Tribute or troll? Brady uses 'Rex Ryan' as audible vs. Bills
Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady installed a pre-snap adjustment unlike any other Monday night in anticipation of their nationally televised matchup against longtime nemesis Rex Ryan.
Some would even call it an honor. And Brady unleashed it on the second play of the first series of the Patriots' game against the Buffalo Bills.
Staring down the defense, the New England quarterback yelled "Rex Ryan!" at the line of scrimmage to trigger an audible. Running back LeGarrette Blount gained one yard on the run to the right.
After the game, a 20-13 Patriots win, Brady was asked by the gathered media in Foxborough, Mass., if there was a message in the audible. The four-time Super Bowl champ struggled to suppress a smile.
"We have a lot of unusual terms," Brady said. "I think we run the gamut. So we've got to get creative and think of different things. That one is pretty unique."
Ryan was less troubled about any personal slight than losing to his longtime nemesis for the 11th time in 15 games.
"He likes me, I know that," the coach said.
It's the latest move in the soap opera that dates back to 2009, when Ryan took over as head coach of the New York Jets and immediately made knocking the Pats off the AFC East pedestal his No. 1 priority.
However, in the six-plus seasons since taking over the Jets, Ryan is just 4-11 against Belichick, including a pair of losses this season, Ryan's first in Buffalo.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report
