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It was only a matter of time...
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/n...ory?id=6007793
By Rich Cimini
ESPNNewYork.com
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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- It's personal -- again. This time, Rex Ryan is out for Bill Belichick.
Calling out one of the most successful coaches in NFL history, the New York Jets' coach delivered an unsolicited rant Monday, admitting he was outcoached by Belichick in last month's blowout and vowing to flip the script in Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game against the New England Patriots.
"This is about Bill Belichick versus Rex Ryan," Ryan said, addressing the upcoming showdown in Foxborough for the first time. "There's no question, it's personal. It's about him against myself. That's what it's going to come down to."
In terms of football duels, this was the verbal equivalent of a white glove across the face.
Ryan said both teams are even from the standpoint of talent and assistant coaches, and that the rubber game will be decided by his ability to match wits with Belichick. In their last meeting, Dec. 6 in Foxborough, the Jets were humiliated on Monday Night Football 45-3.
"I was outcoached in that game," said Ryan, who also used the "it's personal" line last week in preparation for Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. "I said it then, I'm saying it now. Belichick, I recognize the fact this is a Hall of Fame coach. He'll go down in history as maybe the greatest football coach in the history of this game, or going to be close to it.
"He was at that level that week and I was not. For whatever reason, I never had my team prepared the way it should've been prepared. That falls right down on me."
Belichick, in a conference call about two hours after Ryan made his comment, took a lighthearted approach.
"I might have a little quickness on him, he's probably got a little more strength and power on me," Belichick said. "I don't think you'll see either of us out there making any blocks, or tackles, or runs, throws or catches. At least you won't see me doing that. It's probably a good thing for our team."
Ryan's latest verbal assault, obviously orchestrated, was a variation of his celebrated "rings" rant from last year. A few months after being hired by the Jets, he said he didn't come to New York "to kiss Bill Belichick's rings."
Ryan is 2-2 against Belichick, but his credibility took a big hit last month. A few days before the anticipated showdown, Ryan said he wanted to "kick Belichick's ass." It turned out to be the other way around, as the Jets suffered the second-most lopsided defeat in franchise history.
The Jets were ill-prepared, and Ryan made questionable tactical decisions early in the contest. He wasted a replay challenge on a fourth-and-1 spot, and he let the then-slumping Nick Folk try a 53-yard field goal into swirling winds -- and he missed badly. Defensively, the Jets had no answers for Tom Brady, who passed for 326 yards and four touchdowns.
Clearly, the Jets missed safety Jim Leonhard, the "quarterback" of the secondary. He suffered a season-ending injury three days before the game, a major disruption in their defensive preparation. The Patriots picked on Leonhard's replacement, Eric Smith. Nevertheless, Ryan blamed himself.
"There are chess matches involved every week. It was checkmate," he said. "He definitely outcoached me."
This perhaps was a clever motivational ploy by Ryan to take the heat off his players this week. Instead of being reminded by reporters about how badly they played in the last meeting -- namely, Mark Sanchez, who threw three interceptions -- they will be bombarded with questions about Ryan's challenge.
The players were off Monday and not available to the media.
"This is going to be about me raising my level against Bill Belichick," Ryan said. "I recognize he's the best. I'm just trying to be the best on Sunday, and I plan on being the best coach on Sunday. ... That's what it is. I recognize my level has to come up. He's going to get my best shot. He's going to get everything I have on Sunday. If he slips at all, we're gonna beat him."
Ryan felt the Jets outsmarted themselves in the previous game, installing a game plan that looked good on paper but wasn't realistic. There may be some truth to that because, after playing Thanksgiving, they had 10 full days to prepare for the Patriots, who also played on Thanksgiving. Most teams thrive when given extra time, but the Jets tend to struggle after extended layoffs.
This time, they will use a "ridiculous amount of preparation" to formulate a game plan that doesn't confuse the players, according to Ryan. But he added, "That doesn't mean we're going to dummy it up. You dummy it up against them, and you get crushed."
The Jets won the first meeting in Week 2, 28-14. After the 45-3 debacle, Ryan told Belichick during the postgame handshake they'd meet again.
"I told Belichick after the game, 'We'll see you in Round 3,' " Ryan said. "He just looked at me."
This time, the stakes are huge. The survivor plays the Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens winner for the AFC championship.
"If we win this one, we'll be the same old Jets," Ryan said, "right back in the AFC Championship Game."
Rich Cimini covers the Jets for ESPNNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
It was only a matter of time...
go pats
I expect to hear more smack from Ryan as the week progresses. Good start to the week though.
Gotta love it.
My ideal superbowl would be Seahawks vs Jets. Who would Rex Ryan talk to then? Charlie Whitehurst?
Here is what the jets players had to say on Saturday
WR Braylon Edwards (from @DanWetzel)
"I remember what happened [Dec. 6 in a 45-3 Patriots win] but at the end of the day we know we're better than them. ... If they come at us with their press coverage or man-to-man they did at beginning of the game we'll take advantage of it this time."
