The Buffalo Bills will not let Rex Ryan coach the team’s season finale against his former New York Jets squad this upcoming Sunday. As expected, the team announced Ryan’s firing on Tuesday morning, about a week earlier than it was anticipated.
Rex Ryan has been relieved of his duties as head coach. Anthony Lynn will serve as interim head coach. pic.twitter.com/8Vf0fxqwcl
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 27, 2016
No one can really blame the Bills for this decision. While some believed Ryan deserved more than two seasons to turn the ship around, Saturday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins was pretty much the final nail in the coffin of his career in Western New York.
During the overtime period, Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi put up a 57-yard run that would lead to the eventual game-winning field goal for Miami. Following the game, it was noted that Buffalo had 10 men on the field at the time of the play (more on that here).
In reality, it was just a microcosm of the issues Buffalo has had under Ryan since he took over the team’s head coaching duties last season.
Now at 7-8 on the year, Buffalo’s NFL-long playoff drought has been extended even longer. The team has not earned a trip to the postseason since the Bill Clinton Administration (1999). Ryan was brought on to change that and failed miserably.
He finishes his Bills career with a pedestrian 15-16 record. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn will take over on an interim basis and coach the team against the New York Jets in Week 17.