Rex Ryan has regrets about his first season in Buffalo, but he will be able to make amends in 2016.
The Bills announced Wednesday that Ryan and general manager Doug Whaley will be back for next season. Ryan's return is not a surprise, but Whaley's future has been reported at other outlets as in doubt. Whaley first-round quarterback (EJ Manuel) has not panned out and there have been whispers about Ryan and Whaley being at odds.
Not to be outdone by Jaguars owner Shad Khan's statement of stern support on Tuesday, owner Terry Pegula released a statement on Ryan and Whaley.
"As our first full season as owners of the Buffalo Bills draws to a close, management, coaches, players, and fans all feel that our expectations were not met," Pegula wrote.
"Kim (Pegula), Russ (Brandon) and I look forward to working and collaborating with Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan in forming a winning future for the organization," Pegula continued. "Our management team and coaching staff are very capable and work well together. This stable foundation is necessary to achieve long term success in the NFL."
Ryan has led the Bills to a 7-8 record and will wind up with a worse record than Doug Marrone, who left town after last season. The defense has taken a step back and made Rex's playoff guarantee look foolish.
"Obviously I wish I wouldn't say some stupid thing that I said," Ryan said Wednesday. "But I get it. That's just me, but sometimes I wish ... you know, because I think you see the impact it has. My heart was in the right place, I thought I'm telling the truth. But at the same time, it's like I never look at it as what if this doesn't go exactly the way I expect it to go. Well, I'm seeing right now."
We've heard before from Ryan that he was going to change his approach in New York. He was relatively muted during his final season in New York. He knows he'll have to show some improvement or risk 2016 being his final season in Buffalo.
