5 reasons the Bills should fire Rex Ryan immediately

Head coach Rex Ryan had his share of doubters in New York, but since his move to Buffalo those doubters have blossomed into full-blown haters. Here are 5 reasons why he should be fired immediately.

Aug 20, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan during the second half against the New York Giants at New Era Field. Bills beat the Giants 21 to 0. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan was brought up on football. He spent 22 years as an assistant coach, seven years as a head coach, and is the son of former head coach and defensive guru Buddy Ryan.

Based on that last accolade alone, football should run through Ryan’s veins.

Unfortunately, his career win percentage would state otherwise. As head coach, Ryan’s record currently stands at 58-60 including playoff games. That’s a career win percentage of .492

With numbers like those, he’s not exactly the poster child of winning, but nonetheless he is a head coach.

Rex Ryan officially bridged the gap from coaches understudy to man-in-charge during the 2009 NFL season, but after his back-to-back AFC Championship appearances with the New York Jets, it’s been a bit of a downhill spiral.

A new career in Buffalo was supposed to be his fresh start, but after a series of bad moves and missteps that have affected more than just his coaching staff, he could be on his way out.

Here are five reasons why Rex Ryan should be fired immediately.

Jul 30, 2016; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman comes off the field after the first session of training camp at St. John Fisher College. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The Firing of Greg Roman

Former Bills Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman hasn’t exactly had a smooth career, either. After a poor showing in San Francisco and the inability to run a screen pass he was chased out of Candlestick Park.

Roman doesn’t have a great track record in the fourth quarter, nor does his offense do well in the red zone, but somehow the Bills felt it necessary to make him the highest paid offensive coordinator in the NFL.

In Week 1, the Greg Roman lead offense scored an underwhelming seven points in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens, a contest in which the team totaled 160 yards. After an 8-8 season last year, that wasn’t exactly the way fans and upper management wanted to start a new year.

After a frustrating loss in Week 1, Roman stepped it up against the New York Jets, contributing almost 400 yards of total offense and 23 points in a loss that was clearly not his fault.

In fact, doesn’t it seem a little peculiar that he was fired after stepping up his game? Especially after a performance like the team had in Baltimore. The Bills are far from perfect and their offense needs a lot of work, but the hatchet fell on the wrong guy last Friday.

Rex Ryan can blame the firing on a lack of offense or the size of Roman’s contract, but the plain simple truth is that if a firing had to happen it should have been someone on the defensive side of the ball, and I don’t mean Dennis Thurman.

Aug 20, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills assistant head coach Rob Ryan before a game against the New York Giants at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Sparing of Rob Ryan

If there’s an area that needs an immediate upgrade on the Buffalo Bills, it’s the defense.

Week 1 left much to be desired on the offensive side of the ball, but the Week 2 implosion was all on the defense. So who should be fired?

While it’s true that the offense couldn’t get it going in the first game, Greg Roman rebounded nicely against the Jets. It was the defense that stunk during both contests. So who’s left to fire? Dennis Thurman? He’s the defensive coordinator, but he can’t be held accountable because he doesn’t give the final word in terms of play calling.

It’s the assistant coach of the defense that should fall on the sword. As such, Rex Ryan should have fired his twin brother. But let’s be honest: Holiday dinners probably wouldn’t be a paragon of pleasantries after something like that.

When your brother’s the head coach, it’s always going to be the other guy that gets fired. The only problem is sooner or later he’s going to run out of people to fire.

If the short-haired Ryan keeps making decisions with his heart, instead of his head, he could be the next one on the chopping block.

Sep 1, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan puts his arms up during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Lions win 31-0. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone Has a Job to do

It’s really that simple. If someone is hired to do a job, they should be given the opportunity do it. Regardless of the disposition of either coordinator, it’s the head coach’s job to make sure that the team is functioning correctly.

Maybe it’s unfair to put all the blame on Rob Ryan for the defensive woes of the team. After all, Rex Ryan is the defensive genius. Maybe that’s the problem: He hired his brother to do a job that he clearly could not do, and he figured that he could pick up the slack.

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The only problem is, when you’re the head coach, you already have plenty to do, and if you’re doing someone else’s job, then you’re probably not doing yours. It’s a desperate move to keep family on the team if they are not qualified to be there.

In nine years as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, Ryan’s defenses have averaged 22nd in the league and have never finished higher than 13th.

Even if the teams were horrible and lacked any kind of serious talent, it has to fall on his shoulders. Based on the fact that he had multiple seasons on all three teams giving him ample time to improve the roster or coach up his current players.

Aug 13, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan talks to defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (99) before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Defensive Guru has Lost his Touch

Whether you’re the head coach of a team or a coordinator, the team should benefit from your strengths. On an earlier slide, I made the argument that if Rex Ryan was spreading himself thin by doing two jobs then both the jobs would suffer.

However, if you’ve got the ability to lead a defense then at the very least, your defense should at least be serviceable.

In 2015, during their 8-8 season, the Bills allowed almost as many yards as they gained, and their offense scored only twenty points more than their defense allowed. With numbers like those, nobody gets a promotion and everybody should feel fortunate if they get to keep their job.

Two weeks into the current season, Buffalo’s defense has allowed 25 points per game and an average of 400 yards per contest. With numbers like those someone should be held accountable, someone that’s not in control of the offense.

The offense is in charge of moving the chains and putting points on the board, but it’s the defense that wins championships.

Buffalo’s defense is doing horribly, and the team has yet to attack the win column.

Case in point.

Jun 14, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan speaks to the press after mini-camp at the ADPRO Sports Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Rex Ryan Looks Lost

Head coach Rex Ryan’s biggest problem was his early on success. After two consecutive seasons of getting to the AFC Championship game, Ryan has downward spiraled a little more each year. He needs to mix it up on the field and in the playbook.

He keeps trying to chase the two seasons in which he had success. That’s not a bad thing, but as the saying goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Someone forgot to tell Coach Ryan that while that motto is noble, you have to make the necessary adjustments if the old way doesn’t work.

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He continues to make the same mistakes, and while working with family has its rewards, if someone is not qualified then they shouldn’t get the job. If Rex doesn’t get fired then he needs to make some more substantive, meaningful changes. Lest it be his head beneath the axe.

The NFL is ever changing and the game gets faster every year, in order to keep up with the competition he needs to keep them all guessing. That means that he needs a new approach. Starting with a brand new staff.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.

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