The Buffalo Bills have won three in a row since their 0-2 start, including a shutout of the New England Patriots in Week 4. Apparently a more hands-off approach from the Ryan brothers on defense has helped the team.
According to veteran NFL reporter Mike Silver, the Ryans took a step back following the 0-2 start and allowed defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman to handle play calls.
Bills players tell me that after their 0-2 start, Rex Ryan (and brother Rob) stepped back and let DC Dennis Thurman handle play calls…
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) October 14, 2016
The result has been a simpler defensive scheme… less deception/fancy stuff, better overall performance
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) October 14, 2016
The Bills are fifth in the league in scoring defense and 15th in yards allowed, with a large part of those totals coming in a 37-31 defeat to the Jets in Week 2. Since then, they’ve been much stronger, allowing 18, 0 and 19 points.
Such a change could lead some to question how good of coaches the Ryans really are, but sometimes the difference for a leader is in knowing when to get out of the way and let others around you do what they do best. Rex certainly deserves credit for that. And now we know they stand together in more things than just weight gain.
