'Don't Complain!': Rex Ryan Places Patriots Blame on Bill Belichick
For a time, Rex Ryan saw himself as someone who could topple Bill Belichick's dynasty with the New England Patriots. Now, he's merely assigning blame from afar.
According to Ryan, now an ESPN NFL analyst, Belichick needs to find only the closest mirror to find the source of the Patriots' ongoing issues. He feels New England's lauded, long-time general manager/head coach has made the decisions that have put the Patriots (0-1) on pace for a long season, one that began with a listless 20-7 loss at the hands of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
"Don’t complain about the weapons. You chose those weapons," Ryan virtually scolded Belichick on ESPN's "Get Up!" morning program. "All these moves that you made, you have no weapons. One of the reasons is because you can’t evaluate them. You’ve done a poor job evaluating the weapons.”
Ryan doesn't hesitate to call out one such addition in receiver Nelson Agholor. The former Philadelphia Eagles receiver, getting paid $9 million in the latter season of a two-year deal, had 28 yards on three receptions but fumbled away the Patriots' final possession in South Beach.
Other Ryan criticisms center around the offensive coaching staff that Belichick has established around franchise quarterback Mac Jones. While Jones had the services of offensive coordinator and long-time Belichick collaborator Josh McDaniels during an effective rookie season, he's now working with Joe Judge and Matt Patricia, each of whom has returned to Foxboro after failed head coaching stints with the New York Giants and Detroit Lions respectively.
"You have a very smart kid at quarterback," Ryan said. "(He's) smart enough to know that Matt Patricia and Joe Judge probably ain't that good a football coach for him, I mean offensive coaching-wise."
Ryan, who knows a thing or two about losing campaigns (compiling a 61-66 record as the head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills), doesn't see any relief in sight for suddenly suffering Patriots fans, noting that there's a "long-ass" season ahead in Foxboro.
It continues on Sunday afternoon, when the Patriots battle the Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
