Rex Ryan hasn’t forgotten the complaints about his defensive scheme that Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams made public last season.
Williams was critical of how often he was being asked to drop into coverage, which made him selfish in Ryan’s view.
“Now look, with some of the comments (he made), do I wish him well? Not really,” Ryan said in an interview with MMQB.
“But, he’s on Miami. If he would have gone somewhere else, maybe. He’s a good kid, but I am used to some mean (expletive) that play out there. The Terrell Suggs, Jarrett Johnsons of the world. I screwed them, too; I had them drop (into coverage), too. Not one of them bitched. Von Miller [dropped into coverage] in the Super Bowl. Why? Because that’s what’s asked of him; that’s what his job is.”
“Your job is to play. Coaches spend a hell of a lot more time studying tape and everything else. They are trying to put the team in the best position to be successful, not an individual. Terrell Suggs, he has been the defensive Player of the Year in this league. Ed Reed has been. Ray Lewis has been. You can go right down the line. Trevor Pryce had 14 sacks as a defensive tackle. One of the most unselfish guys you’ve ever seen. That’s what it is about.”
“I’ll never forget, I used to have Ray sell out for maybe the 11th guy on defense. Ray Lewis is going to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the game, if not the greatest. That’s when you’ve got something special, and that’s what we are trying to build here.”
Now with the Dolphins, Williams plans to “cut it loose” after a down year with the Bills in 2015. Ryan, on the other hand, is entering his second season as head coach of the Bills after an 8-8 finish last season.
Should be fun when the Bills and Dolphins get together for AFC East matchups next season.
