Rex Ryan offers rare praise for Patriots

The New England Patriots are to Rex Ryan as Newman is to Jerry Seinfeld. That makes what Ryan said about them on Sunday all the more surprising.

Ryan, the former New York Jets coach, offered some rare praise for the Patriots before they played the Carolina Panthers in Week 9.

“I was all out on these guys,” he said on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown.” “Uh-oh, this team is coming together. And my goodness, I don’t wanna say it. I don’t wanna say it, but they’re dangerous.”

The Patriots would go on to wallop the Panthers by the final of 24-6 to improve to 5-4 on the season.

Ryan, who coached the Jets from 2009 to 2014, famously hates the Patriots. He never won a single division title in New York because New England won the AFC East every year that he was there. The same was also true after Ryan went across the division to coach the Buffalo Bills. He relished in taking public shots at the Patriots while he was still coaching.

Last season, Ryan was even dancing on New England’s grave given their struggles. But the Patriots now look somewhat formidable again, forcing him to begrudgingly change his tune.

Photo: Aug 26, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan during a NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports