Looking back at six seasons of Rex Ryan and the Patriots
From the moment he joined the New York Jets, coach Rex Ryan didn't hide his feelings about the New England Patriots.
And in the following six seasons, the results have been must-watch television for NFL fans. From brash proclamations, to memorable games, to some that have been immortalized in infamy (see the "buttfumble" below), each meeting between Ryan and the Patriots has been memorable.
With New York (3-11) struggling in another disappointing season, Ryan is on the hot seat and could be fired at season's end. Sunday's match up between the Jets and the Patriots (11-3) may be the last time Ryan faces his bitter rivals.
USA TODAY Sports reporter Lorenzo Reyes looks back on Ryan's six seasons as the Jets head coach and reflects on the highs and the lows against the Patriots:
June 2009: Kiss the rings
NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.
There's something about the New York stage that brought out the best in Ryan.
Before he had ever coached one game with the franchise, WFAN in New York posed a question about the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick, who by that point had won three Super Bowl championships.
"I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's, you know, rings," Ryan said. "I came to win. Let's just put it that way. So we'll see what happens. I'm certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else."
Maybe he should've been.
Since then, Ryan is 4-8 against New England. But during those early years in the rivalry, the Jets competed with the Patriots and even won some big games.
August 2010: "I don't like Tom Brady"
In many ways, Ryan has been linked to the Patriots for a long time.
His brother Rob Ryan, now a defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, was a Patriots linebackers coach from 2000-03.
"My brother's got a couple of Super Bowl rings," Rex Ryan said. "He loves Tom Brady, but I don't have them, so I don't like Tom Brady. I respect him, but I don't like him."
In fairness, Ryan's comments came in response to a question about a quote Tom Brady said when asked if he was watching HBO's series Hard Knocks that year, which featured the Jets.
"Honestly, I haven't turned it on," Brady said. "I hate the Jets, so I refuse to support that show. I'm sure it's great TV. I'm glad people are liking it. But that's just something that I have no interest in watching. I'd love to say a lot of mean things, but I'd rather not do that, either."
January 2011: Another AFC Championship Game
Ryan surprised most of the NFL with a berth in the AFC conference title game in his first season as head coach. In Year 2, the Jets once again made the playoffs. But in order to get back to the AFC title game, they needed to beat Belichick's Patriots – who that year had the NFL's best record at 14-2 – in the Divisional Round on the road.
And, though New England entered the game as a 10-point favorite to win, Ryan's Jets pulled off the improbable 28-21 upset behind quarterback Mark Sanchez's three touchdown passes.
Making the victory even more impressive, it came on the heels of a 45-3 stomping New England handed the Jets just one month earlier.
"Maybe everybody else never believed, but we believed," Ryan said after the game. "We're moving on. Same old Jets, back to the AFC championship. The only difference is this time we plan on winning."
The Jets lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and once again, fell just short of the Super Bowl.
August 2011: "Anybody out there want to sign up for it?"
Early success against the Patriots inflated Ryan's confidence. Entering just his third season, Ryan issued a challenge to the rest of the league on the cusp of the 2011 preseason.
"I think we have to find somebody out there to beat New England besides us," Ryan said. "Anybody out there want to sign up for it? Are you good enough as a team to beat the New England Patriots? I'm challenging the league."
At the time of his comments, Ryan's record against the Patriots stood at 3-2, admittedly a pretty good mark against a perennial contender.
Since then, however, the Jets have gone 1-6 against Belichick and the Patriots.
Thanksgiving 2012: Buttfumble
OK, so this one is not completely on Ryan.
But no matter what happens for the rest of his time in New York, the brash head coach will be remembered for Mark Sanchez's buttfumble against the Patriots on Thanksgiving Day in 2012.
You've seen the clip, so there's no need to rehash how it went down. Suffice to say that it's one of the most embarrassing plays in the history of the NFL. It was the symbol of New England's 49-19 thumping of the Jets.
"We're about as wounded as you could possibly be, but we're not dead," Ryan said after the game. "I know our fans deserve a heck of a lot better than this."
Wednesday: Still the same
Ryan's press conferences this week have had a nostalgic feel to them.
Many questions recalled his up-and-down swings in the rivalry. He had one more chance to take back the kiss-his-rings comment. But in typical Ryan fashion, he didn't back down.
"Oh, hell no, because I never came here to do that," Ryan said. "I came here to kick his butt. Obviously, I haven't been very successful at it, but that list is long. I'm not just the only name on that list. I might be the only one that had the guts to say something about it, but that's how I am. That's how I feel this week too. No different than any other time I've been here."
***
Follow Lorenzo G. Reyes on Twitter @Lorenzo_G_Reyes
