Your guess is about as good as anyone else’s when you try to figure out just what the job security status is for Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan.
As his second season comes to a close with a current record of 7-7 with two games to play, Ryan has not been the recipient of a vote of confidence from Bills general manager Doug Whaley.
“Let’s put it this way: None of us know our future,” Whaley told WGR 550. “Look where we are. We owe it to our fans and our owners to keep it focused on Miami, because we’re still in this.”
That sounds ominous, but is it a sign the Bills could be ready to pull the plug on Ryan after two seasons? That seems to be the popular thought from NFL media types, including Adam Schefter of ESPN. The lack of a show of vocal support form the front office is not a good look for the possible future of Ryan in Buffalo, but what if the Bills end the season with two more wins, including this weekend against Miami?
“We’re focused on the games,” Whaley said. “Obviously the speculation is out there that you guys have to talk about and fill content with, but with us, we’re all about what’s ahead of us, and this week it’s Miami and trying to get an invitation to the [playoffs].”
This is what I love about front office types. They are quick to point out that media personalities are looking for things to fill air time and content, yet in this situation, the front office is fully responsible for this situation by letting Ryan’s future hang in the balance with a dark cloud of uncertainty floating above it. The least Whaley can do, if there is a chance Ryan does come back, is provide him an umbrella while standing outside with that cloud following him around.
The lack of support for Ryan from the front office has a trickle-down effect on the players too, especially with Ryan being perceived as a players’ coach.
“I can’t even lie, it’s been some chatter around because it’s been all the headline stories around here,” cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman said Thursday. “As a player, [a vote of confidence] settles your mind for the future of what’s coming up when we get back [in the offseason].”
So, to sum things up, the Bills front office is focused on winning games, but those games have to be won by players who have been given a distraction beyond their control. Good job, front office.
[ESPN]
