Rex Ryan

Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan calls out from the sideline in the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. The Bills won 14-13. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

(Mark Zaleski)

Orchard Park, N.Y. — Rex Ryan has said sacks don't tell the whole story when it comes to the Buffalo Bills' defense.

It's easy to see why he would say that given that the Bills currently rank 30th in the NFL in that category. He's right, too, that sacks aren't always an accurate reflection of whether a defense is putting pressure on the quarterback. However, Pro Football Focus, the analytics site which tracks quarterback hurries and hits, grades the Bills' pass rush as the worst in the NFL through 14 weeks of the season.

Truth be told, it doesn't matter which measure you use, the Buffalo Bills defense is not playing well. It certainly isn't living up to the lofty expectations Rex Ryan set. When he got to Buffalo, Ryan said the defense ranking fourth would be considered a disappointment because he is used to finishing at the top of the league.

Well, if fourth in the league is a disappointment, this defense has to be considered a failure at this point. The defense came away with just one sack in a 23-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and now has just 19 on the season.

When the Bills, who are now 6-7, look back on reasons for why they couldn't make the playoffs, this defense will be at the top of the list.

1. The penalty issues

The Buffalo Bills committed 15 penalties for 101 yards against the Eagles. That pushed the season total to 124 accepted penalties, just one behind the league-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Jerry Hughes had two penalties to put his season total at 13. He's now the only defensive lineman in the NFL with over 100 penalties yards this season.

2. LeSean McCoy continues the streak

Lost in LeSean McCoy's tumultuous afternoon was the fact that he once again went over 100 yards from scrimmage. It marked the seventh consecutive game in which McCoy has topped 100 yards of offense. The problem is, 79 of McCoy's 109 yards from scrimmage came in the first half. He couldn't find any room to operate in the second half.

3. Eagles dominate up front

The Bills couldn't keep the Eagles out of the backfield on Sunday, and it wasn't just star defensive lineman Fletcher Cox doing the damage, either. In total, Pro Football Focus credited the Eagles with 16 quarterback hurries. Tyrod Taylor was under pressure on just over 40 percent of his drop backs. Four of the Bills' five offensive linemen graded out negatively on Pro Football Focus.

4. Historical context for the Bills' drought

Barring a miracle, the Bills' postseason drought will extend to 16 seasons. That's the longest drought in professional sports and the longest in the NFL since 1986. In the day and age of free agency, this type of streak is almost unheard of.

5. Tyrod Taylor still a mixed bag

Even in a disappointing game overall from Tyrod Taylor, he managed to throw another deep touchdown pass and now leads the league with 10 touchdowns on throws more than 20 yards down the field. His deep ball has been one of his best traits and may be the best deep ball Buffalo has seen in years. For the third time in four weeks, though, Taylor failed to bring the team back late in the game down by a score. He needs to get better late in games.