Buffalo Bills' elimination is bad news for coach Rex Ryan

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills hadn't made the playoffs in 15 years when they brought in Rex Ryan to coach. "Well get ready man, we're going," Ryan declared at his introductory press conference

After coming up short for the second year in a row, Ryan might be gone before getting another chance to fulfill that promise.

A 34-31 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins on Saturday eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention for the 17th straight season.

The Bills extended the longest active postseason drought in North American sports. It is the fifth-longest playoff drought in NFL history and the only one that has taken place entirely after the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

Buffalo needed a lot of help to make the playoffs even if it had won its final two games, but their hopes would have survived at least another day with a win over the Dolphins.

"I thought we were still alive," Ryan said.

The loss also ensures that a Ryan-coached team will finish with a .500 or worse record for the sixth straight season, dating back to his time with the New York Jets.

After leading the Jets to the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons, Ryan is now the fourth coach since the merger to miss the playoffs in six consecutive seasons.

Hall of Fame quarterback and Bills icon Jim Kelly said in a radio interview over the summer that if Buffalo missed the playoffs this season, "I think Rex will probably be looking for another job. I think everybody knows that, including Rex."

Reports have been swirling for weeks that Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula had already decided to fire Ryan after the season. Ryan has maintained that he is unaware of those rumors.

With nothing but pride to play for next week in New York, Ryan insists he is still focused on the next game, not his future in Buffalo.

"I'm just going to coach," he said. "Nothing changes as far as what I'm going to try to do."

Several Bills players came to Ryan's defense as the coach's job security has come into question.

Asked if Saturday's loss may have cost Ryan his job, defensive tackle Leger Douzable said "that's ridiculous."

"We were in position to make plays, we didn't make plays," Douzable said. "The players need to take ownership."

The demise of Buffalo's defense, ranked fourth the year before Ryan arrived, may be what costs him his job.

Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi rushed for 206 yards on Saturday after putting up 214 yards against the Bills earlier this season. Two weeks ago, Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell ran for 236 yards against the Bills. Those are the three highest rushing games in the NFL this season.

The defensive struggles wasted a franchise-record 589-yard day from the offense and one of the best performances in two seasons from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, whose own future in Buffalo is as uncertain as Ryan's.

If the defensive performance does indeed lead to Ryan's firing, "that'd be a first," the coach said.