Rex Ryan shares unlikely stance on Bill Belichick and Patriots

Most of the reactions to what the Patriots have looked like this season have been very much in line with each other; the defense is outstanding, the offense can barely do anything productive, and nearly all the troubles can be blamed on the coaching staff, including Bill Belichick.

The scrutiny began during the preseason and has continued through the last week of the year, most harping on Matt Patricia’s inexperience and Belichick’s decision to re-hire him and Joe Judge. It’s progressed even further with questioning the Patriots’ coach’s legacy, particularly since Tom Brady left in 2020.

Although most of those in the media have remained on the same page with their criticism, a former foe shared his unexpected praise and support for Belichick this week during an appearance on ESPN’s show “Get Up.”

Rex Ryan is no stranger to the Patriots, having dealt with the very well-coached teams during his tenures with the Jets and Bills. But when discussing New England’s difficult season, Ryan applauded Belichick and even proclaimed this season to be the best coaching of his career.

"“The current New England roster, compared to what it used to be when I coached against him, there’s one player on that team that would have started for those teams, and that’s Matt Judon. Everything else, none of these guys would have started. That’s why I call it a JV team.The roster may be JV, but the coaching’s not. This dude (Belichick) has done an amazing job. Might be his best year coaching that I’ve ever seen. What he does is, he plays to the strength of his team. You have a great defense. And here’s the thing about that defense: It doesn’t just stop you or make you punt or whatever. It forces turnovers, but that’s not it — they score with those turnovers.”"

Hearing this come from a former heated rival of the Patriots was bizarre, but hearing it said about the 2022 season makes it all the more strange.

There are a couple of ways his assessment could be interpreted, however.

Because the Patriots’ offense has struggled so much this season, it’s fascinating that they find themselves just one game out of a wild-card spot in the playoffs. Watching this team all season long never indicated what it takes to make the postseason, but with a win over Buffalo on Sunday, they’d secure the seventh seed.

Crediting Belichick for taking a floundering football team to a playoff contender isn’t far-fetched. But considering the situation the team has found itself in throughout the year is due to his decision-making, is it fair to praise him for the potential smidge of success they could accomplish?