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Rex Ryan hasn’t had much success recently against Patriots

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Rex Ryan has a 3-11 regular-season record against the Patriots.Tom Szczerbowski

FOXBOROUGH — Ahead of the game on Sunday between the Patriots and Bills, Bill Belichick and Rex Ryan spoke with reporters. The similarities pretty much ended there.

It's Patriots Week in Buffalo, and Ryan has delivered. He's done his best Belichick impression, pretended to be a reporter asking Julian Edelman a question on a conference call, and said he's "sure" he's cracked the code on who will play quarterback for the Patriots. He also opened a news conference by giving reporters a full update on the status of injured players for that day.

For his part, Belichick has been Belichick — dry, boring, and dismissive of just about everything, including Ryan's bluster.

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"I'm just focused on getting ready for the Bills," Belichick said. "I'm not really in tune to all of that. I'm sure it's important to you guys but it's not really anything I spend much time with."

The coaches are connected by a division and by Ryan's persistent desire to be known as Belichick's heel, exhibited through years of public chirping — about not kissing rings or his dislike for Tom Brady.

If it's a rivalry, though, it's been a one-sided one for years.

Ryan has a 3-11 regular-season record as a head coach against the Patriots, 4-11 counting the postseason, which includes his win with the Jets in the 2010 divisional round. His braggadocio often looks bad in hindsight, but Ryan insisted the way the Patriots do things could never work for him.

"Well, obviously [Belichick's] style works a hell of a lot better than my style, so I'll give him that," Ryan said. "But you know what? I learned a long time ago, you've got to be yourself in this league, and that wouldn't have worked. If I tried to be like Bill Belichick that would never work for me, just like, not that he ever would, but if he's going to try to be like somebody else, that ain't going to work for him."

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Entering Sunday, Ryan has lost nine of his last 10 meetings with Belichick after starting 3-2 with the Jets teams he took to AFC Championship games in 2009 and '10.

Ryan hasn't had a winning season since. His career winning percentage is .478, while Belichick's is .667 overall and .734 with the Patriots.

The Patriots, who were on the better side of Ryan's final loss in New York in 2014, have outscored Ryan's teams by 106 points through 15 games, which works out to just over a touchdown in the average meeting.

A question about how to square that record with Ryan's assertions that he is an "above-average" head coach threw a bit of heat into Ryan's conference call with reporters on Wednesday.

"Well, I don't know," Ryan said. "I guess. That's the way it is. You guys would know better than me."

Ryan was then asked about Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and was equally short in his answer.

"Above-average quarterback," Ryan said. "Go ahead. Whatever you want to say. Above-average quarterback."

A few questions later, Ryan said the Patriots have "an above-average run game."

Ryan's .266 winning percentage against the Patriots is, technically, above average. Since Ryan became a head coach, opposing coaches have managed only a .261 mark (30-85) against Belichick, including playoffs, so he can hang his hat on that if he'd like.

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When the Buffalo media asked about the exchange, Ryan said he wasn't bothered, before immediately taking a shot at Boston.

"Oh, I don't even care," Ryan said. "It's like, whatever. That doesn't bother me at all. Come on, let's face it, we're here in Buffalo. Nobody likes anything in Boston."

Ryan had bristled at a question about his record against Belichick on a conference call last season, asking New England reporters, "Why are you even talking to me?" before later telling Buffalo media that he was "not real fond of New England right now."

No matter what happens Sunday, Belichick will surely be "on to Cleveland" immediately after. Should the Bills win, however, Ryan will want to bask in the glow for a bit.

"Yeah, I just hope to find out," Ryan said. "You know, if we win the game, then ask me [how it feels] after the game and I'll let you know."

It'll almost certainly be an above-average answer.


Nora Princiotti can be reached at nora.princiotti@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @NoraPrinciotti.