No coach has ever arrived in Buffalo with more hype and promise for the Bills as Rex Ryan. Whether it’s television or radio commercials, print ads, social media, you name it and Ryan is on or in it. For the first time in over twenty years national media outlets are making Buffalo and Orchard Park a destination because of Rex Ryan. Yet, after just six weeks the Bills are faced with a must win game in London or the entire season could unravel.
What happened? The flamboyant Ryan, known for his defensive coaching prowess, inherited one of the very best defensive front four in all of football when he signed up with the Bills. His GM traded for an all-pro back in LeSean McCoy, signed the most athletic tight-end the team has had in decades, and brought in two quarterbacks to right the ship. Despite all that the Bills have lost three out of four home games and looked bad doing it.
It’s gotten bad enough that Ryan, known as a players coach, is being criticized by his defensive players for putting them in the wrong scheme. Suddenly in his post-game media conferences Rex Ryan is looking more like the guy who struggled the last two years in New York than the one who took western New York by storm in January of this year.
There is one simple reason for all this and it’s called injuries. The Bills have been strangled by injuries even before training camp and they have now reached epidemic level.
Starters Tyrod Taylor, Sammy Watkins, Percy Haven, Aaron Williams, Kyle Williams, Karlos Williams, LeSean McCoy, Marquis Goodwin, John Miller, Seantrel Henderson and Marcus Easley have all missed games.
Offensively the Bills have not been close to healthy since week one and there is no relief in sight.
Rex Ryan voiced his frustration after the loss to the Bengals Sunday. Standing behind the podium, shaking his head, Ryan looked like a beaten man. The anger he displayed after losses to New England and the Giants was gone. Instead Ryan openly wondered just how many injuries could one team endure and still play on.
For Ryan it has to be a nightmare. In interviews and appearances Rex has assured anyone who would listen that things will be different in Buffalo. Sensing the talent now available to him, Ryan practically guaranteed making the playoffs.
Is Ryan a flawed coach or have the fates conspired against him? The game in London against the lowly Jaguars could be an immediate fix, or a slide down a slope Bills fans have become accustomed to.
Filed under: Koshinski's Korner
Tagged with: Buffalo Bills, Rex Ryan
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