This is the Jets worst nightmare.
Other than maybe going to New England to replace Bill Belichick or staying in New Jersey as Tom Coughlin’s next in line, Rex Ryan signing with the Buffalo Bills may be the worst case scenario possible.
Look, Ryan was going to coach again but of all destinations, this is awful. In Atlanta or San Francisco, at least he would have gone to a difference conference, only seeing the Jets once every four years. Now, 1/8 of the schedule if against Rex and you know how pumped up he will be to beat his old club.
Ryan will fit extremely well in small market Buffalo. He will use their size as a mark of courage and have the “Us vs. Them” attitude against every club they face.
Plus the team plays into Ryan’s strengths. They have a tremendous defense that will only be improved by Ryan’s defensive prowess. Even more so, he will bring a few old friends along, much like he did when he took the Jet job and former Ravens came swarming.
Of course, the Bills have similar problems as the Jets. They lack a quarterback since former first round pick E.J. Manuel was benched and was replaced by Kyle Orton, who retired after the season.
Mark Sanchez will be a free agent, so there could be a reunion, however unlikely.
You do wonder if Derrelle Revis may take the trek from Foxboro to Orchard Park, since the Bills have new ownership and looking to make a splash.
By replacing Doug Marrone with Ryan, the Bills have followed the same tried and true formula by getting a coach who is the exact opposite personality-wise than his predecessor.
All of this rivalry talk doesn’t matter much if Woody Johnson doesn’t pick wisely. There are reports that he is looking to hire Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as head coach. Both men will be rookies on the job, so you have to wonder if there will be a learning curve.
So now the Bills have Ryan and the Jets are still the Jets. No matter who gets the openings in Florham Park, there’s going to be comparisons with Ryan’s Bills.
And barring Ryan becoming a major flop, there’s no good that can come out of this for Gang Green.
It’s a nightmare.
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