The Buffalo Bills apparently went to great lengths during Rex Ryan's coaching tenure to make sure Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots couldn't gain a competitive advantage.
Former Bills general manager Doug Whaley, who served in the position from 2013 through 2016, revealed Wednesday that his team would remove its trash from Gillette Stadium out of fear that Belichick and Co. might stumble upon something they could use down the road.
"We would actually take our garbage away," Whaley said on "The Fan Morning Show" on KDKA-FM, as transcribed by Audacy.com. "Rex Ryan says when the game is over, 'All that garbage? Let's go. Let's take it. You never know about this dude.' The equipment guys would load it with all the soiled jerseys and uniforms."
"We would carry it back to Buffalo and throw it all away in Buffalo."
While this sounds like a classic case of paranoia, it's certainly not the first time we've heard about other teams distrusting the Patriots in wake of Spygate and Deflategate. A 2015 article in Sports Illustrated pointed out the drastic measures opponents would take when facing the Patriots, including commonly clearing out trash cans in their hotel meeting rooms in New England.
"Don't put anything past that mad scientist," Whaley said of Belichick. "He's going to do whatever it takes to win, by any means necessary."
While it's unclear whether the Bills continue to practice such caution under their new regime, which includes GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, it's likely teams still operate with their antennas high whenever they travel to Foxboro.
Whaley, for one, said he "absolutely" believes Belichick and the Patriots still bend the rules.
