The Bills last played three days ago. With five days until their next game, they’ve fired their head coach and his don’t-call-it-nepotism right-hand man.
So why did they wait so long to move on from Rex Ryan?
The most obvious explanation is that the Bills didn’t want to be accused of insensitivity for firing Ryan during the holidays. But with three years left on a contract (assuming it’s all guaranteed) at more than $5 million per year, giving Ryan an eight-figure parting gift would have been a far cry from issuing a pink slip to a blue-collar worker on a white Christmas.
Unless interim coach Anthony Lynn knew that he’d be taking over, he’s now in a tougher position to succeed because he has three fewer days to get ready for his on-the-job audition. Which will make it harder for the Bills to win on Sunday against the Jets.
At least Lynn is getting more time than Rams interim coach John Fassel received for his debut. Two weeks ago, the Rams fired Jeff Fisher on a Monday — and the Rams played on a Thursday.