Ryan Era Ends After Two Seasons

Defensive woes ultimately lead to coach’s downfal

- Mark Ludwiczak

Rex Ryan arrived in Buffalo as only Rex Ryan could — bold, brash, and confident. Two years later, he left like so many other Bills coaches before him.

Ryan was fired by the team on Dec. 27 following a conversation with owner Terry Pegula. He was replaced by Anthony Lynn for the team’s season finale against the New York Jets; Lynn has since gone on to become head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Ryan left with a respectable record in Buffalo — 15-16 — but clearly ownership was not pleased with the direction of the team under his watch. The Bills appeared to be on the verge of a playoff berth upon Ryan’s arrival; upon his departure, a rebuilding phase appears all but certain.

Here’s a look back at what transpired under Ryan and more specifically what went wrong.

Defense doesn’t live up to identity

Ryan built his reputation as a defensive guru after his successful early years with the New York Jets. It was there where Ryan built an aggressive unit that wreaked havoc on opposing passers with its exotic blitz schemes and unique pressure packages.

In Buffalo, Ryan took over a defense that had been reenergized the previous year under Jim Schwartz and had finished among the very best in the league. At his introductory press conference, Ryan proclaimed: “You mentioned how well we played on defense last year. Fourth in the league is probably a little disappointing, to be honest with you, because that’s not where my expectations are. I know we’ll lead the league in defense. That’s just the way it goes.”

They never got there. The Bills instead regressed on defense and never seemed to fully embrace the identity of a Rex Ryan defense. Instead, it was inconsistent and injury-prone, unable to forge an identity of its own.