Woody Johnson is the biggest winner of Terry Pegula's embarrassing Bills presser

The New York Jets are rarely afforded a moment where they aren’t the butt of the joke, and Woody Johnson is usually front and center when embarrassment enters the conversation. But on Wednesday, a new main character emerged in the world of NFL dysfunction.

Thanks to an all-time uncomfortable press conference from Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula, the Jets and their owner were briefly provided a temporary reprieve. A new name has claimed the top spot in the AFC East embarrassment power rankings, at least for the time being.

Pegula’s long-awaited return to the microphone was supposed to provide accountability after another Bills postseason disappointment that resulted in the firing of head coach Sean McDermott.

Instead, it became a masterclass in deflection and awkwardness. It isn't hard to see why the Bills haven't put a live microphone in front of him in nearly a decade. This was as bad as it gets.

Terry Pegula briefly distracted the NFL world from Woody Johnson and the Jets' dysfunction

The most embarrassing moment came when Pegula addressed the drafting of Keon Coleman. Rather than owning the decision, Pegula essentially disowned it, implying that the organization never truly wanted Coleman and placing the blame on the recently fired McDermott.

The question was directed at general manager Brandon Beane, who was forced into a backseat role amid Pegula’s outbursts on Wednesday. Pegula cut off his own GM to suggest the team never truly wanted Keon Coleman — a player who, it’s worth noting, is still on the roster.

"Can I interrupt? ... The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon [Coleman]. ... That was Brandon being a team player. He’s taken heat over it. I’m here to tell you the true story."

Terry Pegula

Again, this was said about a young player who is still very much on the roster, publicly undermining him while simultaneously tossing a fired coach under the bus. It was stunning, tone-deaf, and just a wild thing for an acting owner to say.

As if that weren’t enough, Pegula repeatedly hijacked answers meant for Beane to complain about a “bad call” in Buffalo’s divisional-round loss. Of course, the "bad call" in question was the Ja'Quan McMillian interception, which was objectively — and quite obviously — the correct ruling.

Multiple times, Pegula shouted over his own general manager to air grievances about a controversial play that was, by most accounts, objectively correct. What should have been a sober evaluation of why the Bills continue to fall short instead devolved into grievance-fueled theater. It was humiliating.

The lack of accountability was glaring. Pegula was interested in relitigating a single play and redirecting blame toward his fired coach. It was uncomfortable to watch and impossible to ignore.

Which brings us back to Woody Johnson. Jets fans don’t need a reminder of how quickly ownership comments can become a problem, but they got one last year when Johnson publicly took aim at Justin Fields, openly criticizing his quarterback after a rough start.

Much like Pegula cutting off Beane to distance his front office from the Coleman pick, Johnson’s remarks openly threw a player who was still on the roster under the bus. It was awkward and unnecessary, but at this point, that’s become standard operating procedure for Woody.

But on this particular day, Johnson didn’t say a word. He didn’t throw players or coaches under the bus or dominate a press conference meant for football people. And in the NFL media ecosystem, silence can be golden, especially when a division rival is busy imploding in public.

Pegula’s presser was so dysfunctional that it briefly made the Bills the laughing stock of the AFC East. For once, the Jets weren’t the cautionary tale. For once, Woody Johnson wasn’t the punchline.

Of course, this is only a temporary victory. History suggests it won’t take long before Johnson reminds everyone why he usually owns this distinction outright. Still, in Jets world, you take the small wins when you can get them, right?