ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan gave an impression of Bill Belichick on Monday, thus kicking off a week of buildup to Sunday's road game against the New England Patriots.
"We're gonna start with the injury report," Ryan mumbled as he opened his news conference. "You'll get it on Wednesday. Simple as that. You'll get it [when we] turn it in."
It was the latest made-for-television moment from Ryan on the subject of the Patriots. Ryan emphasized, however, that he respects his AFC East adversary as they prepare to meet as head coaches for the eighth consecutive season.
"I think my admiration is really for Belichick more than anything," Ryan said Monday. "As a coach, that's the guy. He'll go down as probably the best in the history of the game. I like poking fun at him and all that stuff, but there's no coach I respect more than him."
Belichick has an 11-4 record against Ryan, including a playoff loss to the New York Jets following the 2010 season. The Patriots defeated the Bills twice in Ryan's first season as Buffalo's coach.
The Bills improved to 1-2 this season by defeating the favored Arizona Cardinals 33-18 on Sunday. They have won only once at Gillette Stadium, in the 2014 regular-season finale.
"[Winning Sunday] would mean a lot to our football team," Ryan said Monday. "[The Patriots] have been the standard of this league, not just in our conference, division, whatever. They've been the standard of the league. So you want to put yourself up against the best.
"I think everybody saw what happened, when everybody [said], 'Well, no Tom Brady. This team will be a disaster.' Well, they're 3-0 last time I checked. And they beat some pretty good football teams. So yeah, it will mean a lot. We need a win in the worst way."
Ryan struck a different tone Monday, after riffing on the Patriots' quarterback situation one day earlier.
"I can sit back and say I don't care who plays quarterback, because [Tom] Brady ain't," Ryan said Sunday. "I don't care who plays quarterback. Steve Grogan can play quarterback. If Belichick's playing quarterback, we're coming after him, I promise you that."
It remains uncertain which Patriots quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder injury) or Jacoby Brissett (thumb), will be able to play against the Bills. It will be the final game of Brady's four-game suspension.
"I expect [the Patriots] immediately to tell us [who the starting quarterback will be]," Ryan joked Monday. "And as soon as they tell us, we're all gonna be like, 'Yeah, OK.' Nobody would believe it anyway. Nah, I don't know. We're not gonna find out until kickoff."