ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Had the Buffalo Bills embarrassed themselves on their home turf Sunday by losing to the winless Cleveland Browns, you can bet that it would not have been long -- perhaps as early as Monday -- until Rex Ryan started the engine of his Bills-themed pickup truck and hit the road out of Buffalo.
Luckily for Ryan, the Bills defeated the Browns 33-13, and the coach's parking spot at One Bills Drive should be safe for at least another week. Even though the Bills can still be eliminated from the playoffs later Sunday if the Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots, a 20-point Bills win would be an odd event to precede Ryan's firing in the coming hours or days.
How long Ryan will remain the Bills' coach is still in question. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Ryan is probably approaching his final games at the helm in Buffalo, and that Ryan is aware of what's likely to come. Despite the Bills' win Sunday, it remains unlikely that Ryan returns as coach next season. Defeating the Browns is hardly an accomplishment worthy of changing ownership's mind about Ryan's fate.
If Ryan has any hope of remaining coach next season, his team will need an emphatic, convincing win Saturday over the surprising Miami Dolphins, now 9-5 after their win over the New York Jets. Ryan will also need to take care of business at MetLife Stadium in the regular-season finale against the Jets, and even then, Ryan's past failures could still bury him as coach.
File this Bills win over the Browns as nice to have for Buffalo, but not much more.
