Bill Belichick takes shot: 'I think our record against (Rex Ryan) has been OK'

Lorenzo Reyes | USA TODAY

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Sunday's showdown between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots is becoming much more than just a heavyweight battle on the field.

What's being said in press conferences is quickly turning into must-watch stuff for NFL fans – even those outside of the Northeast.

The most evident sign of that? An unlikely source joined in.

The Buffalo media asked Patriots coach Bill Belichick Wednesday why Rex Ryan's defenses have had success against quarterback Tom Brady in the past.

"I think our record against him has been OK," Belichick shot back. "I'll take it."

Coming from other NFL coaches, that wouldn't be a big deal. But from Belichick? It's about as big of a burn as you'll get out of Foxborough. And because Ryan has a reputation for being bold and brash when it comes to talking about the Patriots, the buildup to the matchup at Ralph Wilson Stadium has been almost as compelling as what fans will see on Sunday afternoon.

Your turn, Rex.

"It's easy to say the Patriots have been the most dominant team in the National Football League the past 10 years, but this year is a different year," Ryan said." I'm going to put that caveat out there. It's a different year and we'll see who is the king of the mountain at the end of this season."

For the record, Brady's passer rating against Ryan's defenses in his career is 88.9. That compares to an average passer rating of 96.1 over the span of Brady's 16 seasons in the NFL.

But most importantly, there are other numbers Belichick will gladly take.

Ryan, who previously coached for the New York Jets from 2009-14, is just 4-9 against Belichick's Patriots, including a dismal 1-7 stretch since 2011.

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"Well I dislike the fact that I haven't been that successful against them," Ryan said Wednesday. "No question. But I'll say this: I respect them, probably as much as any team in the league. But I don't fear 'em, I can tell you that much. We don't fear anybody. We're looking forward to them."

Ryan set the tone of the week Monday, when he intentionally inserted a playful jab at his long-time rivals.

"I can't wait to see what our fans are going to be like when you have the hated Patriots – I mean this kind of rival – coming into our stadium," Ryan said.

Buffalo's players soon followed suit.

"I don't like New England so yeah, it's definitely personal for me," safety Aaron Williams said.

"Don't nobody like the Patriots," defensive tackle Marcell Dareus added. "Let's be honest about it."

For his part, Brady says he's not worried about what goes on off the field.

"It doesn't matter to me," Brady said Wednesday. "The games are won by what you do over the course of the week and how you go about your preparation so that you can be prepared for the game on Sunday.

"He's a great coach and he's obviously got them confident. It sounds like they're already ready to go on Wednesday. We still need some time to prepare for them."

Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes