Written By: Marc Yeager
image via buffalorumblings.com
-Rex Ryan at his introductory conference as Buffalo Bills Head Coach
"And that’s the truth. . . . I’m not going to let our fans down. I am not going to do that. I know it’s been 15 years since the Bills made the playoffs. Well get ready, man, we’re going. We are going. . . . My message to our team is to get ready. Start preparing now. Start preparing that we’re going to be playing games in January.”
-Rex Ryan during his introduction as Bills head coach
Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans...
If you're reading this, you probably know that Rex Ryan's playoff guarantee was nothing more than an empty promise that left Bills fans wanting a lot more.
Ryan arrived in Buffalo to much fanfare and had the football world buzzing. He possesses the type of charisma that makes an entire room stand at attention, which is something the previous regime was severely lacking. With his appointment, Bills fans were being introduced to the polar opposite of former leading man Doug Marrone.
To summarize Coach Marrone's story, he got greedy and tried to cash in on his feat of leading Buffalo to a solid 9-7 record. He is now the Offensive Line Coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. That record is suspect, though. The thing about Marrone is he was lauded as an "Offensive Line Guru", but it wasn't Doug's offense that "Led The Charge". It was the stout Buffalo defense that took center stage and was responsible for most of the success the team would have during Marone's tenure.
That defense, coined "The Cold Front", which was led by Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, and Jerry Hughes was quickly taking the league by storm and was considered by many as the NFL's best front four. The thought was that with these men and a defensive mastermind in Ryan at the wheel, they could take the next step from great to historic.
It was a defensive unit that made the year's MVP Aaron Rodgers and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning look downright pedestrian. So, with a man like Ryan taking over, the sky certainly seemed to be the limit for the 2015 season.
But a flashy new Head Coach wasn't the only thing that was about to change at One Bills Drive.
The Bills were in the middle of yet another offseason devoid of a playoff appearance as Rex Ryan was just getting settled in as the Head Coach in Buffalo. Suddenly, a call from the Philadelphia Eagles came.
One that would change the immediate fortunes of both franchises.
The call? Superstar running back LeSean McCoy was available for trade, and the Eagles were calling teams league wide to see what they could get for the man called 'Shady'.
Eager to get a true franchise player on offense, The Bills jumped at the opportunity to send promising young linebacker Kiko Alonso to the City of Brotherly Love. There and then, Rex Ryan's commitment to the ground and pound became apparent as did his trust in young linebackers Nigel Bradham and Preston Brown.
This addition, along with the signing of Miami Tight End Charles Clay as well as the under the radar acquisitions of Richie Incognito and Percy Harvin, gave fans something to look forward to on the offensive side of the ball which would be run by former 49ers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman going forward.
Things were shaping up nicely.
There was just one issue. A large, signal calling elephant in the middle of the room.
Buffalo had no QB to speak of. EJ Manuel continued to look more and more suspect as each minute passed, and, with few viable options in the draft and free agency, the Bills traded the Minnesota Vikings for Matt Cassel. They also signed Tyrod Taylor away from his backup job with the Baltimore Ravens; Rex Ryan was a noted admirer of Taylor's limited NFL play as well as his time at Virginia Tech, but the young QB was still an unknown quantity league wide
The preseason played as the battleground of a three way dance between the QBs, the result of which was Tyrod Taylor being named the Week 1 starter.
So here we go.
It's opening week, and on the schedule is the 2014 AFC Championship participant Indianapolis Colts.
What better test for this brand new defense than one of the NFL's best and brightest young QBs? The Bills passed this test with flying colors, sacking Luck three times and picking him off twice.
Furthermore, they stymied Indianapolis’ running game, holding them to only 64 combined yards rushing between three rushers. Witnessing a 27-14 win, fans saw a team with what looked to be another powerful defense, now combined with an offense that was finally up to par with NFL standards.
Buffalo’s next challenge came seven days later in the form of the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, coming to town.
Unfortunately, the Bills would fall to the Patriots by a score of 40-32, in a game decided by a late game pick of Tyrod Taylor in what was an up and down performance.
The Patriots took their foot off the gas, allowing the Bills to push back as much as they did; at least that was the story heard from Bills fans by Patriots fans after the game.
Regardless of the situation, Buffalo was able to climb back into the game and exchange punches with the AFC powerhouse, leading to a boost in confidence and hope throughout the fan base.
Once the Bills drubbed the Dolphins in Miami by a score of 41-14; people were suddenly drinking at the fountain of Rex Ryan Kool-Aid in a major way.
All was not right in the world, however; despite the start, the Bills were in serious talks to add the color yellow to their logo in some capacity, a capacity in which officials were happy to oblige.
The Bills were among the league's most penalized teams in 2015, demonstrating a constant and severe lack of discipline that never seemed to be rectified. Buffalo committed 17 penalties for a total of 135 yards against in a 24-10 loss that yours truly was unfortunate enough to witness live at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The season would progress in a similar form of the Giants game. Penalties just kept on coming while suddenly injuries began to strike, sidelining key players from in-game action.
This continued to become apparent in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Tyrod sustained an MCL injury against the Tennessee Titans and wouldn’t be able to make the trip across the pond, leaving the embattled former starter EJ Manuel at the helm to keep things afloat in Taylor’s absence.
In fact, things weren't going so badly until a second quarter implosion from Manuel led to three straight turnovers and 21 unanswered points by the Jags.
EJ was able to calm down in the second half, and the Bills even ended up regaining the lead at one point, but a questionable pass interference call gave Jacksonville a key first down that led to them taking back the lead for the final time, and winning the game 34-31.
Off the bye week the Bills were able to rack up back to back wins against the Dolphins and Jets which put us right back in the thick of things with another New England game on the horizon. This time, though, it was on Monday Night Football.
It was a game that was very different when compared to the first encounter. Both defenses emerged as the focal point of the game this time around.
Buffalo was able to hold Tom Brady relatively in check, but the offense was only able to score one touchdown and, because of that, lost 20-13. Late season losses to the Chiefs (30-22), Eagles (23-20), and Redskins (35-25) put the final nails in the coffin that was the 2015-2016 Bills season.
The one silver lining at the end of the season was a Week 17 win over the Jets that kept New York from the postseason despite a 10-6 record. So while Rex’s promise of playoffs and games in January didn’t come to fruition, the Bills sat at 8-8 after an up and down year with another 4-2 division record and two close losses to New England.
Fans were left feeling unfulfilled with Rex Ryan's words ringing hollow, but remaining ever-present in their minds.
“We’ll evaluate and get better.”
So what then to look for next season?
The vaunted Cold Front defense will no longer exist with Mario Williams likely to be a salary cap casualty. He has displayed a startling lack of production for a man scheduled to make 20 million dollars. Given that cutting Williams will save 13 million, it seems to be a no-brainer given the need to re-sign Pro Bowl guard Richie Incognito as well as left tackle Cordy Glenn.
There’s also Nigel Bradham who seemed to struggle in his position in Rex Ryan’s scheme, not unlike a few of Buffalo’s defensive players, and who is now himself an Unrestricted Free Agent.
In truth, the entire defense will need some serious modifying to better fit the scheme Rex Ryan wants to install.
On the offensive side of the ball, things are actually looking brighter than they have in some time. Tyrod Taylor has been a revelation at Quarterback and is seemingly the closest thing the Bills have had to a franchise QB for many a year.
He has produced moments of true brilliance and moments of poor decision making, the latter of which is to be expected from a man that is essentially a fourth year rookie that never started an NFL game before joining the Bills.
That said, his play and ability to take over games with his arm and his legs and his continued growth as a leader on the roster is something to commend and for fans to take pride in.
There is more too for fans to be pleased about. LeSean McCoy remains one of the NFL’s premier Running Backs. Karlos Williams has come in and made big plays as a rookie, and Sammy Watkins used the second half of the season as a coming out party, determined to show fans that he was worth the price the Bills paid to take him at number 4 back in 2014 despite a few run ins with the injury bug.
It appears that Greg Roman has things running smoothly on offense. As long as he can control his questionable desire to run drive stalling trick plays, Buffalo is poised to have an upper echelon offensive unit in 2016.
All in all, this season was a disappointing roller coaster of incredible highs and desolate lows. A season that saw a beloved and feared defense neutered and a surprisingly effective offense begin to emerge.
