Rex Ryan has always looked forward to his meetings with the New England Patriots, and nothing has changed since he became the Buffalo Bills’ head coach.
The Bills take on the New York Jets on Thursday, but Ryan told reporters Tuesday he’s not treating the reunion with his former team any differently than any other game. That’s a feeling he reserves for the Patriots.
“I promise that I’ll give you an honest answer (about playing the Jets) after the game,” Ryan said, per ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. “Because right now I haven’t thought about it. What I’m telling you is the truth. We’re just trying to prepare for a game on a short week. Would it have been different if it was a longer (week)? Maybe.
“But at no point was I like, ‘Oh, I have this one circled.’ Everybody knows me, I circle the Patriots. That’s what I do.”
Part of the reason Ryan looks forward to those games is because of quarterback Tom Brady, whose longevity Ryan apparently doesn’t understand.
“Oh, baby, that one’s gonna be tough,” Ryan said of the upcoming Week 11 matchup. “The quarterback never gets worse. What’s wrong with him? That quarterback never gets worse. Like, what is wrong with him. You know what I mean? When you get older, you’re supposed to get worse. This dude’s getting better.
“Like, it’s sick. It’s not right. I’m waiting for the wheels to fall off.”
Brady is 12-4 against Ryan dating to 2004, when the Bills coach was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive line coach — and that includes this season’s 40-32 win over Buffalo in Week 2. You’d think he wouldn’t be as excited to face the Pats with a record like that, but he is Rex Ryan, after all.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