OL Damien Woody (from ESPN.com's Tim Graham)
"Couldn't have scripted it better, to get a third opportunity at a team. We split in the regular season, but people don't remember our win. They remember the huge blowout. You're only as good as your last game. So Part III is coming up."
DB Dwight Lowery (from ESPN.com's Tim Graham)
"Not going to happen again. That wasn't the same group of guys that showed up [vs. the Colts]. What happened in the last game definitely is not going to happen again. We'll be better prepared overall. It's a brand new game."
LB Bart Scott (commenting on Tom Brady seeing "Lombardi" last night, from ESPNNewYork's Ian O'Connor)
"Everybody prepares differently. Obviously Tom Brady's doing something right because he's got three Super Bowl rings. To each his own."
RB LaDanian Tomlinson (from the Boston Globe's Greg A. Bedard)
“Late in the fourth [quarter on Dec. 6] the Pats were talking and yapping. I said, 'You got us but we'll be back. We'll be back.'"
LB David Harris (from the Boston Globe's Greg A. Bedard)
“Of course I've thought about it [45-3 loss on Dec. 6]. That left a bad taste that hasn't gone away."
TE Dustin Keller (from the Boston Herald's Karen Guregian)
"They gave us a bad beating the last time we played them. So we feel like it’s two games in a row where it’s payback time. We’re going to get a chance to get back at them."
CB Antonio Cromartie (from the Boston Herald's Karen Guregian)
"That’s one game you say you want to forget, but it’s still in the back of your mind. You don’t forget nothing like that."
@ LT.
Pats will win again like 35-10..
Jets aren't that good..
I don't think Rex knows what SOJ actually means.
It's not a good thing, brah.
J - E - T - S Jets! Jets! Jets!
Bellichick's wife >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ryan's wife
If you're friends with any Jetfans then you know they have those three letters burned in their brain
Pats 30 Pretenders 3 adios mouth
LOL calling the Jets pretenders still. In two years, both Rex Ryan and Sanchez are 3-1 in the postseason, all on the road. Should be a good game
and hey buttsore dumb s, he's just having a little fun talking out of his ass. This was Belichick's response:
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-e...esponse-to-rex"I might have a little quickness on him, he's probably got a little more strength and power on me," Belichick said Monday on a conference call. "I don't think you'll see either of us out there making any blocks, or tackles, or runs throws or catches. At least you won't see me doing that. It's probably a good thing for our team."
You'd think that at this day and age where everyone is fined for everything, from hits to TD celebrations, you people (NFL FANS) would take this as slightly humorous.
The one thing about Rex that I like most is that he says what's on his mind. That's missing in sports today...All this oh we played a heckuva team out there and you gotta give props to said vanquished team is kinda wussy. The guy is entertaining and regardless of what happens on Sunday, he'll definitely keep me interested because you just don't know what the guy is going to say. I wonder if Rob Ryan gets a job, would he be as outspoken as his brother is.
I think the Patriots will win this, but it won't be anywhere close to the 45-3 molestation that happened in the earlier game.
Funny how Rex Ryan loves to just have fun shooting the with the media, up until the point where his wife's foot fetish videos are brought up, then suddenly his mouth is shut like someone just put a plate of vegetables in front of him.
"Look, I remember I went into Starbucks a few years back, and they made me the worst latte ever. So Seattle, this is payback!"
Rex Ryan has become a caricature of himself. Between his bragging, getting his pushed in by the Pats, and his cuckold/swinger lifestyle he's certainly brought the lulz this season.
Of course, there's a lot of upside to this type of talk. If he fails, he'll only be seen as a buffoon - he's already got that rep anyhow, so no loss there. If he somehow beats the Pats, the NY media will treat him like the second coming of Namath.
Im just looking forward to the Pats stomping the living out of the Jets.
You hear what he said today? Ryan is writing a check with a lot of zeroes in it... and if Pats go up early, Jets are going to be in for a long day. Belichick won't hesitate to drop as many points on the Jets as he can.
Rex Ryan just needs to shut the up. Seriously...this isnt the New York Ryans vs. the New England Belichicks. It's the Jets vs. the Patriots asshole. Your fat ass isnt out there doing a damn thing...sure you may call the plays...but you arent the one who has to execute them. Shut up, and let your team play the game...
Yep. It's a done deal. Patriots 2010 World Champs. Baltimore or Atlanta might give them a good game.
Enjoy it, Pats fan.
lol yeah it should be a good game, just like the last one
Brady is going to rape the living out of Cromartie....with the jets ty pass rush they wont even touch Brady all day and he will just sit back there and carve that secondary apart. Then everyone can talk about how good Revis is while Cromartie and Lowery are getting their pushed in.
Cromartie did get eaten up a bit in the Colts game. Should be interesting to see him try to cover all the short-to-middle range receivers we have (Welker, Gronk, Hernandez).lol yeah it should be a good game, just like the last one
Brady is going to rape the living out of Cromartie....with the jets ty pass rush they wont even touch Brady all day and he will just sit back there and carve that secondary apart. Then everyone can talk about how good Revis is while Cromartie and Lowery are getting their pushed in.
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