ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In last year’s first meeting between the Jets and Bills, Rex Ryan ruffled Jets feathers when he named IK Enemkpali, the former Jets linebacker who punched out Geno Smith, as a game captain.
On Tuesday, Ryan revealed that another former Jets and current Bills defensive lineman, Leger Douzable, will be captain for Thursday night’s game against the Jets.
He called Douzable, who had 1.5 sacks Sunday in Baltimore, a “super-smart guy who can play anywhere on the line.’’
“Leger is always one of those guys that can produce. You just have to get him an opportunity to,’’ Ryan said. “He had 1.5 sacks in the [Ravens] game, but almost had two others.’’
Douzable, 30, was a free agent after last season, and the Jets, already very deep on the defensive line, did not make any significant effort to re-sign him.
“Let’s just say the Bills wanted me more,’’ Douzable said. “It all worked out for the best for me. I love Rex. I love playing in his system. I think it was just time for me to move on and start a new chapter. I loved that team and loved New York. I bled green for three years.’’
Douzable said not everyone was happy with him when he signed with the Bills.
“Let’s just say I got a couple messages on social media,’’ he said. “There was some support, and then there were some New York Jets fans that weren’t too happy with me. But it’s a business at the end of the day.’’
Douzable said he remains in touch with his former Jets teammates “a little bit,’’ but added: “I don’t talk to them during this week. I’ve got to keep it business. Any time I play a friend or guys I’m comfortable around, I try not to talk to them game week. There’s got to be a disconnect there.
“Will I be juiced up? Of course. You’re playing your old team and you always want to play good against your old team.’’
It took months for Douzable to get over the season-ending loss to the Bills last January that kept the Jets from a playoff berth.
“I remember that game affected me at least until May,’’ Douzable said. “I remember I was so hurt. There wasn’t even a thought in my mind that we weren’t going to the playoffs. I thought we were going to come out, show up and win [against Buffalo]. And it was just so surreal walking off that field with a loss.
“We had one game to win. You’d rather have it on your shoulders rather than on another team’s, and we had that and we lost. We had our destiny in our hands and we just couldn’t finish it.
“It affected me so badly I ended up going to Australia and New Zealand a week after the season and didn’t come back until the day of the Super Bowl to make sure I didn’t have to watch it. I was planning to go to Australia and New Zealand, but I figured it was going to be February after the Super Bowl.
“But when our season ended, I decided to go a week or two after the season. I needed to get away for a while. I couldn’t really watch football.’’