If a true balance between both can be achieved by the start of next season, our next season-in-review may include analysis of games that happened as late as January. Quite possibly even February!
Maybe that’s wishful thinking though. We shall certainly see.
And so, I leave you now, with this gem of a video I found a while back.
Enjoy 'Rex Ryan vs the Jets' to the tune of Adele’s “Hello”.
Ryan arrived in Buffalo to much fanfare and had the football world buzzing. He possesses the type of charisma that makes an entire room stand at attention, which is something the previous regime was severely lacking. With his appointment, Bills fans were being introduced to the polar opposite of former leading man Doug Marrone.
To summarize Coach Marrone's story, he got greedy and tried to cash in on his feat of leading Buffalo to a solid 9-7 record. He is now the Offensive Line Coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. That record is suspect, though. The thing about Marrone is he was lauded as an "Offensive Line Guru", but it wasn't Doug's offense that "Led The Charge". It was the stout Buffalo defense that took center stage and was responsible for most of the success the team would have during Marone's tenure.
That defense, coined "The Cold Front", which was led by Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, and Jerry Hughes was quickly taking the league by storm and was considered by many as the NFL's best front four. The thought was that with these men and a defensive mastermind in Ryan at the wheel, they could take the next step from great to historic.
It was a defensive unit that made the year's MVP Aaron Rodgers and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning look downright pedestrian. So, with a man like Ryan taking over, the sky certainly seemed to be the limit for the 2015 season.
But a flashy new Head Coach wasn't the only thing that was about to change at One Bills Drive.
The Bills were in the middle of yet another offseason devoid of a playoff appearance as Rex Ryan was just getting settled in as the Head Coach in Buffalo. Suddenly, a call from the Philadelphia Eagles came.
One that would change the immediate fortunes of both franchises.
The call? Superstar running back LeSean McCoy was available for trade, and the Eagles were calling teams league wide to see what they could get for the man called 'Shady'.
Eager to get a true franchise player on offense, The Bills jumped at the opportunity to send promising young linebacker Kiko Alonso to the City of Brotherly Love. There and then, Rex Ryan's commitment to the ground and pound became apparent as did his trust in young linebackers Nigel Bradham and Preston Brown.
This addition, along with the signing of Miami Tight End Charles Clay as well as the under the radar acquisitions of Richie Incognito and Percy Harvin, gave fans something to look forward to on the offensive side of the ball which would be run by former 49ers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman going forward.
Things were shaping up nicely.
There was just one issue. A large, signal calling elephant in the middle of the room.
Buffalo had no QB to speak of. EJ Manuel continued to look more and more suspect as each minute passed, and, with few viable options in the draft and free agency, the Bills traded the Minnesota Vikings for Matt Cassel. They also signed Tyrod Taylor away from his backup job with the Baltimore Ravens; Rex Ryan was a noted admirer of Taylor's limited NFL play as well as his time at Virginia Tech, but the young QB was still an unknown quantity league wide
The preseason played as the battleground of a three way dance between the QBs, the result of which was Tyrod Taylor being named the Week 1 starter.
So here we go.
It's opening week, and on the schedule is the 2014 AFC Championship participant Indianapolis Colts.
What better test for this brand new defense than one of the NFL's best and brightest young QBs? The Bills passed this test with flying colors, sacking Luck three times and picking him off twice.
Furthermore, they stymied Indianapolis’ running game, holding them to only 64 combined yards rushing between three rushers. Witnessing a 27-14 win, fans saw a team with what looked to be another powerful defense, now combined with an offense that was finally up to par with NFL standards.
Buffalo’s next challenge came seven days later in the form of the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, coming to town.
Unfortunately, the Bills would fall to the Patriots by a score of 40-32, in a game decided by a late game pick of Tyrod Taylor in what was an up and down performance.
The Patriots took their foot off the gas, allowing the Bills to push back as much as they did; at least that was the story heard from Bills fans by Patriots fans after the game.
Regardless of the situation, Buffalo was able to climb back into the game and exchange punches with the AFC powerhouse, leading to a boost in confidence and hope throughout the fan base.
Once the Bills drubbed the Dolphins in Miami by a score of 41-14; people were suddenly drinking at the fountain of Rex Ryan Kool-Aid in a major way.
