The Buffalo Bills were blindsided on New Year’s Eve when former head coach Doug Marrone exercised his opt-out clause, putting himself back on the market. Buffalo was forced into looking for a new lead man after a 9-7 campaign and found one on Sunday, with multiple reports surfacing that Rex Ryan will be hired for the position.
Ryan is coming to the Bills after spending six seasons with the New York Jets. In his first two campaigns, Ryan led New York to consecutive AFC Championship games, only to lose to the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. In the following four years, Ryan could not reach the postseason, finishing his tenure with a dismal 4-12 mark in 2014.
So, is this a good hire for Buffalo?
Ryan is an excellent defensive coach, one of true masterminds on that side of the ball. With Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kiko Alonso and others at his disposal, the Bills are going to be a nightmare for opponents. However, Buffalo is currently running and built for a 4-3 scheme under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Ryan has always been a 3-4 guy, so does he change the defense or ride with the current formation? This will be a huge decision in the coming days.
Ryan will bring a swagger to Buffalo that hasn’t been present since the days of the K-Gun and Bruce Smith. The son of the bombastic Buddy Ryan, Rex knows how to get a team’s confidence level through the roof. The Bills already have talent in many positions, and Ryan will make them better with continual positive reinforcement.
However, Ryan has always struggled to get production from his offense. Throughout his time with the Jets, New York never had a quality quarterback, going from Mark Sanchez to Geno Smith, with Tim Tebow and Michael Vick sprinkled in. The choices for offensive coordinator were also poor, with the Jets cycling through Brian Schottenheimer, Tony Sparano and Marty Mornhinweg. Beginning in Ryan’s first year with New York, the offense ranked 20th, 11th, 25th, 30th, 25th and 22nd in total yardage.
Ryan needs to find a quality offensive coordinator and a franchise quarterback to make this a successful hire. With the retirement of Kyle Orton, 2013 first-round pick EJ Manuel is currently the starter after being benched following a Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans. Manuel could grow into a top-tier passer, but all indications are a potential bust.
Without a first-round pick this year (traded to the Cleveland Browns in the deal to acquire Sammy Watkins in May), Buffalo might be hard-pressed to find an answer under center. If Ryan can remedy that situation and hire a good play-caller, the Bills have the makings of a playoff team for the first time since 1999.