Minutes after upsetting the Arizona Cardinals, Bills head coach Rex Ryan already had the New England Patriots, Buffalo’s next opponent, on his mind.
Despite saying last season he’s not obsessed with the Patriots, this behavior isn’t exactly off-brand for Ryan.
Midway through an answer about Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s athleticism, Ryan mentioned the possibility of wide receiver Julian Edelman playing quarterback for the Patriots, as if to say directly to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, “I see what you’re doing over there.”
“Well I just think that if you don’t use it, that it’s a mistake because I know how difficult it is to defend against a running quarterback,” Ryan said to the media Sunday afternoon. “That’s what we have to be ready (for) in case Edelman quarterbacks, right? I have a funny feeling he isn’t going to be (Tom) Brady back there. But all that type of stuff, yeah, we got to use it. It’s something that we have that’s unique about our football team, to have a guy that’s the fastest quarterback in the league.”
On to Edelman doesn’t exactly have the same ring as “on to Cincinnati.”
Edelman starting at quarterback reportedly is a legit possibility because of injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett. If the real NFL QBs can’t go Sunday against the Bills, Edelman likely would start at quarterback for the first time since college.
Ryan took multiple shots at Patriots running back Dion Lewis last season. It seems he’s turned his lack of attention to Garoppolo, Brissett, Edelman and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
“Hey, you know, I can sit back and say, I don’t care who plays quarterback because I know Brady ain’t,” Ryan said. “I don’t care who plays quarterback. Steve Grogan can play quarterback. If (Patriots head coach Bill) Belichick’s playing quarterback, we’re coming after him, I promise you that.”
Joking or not, Ryan apparently didn’t learn his lesson last year. Lewis went off for 138 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 13 touches against the Bills after Ryan claimed not to know his name early in the 2015 season.
It’s also probably not smart to dismiss Garoppolo, who was fantastic in his first two starts of the season and leads the NFL in ESPN’s QBR metric. Brissett won his first NFL start Sunday And Edelman? Well, the Patriots are hoping it won’t come down to that.
Now we’re in for another week of playing the game, “What Will Rex Say Next?” And because the Bills actually won a game, he’ll do it with his typical bravado.
But this could wind up being Ryan’s most stressful matchup against Belichick in years. Ryan can’t blame a loss on Brady this time. He’s 4-11 against Belichick and Brady. This one’s a singles match in a steel cage with no outside interference from a certain legendary quarterback. Can Ryan pin Belichick in the middle of the ring when the Patriots are hurting? We’ll find out Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