All was not right in the world, however; despite the start, the Bills were in serious talks to add the color yellow to their logo in some capacity, a capacity in which officials were happy to oblige.
The Bills were among the league's most penalized teams in 2015, demonstrating a constant and severe lack of discipline that never seemed to be rectified. Buffalo committed 17 penalties for a total of 135 yards against in a 24-10 loss that yours truly was unfortunate enough to witness live at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The season would progress in a similar form of the Giants game. Penalties just kept on coming while suddenly injuries began to strike, sidelining key players from in-game action.
This continued to become apparent in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Tyrod sustained an MCL injury against the Tennessee Titans and wouldn’t be able to make the trip across the pond, leaving the embattled former starter EJ Manuel at the helm to keep things afloat in Taylor’s absence.
In fact, things weren't going so badly until a second quarter implosion from Manuel led to three straight turnovers and 21 unanswered points by the Jags.
EJ was able to calm down in the second half, and the Bills even ended up regaining the lead at one point, but a questionable pass interference call gave Jacksonville a key first down that led to them taking back the lead for the final time, and winning the game 34-31.
Off the bye week the Bills were able to rack up back to back wins against the Dolphins and Jets which put us right back in the thick of things with another New England game on the horizon. This time, though, it was on Monday Night Football.
It was a game that was very different when compared to the first encounter. Both defenses emerged as the focal point of the game this time around.
Buffalo was able to hold Tom Brady relatively in check, but the offense was only able to score one touchdown and, because of that, lost 20-13. Late season losses to the Chiefs (30-22), Eagles (23-20), and Redskins (35-25) put the final nails in the coffin that was the 2015-2016 Bills season.
The one silver lining at the end of the season was a Week 17 win over the Jets that kept New York from the postseason despite a 10-6 record. So while Rex’s promise of playoffs and games in January didn’t come to fruition, the Bills sat at 8-8 after an up and down year with another 4-2 division record and two close losses to New England.
Fans were left feeling unfulfilled with Rex Ryan's words ringing hollow, but remaining ever-present in their minds.
“We’ll evaluate and get better.”
So what then to look for next season?
The vaunted Cold Front defense will no longer exist with Mario Williams likely to be a salary cap casualty. He has displayed a startling lack of production for a man scheduled to make 20 million dollars. Given that cutting Williams will save 13 million, it seems to be a no-brainer given the need to re-sign Pro Bowl guard Richie Incognito as well as left tackle Cordy Glenn.
There’s also Nigel Bradham who seemed to struggle in his position in Rex Ryan’s scheme, not unlike a few of Buffalo’s defensive players, and who is now himself an Unrestricted Free Agent.
In truth, the entire defense will need some serious modifying to better fit the scheme Rex Ryan wants to install.
On the offensive side of the ball, things are actually looking brighter than they have in some time. Tyrod Taylor has been a revelation at Quarterback and is seemingly the closest thing the Bills have had to a franchise QB for many a year.
He has produced moments of true brilliance and moments of poor decision making, the latter of which is to be expected from a man that is essentially a fourth year rookie that never started an NFL game before joining the Bills.
That said, his play and ability to take over games with his arm and his legs and his continued growth as a leader on the roster is something to commend and for fans to take pride in.
There is more too for fans to be pleased about. LeSean McCoy remains one of the NFL’s premier Running Backs. Karlos Williams has come in and made big plays as a rookie, and Sammy Watkins used the second half of the season as a coming out party, determined to show fans that he was worth the price the Bills paid to take him at number 4 back in 2014 despite a few run ins with the injury bug.
It appears that Greg Roman has things running smoothly on offense. As long as he can control his questionable desire to run drive stalling trick plays, Buffalo is poised to have an upper echelon offensive unit in 2016.
All in all, this season was a disappointing roller coaster of incredible highs and desolate lows. A season that saw a beloved and feared defense neutered and a surprisingly effective offense begin to emerge.
If a true balance between both can be achieved by the start of next season, our next season-in-review may include analysis of games that happened as late as January. Quite possibly even February!
Maybe that’s wishful thinking though. We shall certainly see.
And so, I leave you now, with this gem of a video I found a while back.
Enjoy 'Rex Ryan vs the Jets' to the tune of Adele’s “Hello”.