On the field, the Buffalo Bills are run by head coach Rex Ryan, and in turn, the defense is run also run by the head coach. In every stop he's made since becoming a defensive coordinator and then head coach, his defensive scheme has relied on above average play by the cornerbacks, which then allows the team to send unique blitz packages at the opponents.
Coming into 2016, Rex Ryan and the Bills thought they had two solid cornerbacks as their starters. While second-year player Ronald Darby has gotten closer to his form from 2015, Stephon Gilmore has been maddeningly inconsistent for the Bills, and it got the attention of the head coach.
It came to a head following the Bills' 41-25 loss to New England:
"Well I think the season as a whole was kind of up and down, and maybe in the game it was well," Rex Ryan said on Monday. "What two or three holding calls and obviously a big mistake on that (Chris) Hogan touchdown. Whether it was communication or whatever the break down was. So it wasn’t a great performance on his part, I am sure he would like to have some plays back."
It's a stark difference from the player that was seen in the summer during training camp, who was consistently dominant at St. John Fisher College. So, what happened to that player?
"Well I think it is just getting back to the fundamentals and what he did in training camp," the Bills head coach said. "He was physical, he was aggressive and if the ball was thrown his way you were wondering if he was going to come down with it. It is almost like a 50-50, so we have to get back to doing those things."
In the first time they've practiced since those comments were made, Rex Ryan and Gilmore had a lengthy chat as the rest of the team stretched to get ready for the session. See it for yourself at the top of the page, or right here:
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