Rex Ryan left the Bills the only way he knew how

Rex Ryan has been fretting and hand-wringing over his potential firing for the last few weeks. Publicly, he said the possibility did not matter. Privately for him, it was excruciating.

Tuesday morning, with his team 7-8 and out of the playoffs, in a no-win situation coaching his last game on Sunday at the Jets, where he had last been fired, Ryan took control in the only way he viewed he could take control.

He told Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula if he was going to fire him as head coach, do it now.

Pegula obliged.

It was not a case of Ryan being careful of what he asked for. He knew exactly what he was asking for. It was Rex Ryan being Rex Ryan, forcing the issue, taking control in his own way, having a say –- even if not the final one.

So, Rex is gone, 15-16 as Bills coach, the guy who always enters with bluster and exits with meekness. His Bills players are left wondering why he didn’t just stick it out like they did, a maddening season gone wrong in so many countless ways that the fractures and fissures will take time to mend.

Anthony Lynn, the Bills offensive coordinator, takes control for this final game against the Jets, first trying to unify these players and tugging on their sense of professionalism. It’s a mess. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor is benched, the Bills unwilling to take a chance on injury that could guarantee him contract installments worth more than $30 million activating in March. E.J. Manuel starts. The Bills see it as sound business. The Bills players view it as shady business.

Ryan knows it’s no longer his business.

I’ve heard people in the Bills organization say that soon after Ryan signed his five-year, $27.5 million contract in January 2015 that he began to coast. Especially this year. That his fire wasn’t as bright, that he was content. That the money and the security softened him. That he added his twin brother, Rob, this year to his staff and let Rob and the defensive staff do the grittiest work. That he tried to jump back in this season when it was far too late.

That’s a bold sentiment and I’m not sure it’s one I buy. I think Rex Ryan has always cared deeply about wins and losses. He has never been known to shy away from hard work. But he has always been known to put his mouth and jester antics before actual achievement, to talk big before actually producing big. This wore thin in Buffalo quickly. It is always a footprint when he exits.

His inability to improve the Buffalo defense, in fact ruining it, is particularly curious. As this season sped forward, it was gashed and humiliated, the players were often in wrong places at wrong times. Too often they were simply not making plays. The disconnect between the coaching and the player performance was stunning. I know Rex Ryan did not forget how to coach defense. But he clearly did not coach it well this year and his players clearly did not respond.

His strength became one of his most glaring weaknesses.

This was a primary factor why Pegula obliged.

Now, what to do with Taylor?

I think the Bills make a very clear decision here. With the proper offensive coaching, with an off-season full of work and mental repetition, with a re-make of his deeply cautious nature and simply a little more overall growth, the Bills are very comfortable moving forward with Taylor.

With a re-worked contract, for sure.

For the current one paying $30 million? No way. They would send him down Ryan’s path before that happens, with an even swifter, stronger boot.

Those are talks that will come with a decision made by March. For now, the Bills are just trying to get through Sunday at the Jets. With no Rex. He asked. He was shown the door.

They didn’t expect it. But they were happy to oblige. It was over. The firing was coming. Rex just took control in his own way –- and the Bills said walk, with your brother, too.