It's early, but my immediate reaction to Rex Ryan getting the Buffalo Bills' coaching gig is that if he does a good job, he can immediately get this team to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, ending the longest current drought in the NFL and team history.

Before Doug Marrone chose to leave his post as Buffalo's coach on Dec. 31, I was mildly surprised he already hadn't been fired. He has struggled to get along with the front office, and the team had remained in playoff contention largely based on the strength of its defense. Marrone's supposed area of coaching strength, the offensive line, had become a disaster zone for the Bills. What once was a position of relative strength had become a weakness.

So what's required of Ryan? What are the tasks he and the front office should address now to make the playoff goal a reality?

Here are four things they must address:

1. Get a high-level pass-rusher opposite Mario Williams