Patriots-Jets Chatter Begins
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Any time Rex Ryan is involved in a football game, there are bound to be quotable remarks. That certainly is the case now and we are only one real day into the Patriots-Jets playoff showdown hype. There are already plenty of Rex Ryan quotes, including some from his players. There is also a pretty funny quote from Bill Belichick in response to Ryan. Here are some of the better quotes thus far:
Rex Ryan
Making it personal between him and Belichick, like he did with Peyton Manning
I recognized that this week is about Bill Belichick against Rex Ryan. There is no question. It’s personal. It’s about him against me and that’s what it’s going to come down to. When you look at it, both teams are very even. When you look at the players, our teams are solid across the board. If you look at the assistant coaches, we’re on level ground. This is going to be about me raising my level against Bill Belichick. I recognize he’s the best, but I’m just trying to be the best on Sunday. I plan on being the best coach on Sunday. That’s what it is, I recognize that my level has to come up and 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 going to beat him.
His reaction to the fact that Tom Brady was watching the Broadway play “Lombardi” during the Jets’ playoff win
Peyton Manning would have been watching our game. (This, of course, is a follow-up swipe from last week’s comments about Peyton Manning preparing more than Brady.)
Bill Belichick
His response to, “Bill Belichick against Rex Ryan”
I might have a little quickness on him, he’s probably got a little more strength and power on me. 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.
Tom Brady
His response to Rex Ryan’s preparation swipe
I’ve heard…yeah, that was…everyone is entitled to their opinion. Maybe he’s right. He’s a good coach, so I’ll just keep getting ready like we’ve done all year and get ready for Sunday night.
On whether he gets help from Belichick in his preparation
I get a ton of help from our coach. Of course. I think we have the best coach in the history of football.
Various Jets Players (The theme seems to be “payback” from the 45-3 beating from earlier in the season. Quotes come from ESPN Boston and the Boston Herald)
Braylon Edwards
I remember what happened 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.
LaDanian Tomlinson, Life-long Patriot-hater
Late in the fourth the Pats were talking and yapping. I said, ‘You got us but we’ll be back. We’ll be back.’
Damien Woody
We have contrasting styles. It’s going to be real hush up there, CIA type stuff playing out. They’re going to come out and give us a lot of praise. Typical stuff. And you know how we’re going to come. We’re going to come like big bullies and that’s what we do. But at the end of the day, it’s who gets it done on the field.
Dustin Keller
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.
So here we go, and it’s only Monday. I like how LT talks about the Pats “yapping” during the last game, because the Jets never do any talking at all… At least the Patriots waited until they actually had something to yap about, like beating a loud-mouthed team and its blowhard coach 45-3. I don’t think that we’ll see that effort duplicated during Sunday’s playoff game. I think it will be much closer, though all of the Jets’ chatter will certainly help to remind New England’s young roster that it’s a brand-new game, and they have to go out and prove themselves again.