to the passer quicker. Then the defense still needs to blitz by sending more defensive players after the QB then they have blocking. Rex Ryan simply isn't blitzing this year like he has in past years. You give any bum of a QB all day to throw, and he will burn you. Remember back in 2010 when Buddy Nix was crying that the Bills didn't have any pass rush at all, and that opposing rookie QB's had all day to throw. Then pencil in a 100 million dollar DE onto the team who had 14.5 sacks last year now only has 4.0 after 13 games. Pencil in DT Marcell Dareus in at #3 overall in the 2011 NFL draft who had 10 sacks last year, and now only has 2 sacks Well, this team has put 1/4 billion dollars into their front four to rush the passer, and now this new HC would rather see them drop into pass coverage or sit in gap control. Wanna know what really gets me? Even as bad as Dave Wannstedt was running the Bills defense in 2012, and he finished 22nd overall in total defense. His defense was still #18 in sacks with 36. Hell, even flip flopping 3-4 / 4-3 Bills DC George Edwards finished the 2011 season 27th with 29 sacks. The 2015 Buffalo Bills are currently 30th in the NFL with a measly 19 sacks after 13 games.

Tyrod Taylor only has 10 NFL starts under his best so can everyone stop thinking this guy is going to carry the team on his shoulders like Orton did last year! Tyrod really is a perfect "game manager" fit for this type of run first offense, and he doesn't throw many INT's, with 20 TD's & 4 INT's. There are just so many holes on the team, and yes a big red zone target is one. That true #2 WR is such a big factor when you don't have one and opposing teams can roll all the coverage to the #1. Losing TE Charles Clay to injury was a big factor in this game because the had nobody to replace him with. I don't know about the rest of you but to me that offensive line was exposed as bad against that Eagles front four. Glenn is a FA, Incognito is a FA. the best RT the team has was a waiver wire guy just off the street. The RG Miller is a very good run blocker, and a liability in pass blocking. The Bills would have been better off having Urbik in there at the end, and he isn't an asset in the run game. Wanna talk let down then lets talk about the #4 defense falling into #20, and the #1 sacking team falling so very far to 30th. If Tyrod Taylor had as little pressure on him this season as the opposing QB's have had this team would win more games. If the Bills were fielding a top 5 defense this year they probably would have won at least three more games. I agree with the OP that Taylor is not the primary concern right now, as he still needs more time to develop. Just look at Blake Bortles, and Derek Carr this year to see how much a rookie QB can improve in the second year.

Funny thing about that as an old guy from yesteryear recommended Todd Bowles to the NY Jets, and they are now 8-5. Anyway, they could hire someone like the Packers GM Ted Thompson and promote him to team president of football operations. This would give him the final say over everything on the football side, and If he wants to keep Ryan or Whaley it would be up to him. This move would take the owners, and Russ Brandon out of the football side of decisions.

Taylor is the man in Buffalo for now, and has great command in the huddle. Rarely makes throws INT's, and should get better with more experience. Its tough for fans to fathom but this kid only has 11 starts under his belt, and they expect him to instantly be all world. Anyone watching this game has to have seen how poorly this offensive line pass blocked when it mattered most. Miller at RG stinks, and Urbik is the better pass blocker. At times the offense telegraphed exactly what play they would run with Felton in the backfield. Incognito is a FA- Glenn is a FA- Miller stinks at RG-Henderson stinks at RT-Kounandjio stinks at RT. The Bills need a true #2 WR, and Woods doesn't always show up. This team has bigger issues then a QB right now.

Rex Ryan inherited a defense with Revis and other good defensive players, and with his scheme turned them into the #1 defense in the league. That Jets team also already had three all pro players on their O line so they ran the ball to become the #1 rushing team in the NFL. That first year in NY Ryan ran the ball 607 times, and passed it only 393 times. Thus allowing Sanchez a minimal amount of chances to make mistakes, and to turn the ball over. This made him a game manager with not so much pressure to win the games all on his shoulders. Then as time went on in NY he forgot what got him to those AFC championship games, and wanted to pass more then run. Then in time his teams regressed rather then got better. I can only think that this season Ryan inherited a defense #4 in total defense, and #1 in sacks then castrated it with his scheme because the current all pro players don't fit it. 30th in sacks, really? This years team got so much worse in penalties, got so much worse on special teams with the same coach, and players. Bad game management, red flag management on the road. I've seen enough of coaching bums over the years to realize that Ryan may still be a decent defensive coordinator if given players that fit his scheme. He stinks as a head coach, and always will no matter how many years these new owners give him. P.S. Tyrod Taylor should be the starting QB next year no question.

The man has had 13 games now to look at his scheme and make changes. So at 6-7 it ain't happening this year. We all saw what he was like in NY last year at 4-12, and he cried publicly that the GM there was out to get him, and his QB turned the ball over to often. So he came into Buffalo and castrated a top defense because the current defensive players don't fit his scheme. Leading the NFL in penalties is just what a bully would do. I only hope the fans that have been out of the playoffs for 15 years, and just faced another wasted season aren't forced to endure another losing season. We deserve better!

Tyrod Taylor is basically still a rookie with only 11 NFL starts under his belt, and given some more time to develop he could be that franchise guy. Rex Ryan and his defense let this team down for another game. Anyone else notice the ferocity of the Eagles D line players in their pass rush scheme? Which is exactly what the Buffalo Bills looked like with last years defense in leading the league in sacks. Those sacks, hits, hurries all add up and take a toll on the opposing QB. Plus they force the opposing offensive line to get holding call just like what happened with Buffalo today. 15 penalties for 101 yards is downright ridiculous. I also hope Ryan is gone after this season ends, and he takes his current bad defensive scheme with him.

Penalties are way worse. this last game 15 penalties for 101 yards Defense is way worse. 30th in sacks from #1 in the league. #4 in total defense to 20th Offense, and can run the ball because of a great RB. The rookie QB is exciting but limited in what he can do. A major flaw was shown to today in the offensives line inability to pass block against a strong pass rush. The line has improved but what does it say about a RT off the street playing better the the starter, and backup! Special teams has regressed. NY Jets 8-5, Buffalo Bills 6-7

This! Jets 8-5 Bills 6-7 and its the defense, and penalties killing this team. 15 for 101 yards!! Anyone else notice how the Eagles D linemen were so difficult to block? That is how the Bills D linemen looked last year!

and that is all about team discipline, that is all Rex! 15 penalties for 101 yards vs 5 for 55 for the Eagles, I mean WTF its all on the coaches!

In 2010 the Bills didn't have any pass rushers worth a damn, and now they have 3 all pros in Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcel Dareus. Plus Jerry Hughes who is a monster in some games. Time to jettison those lousy all pro players, and retool the defense because this HC & DC can't get the most out of them...shades of Dave Wannstedt

game over

wow, 9 offensive penalties...so far

Miller stinks, put Urbik back in there

McLovin an INT!!

That turnover might cost them big

While Rex Ryan is a very likable guy, and I so want to root for him to win as the Bills HC. I really dislike what he has done with this years defense, and have to wonder how long it will take him to build that elite defense of his. I suspect another four years.