Bills fire Ryan with 1 game left

The Bills fired coach Rex Ryan before the end of his second season after he failed to build the defense into a bully or lead the team to the playoffs. Team owner Terry Pegula reached the decision over the weekend and the Bills announced Ryan’s dismissal on Tuesday, three days after a 34-31 overtime loss to the Dolphins dropped the Bills to 7-8 and officially eliminated them from playoff contention. The defeat extended the NFL’s longest active playoff drought to 17 seasons.

“We mutually agreed that the time to part ways is now,” Pegula said in a statement released by the team. “These decisions are never easy.”

Ryan was 15-16 in two seasons in Buffalo and is 61-66 overall. The Bills also fired Ryan’s twin brother, Rob Ryan,from his position as an assistant head coach that oversees the defense.

Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn takes over as the interim coach and is expected to be a candidate to replace Rex Ryan full time.

Tomlin responds: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t mind Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw criticizing his performance.

Bradshaw likening Tomlin to a “cheerleader,” however? Tomlin said Bradshaw’s comments last week describing Tomlin as no more than a rah-rah guy “fall more into the area of disrespect and (are) unprofessional.”

“What do I know?” said Tomlin, one of eight coaches in league history to win at least 100 games in his first 10 seasons. “I grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan, ‘Hollywood’ Henderson in particular.”

Henderson, a former linebacker who faced Bradshaw in a pair of Super Bowls during the 1970s, once said Bradshaw couldn’t spell the word “cat” “if you spotted him the ‘C’ and the ‘A.’ ”

Jets choose Fitzpatrick: Jets coach Todd Bowles will start Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback against the Bills on Sunday rather than allow rookie Christian Hackenberg to make his NFL debut..

“He was the backup,” Bowles said of Fitzpatrick, “so now, he’s the starter.” Fitzpatrick steps in for Bryce Petty, who was placed on injured reserve Monday with a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Petty was injured Saturday against the Patriots while tackling Malcolm Butler following a second-quarter turnover.

Extra points: ESPN reported that Marvin Lewis intends to return as coach of the Bengals in 2017, disputing an earlier report that said he would retire at the end of this season . ... The Titans placed QB Marcus Mariota on IR and promoted QB Alex Tanney from the practice squad. Mariota broke his right fibula in Saturday’s loss to the Jaguars and is scheduled for surgery Wednesday . ... The Browns waived G Jonathan Cooper ,a first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2013. The Browns made the move in advance of G Alvin Bailey returning from a two-game suspension for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy after he was arrested on drunken-driving charges.