Bill Belichick has won six Super Bowls with the Patriots since 2000, but former Jets coach Rex Ryan said he wouldn’t have any titles if not for Tom Brady. Ryan went so far as to invoke the name of former Jets quarterback Geno Smith – who Ryan coached from 2013-14 – when making his argument.
“Let’s give him Geno Smith,” Ryan said on ESPN’s First Take, “and let’s see how many Super Bowls he would have won.”
The video quickly went viral, and caught the eye of Smith. The former Jets retorted with a series of tweets directed at his old coach. Smith called Ryan a “snake” and said that he was being painted as a scapegoat for the Jets’ poor record during his time as the starter.
Neither Ryan nor Smith had much success in New York. Ryan went 46-50 in six seasons – including 5-8 in 13 games against the Patriots – while Smith went 11-18 in Ryan’s final two years in New York. Ryan started off hot in New York with back-to-back AFC championship appearances but faltered before being fired in 2014.
Smith, who Ryan and the Jets drafted 39th overall in 2013, completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 5,5571 yards, 25 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in the 29 games he played. He lost the Jets’ starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick for good before the 2015 season when defensive end IK Enemkpali punched Smith in the face and fractured his jaw. Smith played with the Giants and Chargers and was the backup for the Seahawks in 2019.
