Rex Ryan hasn't allowed New York's 1-6 start to squelch his sense of humor.
The New York Jets coach slipped into the team's media room on Wednesday to interrupt a conference call with rookie wideout Sammy Watkins, whose Buffalo Bills face Gang Green on Sunday.
"Sammy, I've got a question," Ryan said, per ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini. "How did you help Seth Ryan out? How'd he do out there? And if you could really help him, you wouldn't play this game (on Sunday). This sounds like Rex Ryan -- I know it does -- but this is a reporter."
Watkins responded with a laugh.
Rex's son, Seth, played receiver at Clemson with Watkins, which gave the Jets coach plenty of opportunities to watch the rookie dominate defenses before entering the NFL. Ryan recently compared Watkins to the likes of A.J. Green and Julio Jones, saying: "He's one of those guys that doesn't come around very often."
Watkins is on the upswing, having produced games of 87, 27 and 122 receiving yards during Kyle Orton's three starts. That 122-yard explosion against the Minnesota Vikingslast Sunday served as the pass-catcher's finest day as a pro. Showing off his speed and strong hands, Watkins led the Bills in targets and hauled in a pair of touchdown passes, including the game-winner.
With New York's banged-up secondary next on the slate, it would make sense for Ryan to leave the reporting to the scribes in favor of a little extra game-planning.
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