In looking at Rex Ryan's chances to end the Buffalo Bills' 15-season playoff drought, it might be best to remember the impact Billy Martin had as an MLB skipper.
For those who may not remember the former managerial great, Martin combined serious charisma (he starred in Miller Lite commercials and once hosted "Saturday Night Live") with a hyperaggressive game plan approach. These traits were key in getting those talented players to buy into the win-now mindset Martin was selling and the formula ended up working wonders on the field. From 1969 to 1985, Martin landed eight MLB managerial gigs. All of his teams posted better records than in their previous campaigns and in all but one of those instances, the team improved by 12 or more games.
Ryan certainly possesses many of Martin's characteristics, including the capacity for making bombastic proclamations, but the most important way he has mimicked Martin in this case is by taking over a highly talented team that simply needs a push to earn a postseason berth.
Here is why the Bills will make the playoffs this season:
They have arguably the best defense in the AFC, if not the NFL
This may sound like something Ryan would say, but the facts back up the assessment that this is one of the best defenses in the league.