The way fullback Jerome Felton sees it, the Bills had two obstacles to overcome in 2016.
The opposing team, and the enemy within (i.e., the internal media leaks that sprung as Buffalo’s season sputtered to a close).
The first reports that coach Rex Ryan would potentially be fired in-season surfaced shortly before a Week 11 game against Pittsburgh. Such missives quoting anonymous sources continued until Ryan was dismissed five days before the team's season finale against the Jets.
Felton said the reports, and their timing, served to undermine the team itself. Felton said players would receive notifications on their phones positing Ryan’s imminent demise while trying to psychologically prepare for kickoff.