I don't see Terry Pegula - or Kim for that matter, as they exist as a team - as a sports team owner like a Harold Ballard or even a Ralph Wilson with the bottom line as the primary objective, only paying attention to competitive success in order to help with the bottom line. I have no way of knowing this for sure but it seems that the Pegulas want to do right by the long-suffering football fans of Western New York, Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern Ontario. I just don't think they have surrounded themselves with the right people to help them do it - at least not yet. As a Leaf fan, I pay very little attention to the Buffalo Sabres but if we can look to them as an example of Pegula ownership over the somewhat longer term, Bills fans are in for more disappointments ahead.
Rex Ryan wasn't fired the day after the Miami game presumably because it was Christmas Day so the Pegulas waited until Tuesday the 27th to show him and his brother the door. They also installed Anthony Lynn as interim head coach and told him that Tyrod Taylor wouldn't play in the final game of the season against the Jets on account of a provision in his contract which would have made the Bills liable for Taylor's $27.5 million notional salary for next season had he suffered an in-game injury which would have prevented him from passing his team physical in March. Such is the world of NFL contracts and these are the kinds of decisions they can lead to.
As first glance, it all went bad quite quickly after the team lost in overtime to the playoff bound Dolphins but the season's end was really the second half collapse in Oakland after leading in that game 24-9. In retrospect, beating Cleveland a couple of weeks later only lessened their draft position. Yesterday's loss improved it but it looks like Doug Whaley will be calling the shots on the 2017 draft once again, in addition to heading up the search for a new head coach. The Buffalo media seems to think that they will give the job to Anthony Lynn who, until this past September, had advanced only as far as running backs coach before being named the team's offensive coordinator. In fairness to Lynn, the Bills have featured the league's number one running attack over the past two years and the team's offence showed considerable improvement overall after he took over as coordinator. If he is the successful candidate, Anthony Lynn will be the first permanent (rather than interim) black head coach in Bills history. At this point, I honestly can't think of anyone else who would be better suited to the Bills top job, at least among those who would consider taking it.
The NFL playoffs begin on the weekend with four games. The Dophins are in tough as they travel to Pittsburgh to face Le'Veon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger in the cold. The other AFC game sees the Houston Texans playing host to Oakland, a team whose hopes appear to have been dashed by not one but two quarterback injuries. In the NFC, the Seahwaks play Detroit in the Pacific Northwest and the Giants travel to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to face the red hot Packers. All four games could be interesting and, for Bills fans, they come without the stress of having a clear rooting interest. I am thankful for that.
