Already reeling, the 0-2 Buffalo Bills are about to host the NFC powerhouse Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, and Rex Ryan sees this as the perfect opportunity for his team to snap out of its funk.
Speaking with reporters Monday morning, Ryan said the Cardinals might be “the exact team” his Bills need to face.
Clearly, the embattled coach is hoping this statement will rally his team to perform.
To this point, the Bills have been a hot mess, and it’s not just about poor play on the field (more on that here).
Against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, the defense did a decent job but the offense scored just seven points, gained just 160 yards and converted just 11 first downs.
Then in Week 2, the offense moved the ball and scored points, but Ryan’s defense give up 37 points, 28 first downs and 493 total yards to the New York Jets
With this in mind, it’s hard to imagine the Cardinals won’t have a field day in Week 3.
At this point, however, Ryan has nothing to lose that isn’t already on the table. He’s already on the hottest seat in the NFL after a poor 2015 season and the debacle that’s been the first two weeks of 2016.
While it seems unlikely that his “exact team” statement will tip the scales in favor of the Bills on Sunday against the Cardinals, it certainly can’t hurt.
That said, you know Bruce Arians and the Cardinals will take note of the comment. They’ll be licking their chops for a chance to annihilate the Bills in similar fashion to what we saw when the Jets came to town.
For what it’s worth, this scribe sees a blowout coming…for the Cardinals.