There seems to be a bit of miscommunication this week at the Buffalo Bills’ facility.
The Bills host the New England Patriots on Sunday, a team they shut out on the road last month. The bad blood between the AFC East rivals began before that game even started, with Patriots rookies Jacoby Brissett and Malcolm Mitchell brawling with several Bills defensive backs during pregame warmups.
According to the Bills players involved, Brissett and Mitchell started the altercation by running through a Buffalo drill rather than around it. As they jogged back down the field, safety Robert Blanton retaliated by shoving Brissett, and things escalated from there.
Blanton called Brissett’s and Mitchell’s actions “disrespectful.”
Three Bills defensive backs were fined for their roles in the fracas (no Patriots players were), but they apparently plan to react similarly if a similar situation arises before Sunday’s rematch.
That’s not how Rex Ryan feels, however.
The Buffalo coach said Wednesday in a conference call with New England media that the pregame fight “did absolutely nothing” for Bills and did not serve as motivation during his team’s 16-0 victory.
“With us, just go out and warm up,” Ryan said. “That’s what you do. Any other extracurricular things, there’s absolutely zero focus on that and shouldn’t be any focus on that. It’s just about playing games. If people want to show how tough they are, put the boxing gloves on and get in the ring or something. That might be more impressive. I don’t want (Rob Gronkowski), by the way.
“I definitely don’t want to see that happen. Our focus is 100 percent on the game and doing the very best we possibly can.”
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
