The Buffalo Bills, according to head coach Rex Ryan, have won this year’s offseason. Unfortunately for the team, their off-field non-competitive success has not yet translated to the field: the Bills started the season 0-2.
There are a multitude of reasons why Buffalo has failed to start the season on the right track – inconsistent secondary play, questionable coaching decisions, a struggling quarterback – but first on the list of problems appears to be offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who is now the team’s former offensive coordinator according to Adam Schefter:
Buffalo Bills firing OC Greg Roman, per league sources. Roman was NFL's top paid OC.
Bills are hiring asst HC/RB coach Anthony Lynn as their new OC, per source.
The Bills, whom the Patriots will face in weeks 4 and 8, have been uneven on offense the first two games. The unit scored 38 points but failed to do enough to beat the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets; struggling especially when it comes to sustaining drives (a combined 6 of 23 on 3rd down) and effectively moving the ball through the air.
The Bills have given quarterback Tyrod Taylor a six-year, $92 million contract extension in August, so it will be interesting to see how the franchise quarterback will respond to the coaching change. Taylor was a solid dual-threat in 2015 but ran the ball less frequently the first two games of this season, while not looking overly confident as a passer as well.
Was Greg Roman to blame for that and the rest of Buffalo's early season struggles? According to the team, the answer is yes.