Bill Belichick’s former rival pounces on Patriots after losing to Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup QB - “This team sucks”
Jimmy Garoppolo didn't play the entirety of the game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, but it didn't matter. Even with Brian Hoyer taking snaps, Bill Belichick couldn't defeat the Las Vegas Raiders.
Former rival Rex Ryan took the opportunity to lay into the head coach on "Get Up" on Monday:
"This team sucks. They stink. They absolutely stink. Where's the fight? Where's the energy? Where's the passion? I don't see it."
The loss against the Raiders put the Patriots 1-5 to start the season and it feels like their campaign is all but over already. Looking forward, it's not going to get any easier, as New England has the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins next, neither of which will offer any quarter.
Rex Ryan's rivalry with Bill Belichick and Patriots predates Jimmy Garoppolo's rise
Rex Ryan spent eight years in the AFC East, locked in a perennially losing effort against Bill Belichick for most of his time in the division. He spent six years with the New York Jets and two with the Buffalo Bills.
His time in the division got off to a hot start in his first few seasons at the Jets with Mark Sanchez at quarterback. Sanchez and Ryan went to back-to-back AFC Championship games in 2009 and 2010. He went 9-7 and 11-5 in those seasons, becoming the talk of the NFL.
However, it was all downhill from there. Ryan did avoid a couple of losing seasons at 8-8, but the team ultimately trended down. He was let go after a 4-12 season in 2014, the same year that Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted.
Ryan didn't travel far, landing with the Buffalo Bills in 2015. In his first season with the team, he went 8-8 before taking a slight step back in 2016 to 7-8.
He didn't survive that campaign, as he was let go after Week 16 and hasn't worked on the sidelines since. At the start of that same season, Jimmy Garoppolo saw his first start in the NFL.
It hasn't been for a lack of trying that Ryan has been limited to the media. This past offseason, he was a candidate to be the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos. However, the team ultimately went with Vance Joseph.
Ryan ultimately went 6-16 against Bill Belichick in his career. While he did get a few licks in, the series numerically goes to the Patriots head coach. Belichick also boasts eight total Super Bowl rings to Rex Ryan's one, which he got with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000.