Tuesday afternoon it was announced that Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan, fresh off a season-crushing 34-31 overtime loss to Miami Sunday, would not make it through his second campaign on the job, relieved of his duties just 15 months after coaching his first game for the franchise.
While the timing of the firing came as a surprise to many, and rightfully so considering the Bills finish their season against the Jets (wouldn't Rex have loved to lead his guys against his old team) this weekend, the decision to replace Ryan did not, as he showed little promise of bringing Buffalo to the postseason anytime soon, an apex they haven't reached since 1999.
The writing was on the wall for Bills brass: Ryan, at 46-50 as head man in 8 seasons running the Jets and Bills, is a .500 coach. No one can blame a team for wanting more, especially when the postseason seems like nothing but a figment of Buffalo's imagination after 17 long seasons that span the infamous Music City Miracle Curse.
But just 24 hours after it was announced that Coach Ryan would not be back in Buffalo, Anthony Lynn, interim head honcho around Ralph Wilson Stadium, may have put some more writing on the wall, jottings that could be far more costly for the Bills in the long run than Ryan's firing.
Lynn announced that EJ Manuel, notoriously awful and overdrafted career backup-at-best, would be starting the season's final game for the Bills, while Tyrod Taylor, 2015 Pro Football Focus Breakout Player of the Year and starter of the last 24 games for Buffalo, would sit.
Lynn, much to the surprise of most, also chose to share that the choice was a "business decision". After a very small amount of digging, media sleuths were able to unearth the business Lynn was referencing, that being a clause in Taylor's contract that states he is guaranteed $30.75 million if he sustains an injury and is unable to pass a physical in March. That same amount, which is the remainder of Taylor's contract for the 2017 season (per spotrac.com: 2017: $15.5M Option Bonus & $12M base salary & $3.25M of his 2018 salary) is the team's option to pickup on March 11.
On the surface, some may say that the Bills are just being smart with their money in sitting Taylor and, having seen a plethora of QB injuries of late, are acting proactively to ensure they are not hamstrung by the massive number they would owe Taylor should the worst happen.
But dig deeper and an enormous amount of issues arise, many of which were addressed by Ryan hours before we found out his fate: "As a coach I just want to win, I think these players deserve it,” Ryan said. “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of our team, you know, not to play Tyrod. The way I look at it is this: ‘if I sit Tyrod Taylor down, OK, and I don’t sit Kyle Williams down is it because, Kyle you aren’t as important as Tyrod or this player is not as important as this guy or whatever?’ … I want to win the game – that’s how I look at it. The next opportunity we have, I want to win the game. If there’s something that happens and there’s something I don’t know, that I’m not aware of, you know injury wise or whatever, that can affect anything whether it’s Tyrod or anybody else. But to my knowledge, Tyrod is fine.”
While these words may have ultimately led to Ryan's demise, there is no denying his logic. The decision of management to sit Taylor de-prioritizes players around him and sends a bigger message to those on the roster and some that may consider coming to Buffalo in the future: we will do what we have to do to make sure our money stays in our pockets.
As for Taylor, rather than showing that he is valued by the franchise, Buffalo's move actually has the opposite effect. Not playing the dual-threat QB Sunday and making sure that his $30.75 million is not guaranteed come March opens the door for the Bills to decline his option and move on with Manuel, Cardale Jones, or more likely, someone that is not currently on Buffalo's roster, as their starting quarterback next season. Heck, just hours after Lynn's announcement, the speculation has already begun where Tyrod may end up next.
On top of the monetary slap in the face, the decision to sit Taylor Week 17 and leave the door open for his departure also shows the Bills front office' lack of belief in his ability to rise to the elite level they paid him for just 14 short months ago, and while Taylor has answered questions all year regarding his performance, those queries seem unfounded when considering Buffalo's offensive intent and Taylor's production.
Consider if you will, Taylor's stats from the last two seasons:
2015: 242/380, 63.7%, 3,035 yards, 20TD, 6INT
2016: 269/436 61.7%, 3,023 yards, 17TD, 6INT
Negligible difference.
Couple that with Taylor's 580 yards on the ground and six scores, fumbles decreasing by four from last year to this year, and QBR sitting at ninth in the league ahead of guys like Ben Roethlisberger and hot shot second-year signal-callers Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, and Jameis Winston, and you have a resume that is on-par with last year's stats that got him the massive deal he deserved.
Detractors will say 'well the Bills are last in the league in passing yards'. Those that pay attention would say 'that'll happen when you throw the ball the least amount of times in the league'. Yes, 29 times a game, least attempts in the pass-happy NFL. But that falls on Taylor even though the team's QB Rating ranks ahead of the Giants and Ravens (Super Bowl winners throwing the ball for each), the Cardinals and Broncos (two of the last four standing last year), and many other teams that have given their QBs big contracts (HOUSTON!!!!)? Right. Makes Sense.
These incredible opinions on Taylor's season and his alleged lack of ability to lead a winning football team seem to be part of a bigger problem in the NFL and it's evaluation of quarterbacking. No longer is winning No. 1, numbers are. If you're a quarterback not throwing for 4,000 yards and 35TDs a year, you're worthless. Many would say of those quarterbacks, to quote the infamous Mike Singletary: "Can not play with 'em, can not win with 'em, can not coach with 'em, can't do it!".
It's the same line of thinking that gets Alex Smith, a man that has won 21 of his last 26 starts but puts up modest yardage and touchdown numbers, nothing but negativity from national pundits. The same line of thinking that has had some clamoring for Tony Romo despite Dak Prescott putting up one of the most effective rookie seasons in NFL history. The same line of thinking that gets Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson afterthought-status despite winning Super Bowls.
Do Dilfer and Johnson's accomplishment with their style of quarterbacking take a great defense and strong running game? Absolutely, and Buffalo has one of those, leading the NFL in rushing for the second straight year (to which Taylor contributes ~40/game of the 172 they put up). But maybe instead of pushing one of their best young assets out of town, a man that has shown he can produce consistently without his top weapons (Lesean Mccoy missed a big stretch this year and No. 1 receiver Sammy Watkins has missed most of the season) and little else aside around him, they should focus on the second piece of that puzzle. It's a defense that has allowed the fifth-most rush yards in the league, gave up 37 to a miserable Jets team early in the year, and allowed a game-winning drive late in overtime all too easily to Jay Ajayi and the Dolphins Sunday, one that would end Rex Ryan's, and maybe Tyrod Taylor's, tenure in Buffalo.
If Buffalo doesn't address that defense and instead goes through with the move they took the first step towards on Wednesday, Tyrod shouldn't hang his head. Buffalo will have made a grave mistake, one in a long line that have led to their 0-for-the-millenium playoff draught, and one that many teams (HOUSTON!!!!!!) will be happy to benefit from.