As poorly as the Buffalo Bills performed in their loss to the New York Jets Thursday night, it turns out Friday was even worse. The team relieved offensive coordinator Greg Roman of his duties, but in typical Bills fashion, the story doesn't just end there.
Things went from bad to worse for the Bills even after their loss Thursday night
The backstory behind offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s firing paints the picture of an unstable Buffalo Bills organization.
Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Bills owners Tim and Kerry Pegula held meetings with several of the team's key offensive contributors Friday morning. Head coach Rex Ryan, who said it was his decision to fire Roman, was conspicuously absent.
Though the offense floundered in Week 1, the Bills scored 31 points Thursday -- including two touchdowns on long passes to Marquise Goodwin and Greg Salas. Given that they also led the league in rushing last season under Roman, the move to replace him Friday with assistant Anthony Lynn seemed a bit perplexing.
After the game Thursday, the offense didn’t appear to be on Ryan’s radar. When asked whether he was concerned with how the unit has performed, Ryan said “ I think our defense played so poorly that I couldn’t tell you about that.”
But if Ryan is to be taken at his word, then he experienced a change of heart between late Thursday night and early Friday afternoon. He was also apparently still weighing the decision up until the last moment, considering Roman posed for the team picture Friday afternoon, just hours before he was dismissed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Several months ago, Ryan proclaimed the Bills had "won the offseason." But it seems as if his grandiose statement put a hex on his team. Since then, almost nothing has gone right in Buffalo. In training camp, star defensive lineman Marcell Dareus was suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, as was offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson. Two other Bills -- running back Karlos Williams and linebacker Manny Lawson -- were handed down suspensions from the league, but later released by the team.
In addition to those off-field transgressions, the Bills' defense has been ravaged by injuries. First-round pick Shaq Lawson is on the PUP list while he recovers from shoulder surgery and fellow rookie Reggie Ragland is expected to be out for the entire year after tearing his ACL in training camp.
Up to this point, the most entertaining aspect of the Bills' season has been Ryan's obscenity-laced tirade prior to the season-opener against the Baltimore Ravens. "Everything's questioned," Ryan yelled, via ESPN. "I forgot to how to f---ing coach. 'The players don't respond to Rex, he don't know what the f--- he's doing anymore.'"
So far, those doing the questioning have been right.
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