Maybe Rex Ryan should get a new slogan for the Buffalo Bills: “duck you sucker.”
Ryan, the bellicose big mouth who got dumped by the New York Jets and wound up coaching in Buffalo, Wednesday signed linebacker IK Enemkpali. In case you haven’t heard, Enemkpali is the ex Jets linebacker who is the undisputed sucker punch champion of the National Football League.
On Tuesday, IK scored a KO of Jets’ quarterback Geno Smith when he socked him in the jaw in the locker room.
Smith, the starting quarterback, was knocked cold and suffered a broken jaw. He will miss 6 to 10 weeks.
It was “a sucker punch” according to Jets Coach Todd Bowles. “You don’t walk up to another man and punch him in the face.”
Bowles immediately cut Enemkpali from the team.
“You do not get another opportunity when you just sucker punch somebody in the face and break their jaw.”
But wait, Rex Ryan coached Enemkpali – who once punched an undercover police officer while in college – last year with the Jets. Ryan and Enemkpali were part of the Jets’ won-4 lost-12 season.
So, Rex is bringing another trouble maker to Buffalo.
“Not everybody’s perfect,” Ryan said. “A lot of us were around IK (last year) and he was a good teammate.”
Tell it to Geno Smith.
When Ryan took the Buffalo job earlier this year he said: “We’re going to build a bully.”
Soon after, he signed Richie Incognito, a truly offensive lineman who was suspended by the NFL for the persistent harassment (bullying) of his onetime Miami Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin.
The NFL’s investigation brought to light several ugly, racist statements Incognito made, supposedly in jest. They weren’t funny and neither is Incognito who has a long rap sheet going back a decade to his college days at Nebraska.
Judging by his actions and words, Incognito is a loathsome athlete and human being.
Apparently just the kind of guy to fit Ryan’s team in Buffalo.
Oh, did we mention that Ryan also signed Percy Harvin, a former Florida Gator wideout. This will be Harvin’s third team in two years. FoxSports has reported that Harvin once body-slammed a teammate and had physical altercations with other players at Seattle. One NFL source described Harvin as a “time bomb.”
Ryan loves Harvin.
“He’s a game breaker.”
Hopefully, Harvin won’t turn into a jaw breaker.
So far, the fans in Buffalo love Ryan. He’s the talk of the town. The Bills just missed the playoffs last season, finishing 9-7 under Coach Doug Marrone, who bolted the team at the end of the year.
Ryan, who has a career record of 50-52, hopes to lead the Bills to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. The team has a strong defense that finished fourth in the league last season. Ryan has added power to the offense, with running back LeSean McCoy.
But something about this team and Ryan’s record bothers me.
The Bills are mediocre at quarterback – with Matt Cassell, E.J. Manuel and Tyrod Taylor battling for the starting job. Rex better keep them away from Enemkpali. Ryan has a poor record of developing quarterbacks. Mark Sanchez flamed out with the Jets and Ryan nearly destroyed Tim Tebow’s career.
And then there’s the issue of character.
Can players like Incognito, Harvin and Enemkpali really change their spots? Each has a reputation for ripping apart previous teams and fighting with teammates.
Maybe Rex’s bad boys will win and finally bring some joy to the long-suffering Bills fans. Ryan needs to win 10 games for this year to be a success.
Anything less means Ryan and his gang of Bills just aren’t tough enough.
Villager Tony Violanti writes Villages-News.com
