Rex Ryan isn’t high on the Patriots’ roster. He is, however, very high on Bill Belichick’s coaching acumen and the success New England has achieved this season despite its deficiencies.
Ryan, former head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, suggested Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up!” that this season’s Patriots team is the worst New England squad in years. Yet Belichick and Co. are headed back to the Super Bowl after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, and Ryan can’t help but marvel at the accomplishment.
Ryan is correct in that the Patriots have had far more talented teams in previous seasons. After all, New England has been to nine Super Bowls since the 2001 season and now four in the last five years. They keep silencing their critics, though, with Belichick and Tom Brady leading the charge.
That said, it takes more than two people to get the job done, and Ryan pointed to Chris Hogan and Rex Burkhead as perfect examples of the Patriots turning other teams’ “leftovers” into impact players. Both left their mark in Sunday’s victory, which set up a date with the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
