Rex Ryan's explanations fall short after knock-out loss to Miami

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Rex Ryan had the look of a defeated coach resigned to his fate when he tried to explain after Saturday's overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins why he, his players and coaches made critical mistakes that led to the Buffalo Bills being knocked out of playoff contention for a 17th consecutive season.

At best, Ryan's explanations shed light on procedural errors that should have been corrected long before Week 16. At worst, Ryan's excuses were an indictment of his decision-making in his eighth year as an NFL head coach.

The most obvious place to start is Ryan's decision to punt with 4:09 remaining in overtime. On fourth-and-2 from the Bills' 40-yard line, the offense -- which…