As the 2015 comes to a close (even though 2015 ended a few weeks ago for the Bills), it’s time to look back on the top 6 stories (in my opinion of course) of the 2015 Bills.
1. The hiring of Rex Ryan- While my opinion on this hire has changed 180 degrees from the day it was announced; this is probably THE top story of 2015. Rex seemed like a perfect fit. Here was a guy who had engineered defenses in NY that had dominated the NFL during his tenure, coming to a team with a top 5 D. Also, Buffalo has an inferiority complex, and what guy better than Rex to come in with his bravado and big talk to win the city over. This hire got even better when it was announced that Greg Roman was coming as OC. Roman had been in some conversations as a possible head coach, and at the very least, he made the garbage pile that is Colin Kaepernick look like an all-star. Reportedly following his interview, the Bills didn’t want him to leave the building (seems like this is how we signed Mario as well) as it was rumored that Rex was a top candidate in Atlanta as well. As expected, Rex came in, won the press conference, and got every one fired up.
2. The QB battle- Coming into the season, most outsiders thought Matt Cassel was the guy to beat, with EJ Manuel a close second. It seemed Tyrod Taylor was a distant third at the start of camp. However, those who follow the local beat reporters heard about Tyrod seemingly being the leader in the clubhouse. He did in fact win the job, and he never looked back. Pro football focus (PFF) has Tyrod ranked as the 10th best QB in the NFL this season. While he did miss 2 games, his 16 game projection is 3500 yards, 25 TDs, 7 INTs, while completing 64% of his passes. I would’ve signed up for this from day 1 if presented these numbers. If you’ve read this site for any time, you know Joe preaches great D, good running game and average QB = playoffs. This is better than average QB play in my opinion. While his detractors will fairly point to his 4th quarter failures, this was his first year starting in the NFL. If I’m making a list of Bills needs for 2016, for the first time in a while, QB isn’t #1 on my list.
3. The cutting of Fred Jackson- I never thought that cutting a 34-year-old running back would cause so much backlash. It was reported that Doug Whaley went “rogue” in cutting Fred Jackson. In hindsight, this was a non- issue. I think most fans truly felt the Bills were a playoff team, and just really wanted Fred to be a part of that. Luckily for Fred, he is on a team that has a legit chance to win it all. Keeping him made no sense on this team. They had McCoy, Williams, Dixon, and a younger and cheaper Bryce Brown. Don’t forget, some of the money saved on Fred went to wards resigning Dareus.
4. The trading of Matt Cassel- This was the second time we heard that Doug Whaley went rogue in 2015. (Though, if you are the GM, and make these types of decisions, can you really go rogue?). The Bills traded the corpse that is Matt Cassel to Dallas for something, which means they won this trade. While I thought this was a dumb trade, the guys here at buffalowins.net have convinced me otherwise. Never was this trade more of an issue than the London game against the Jags, where EJ single-handedly lost the game. People were screaming for Cassel (myself included). This was until Cassel actually played for Dallas and I realized just how terrible he actually is.
5. The Rex/Whaley Implosion- As the season came to a crashing end, infighting between the GM and coach was reported. This came about for a variety of reasons, including the complete regression of the defense, and the coach and GM seemingly not agreeing on some personnel decisions. Of course in the media, both have played this off taking a “nothing to see here” mentality. The truth is these two are probably tied together and will both be Bills, or both be unemployed a year from now. Rex has not earned GM power based on his track record, and a new GM is going to want to bring in his own coach, so these two will try and work it out. I still wouldn’t rule out some type of football czar (http://buffalowins.net/buffalo-bills/the-bills-have-to-hire-a- football-czar-to-clean-up-this-shit.html) as there needs to be some type of power structure at One Bills Place. I think both guys stay, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see some type of restructuring, or consultant (please not Bill Polian) brought in to start taking notes.
6. 16 years and counting- I don’t even know what to say anymore. It is virtually impossible in the NFL to suck for very long. If you go all the way back to 2013, over half of the teams in the NFL have made the playoffs. Let that sink in for a second. 19 different teams have made the playoffs in at least one of the last three years (counting this season). If the Jets and Texans clinch this weekend, that number will be 21 teams. It is almost mathematically impossible to miss the playoffs this long. The Bills even have three years on the Browns, and we make fun of that team, just to make ourselves feel better. If this number reaches 17, there will be a few people cleaning out there office in Orchard Park. Like most seasons in the last 16, the negatives outweigh the positives. Instead of having a cheaply paid coach who seems in over his head, we have a moderate/high priced coach who seems over his head. Also, he Bills will be picking somewhere in the middle of the first round because they refuse to just all out suck and get a guy like Cam Newton or Andrew Luck.
The biggest positive in my eyes is the development of Tyrod Taylor. I do think the team can win with him, and if he continues to improve, he can be a guy to get to the playoffs. Take a look at the potential playoff QBs, and see how many Tyrod may already be better than. This roster is going to look very different, as several guys will be gone. Mario Williams will not be back, McKelvin, Carpenter, and Kyle Williams among others are likely to join him on other teams be out of the league all together. Rex will surely try an install his D (God knows he tried to do this in 2015 regardless if it was the best decision) with his players. Here’s to hoping next year’s list includes a playoff berth.
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