Jets football blog

Rex has Jets #1 in NY,game moved to 2:00pm Saturday

In Rex Ryan's book, released this spring, he referred to the Jets as the "big brother" of the NFL teams representing New York — and said his squad will remain the better team for the next 10 years.

With two days until the Jets-Giants preseason game, the Jets coach reiterated that statement.

"I’m not backing down from one comment," he said. "I believe we are the best team in New York. My goal is to be the best team in the National Football League, not just in New York, and I’m not backing down one bit from that statement. I believe that will be the case."

As Ryan is fond of saying, he added, "We get to find out on Christmas Eve." (continue)

 

Reed loves Rex

There was one move Ravens safety Ed Reed couldn't defend against: Rex Ryan leaving Baltimore to become head coach of the Jets.

Reed, one of the NFL's best defensive players, praised his former coordinator on ESPN's "SportsCenter" Wednesday.

"We wanted Rex as the head coach in Baltimore. We did not want him to leave,” Reed said, according to ESPN.com. “We knew he was a great coach. There was a reason we had a great defense in Baltimore.”

Reed, considered one of the all-time best safeties, said Ryan is "Like a dad, like a brother, man.” (continue)

Rex with another Super Bowl gurantee

 Rex Ryan stepped to a podium in the stadium where Super Bowl XLVI is scheduled to be played in less than a year, and -- surprise -- issued another championship guarantee for next season.

If there is a next season, of course.

“I believe this is the year that we’re going to win the Super Bowl,” the Jets coach said at Lucas Oil Stadium during the annual Scouting Combine. “I thought we’d win it the first two years. I guarantee we’ll win it this year.” (Ledger)

Ryan takes different tact with Steelers

Rex Ryan didn’t deem this game “personal” with the Steelers quarterback, like he did with Peyton Manning, or make it that kind of battle against Pittsburgh’s coach, as he had with Bill Belichick.

Instead, the Jets coach said this week’s AFC Championship Game against Pittsburgh has “a different feel.”

Certainly, Ryan has as much personal history against the Steelers: He coached against them in the AFC North during his decade with the Ravens. In the 2008 season, when he was the Baltimore defensive coordinator, they kept him from the Super Bowl. 

But he made it clear he's not going there with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, a like-minded man for whom he instead expressed a warm reverence. Ryan shared the story of Baltimore’s 38-7 blowout loss to Pittsburgh in 2007, when he said Tomlin ran the ball “every snap” in the second half out of respect to the opponent. (Ledger)

Welker comes up short of hurting Rex Ryan

Rex Ryan can take your best (verbal) shot, Wes Welker. The Jets' coach said he would not talk about the alleged foot fetish scandal that Welker made veiled references to in his press conference Thursday, but Ryan said he can handle it.

"With Wes Welker, well, I think this is a huge rivalry type game and anything goes. I can take it," Ryan said Friday. "I'm not going to discuss it, but I can take it."

Clearly, nothing is out of bounds now. With Welker taking shots at the coach's supposed fetish, there are no boundaries in the war of words between the two rivals leading into Sunday's divisional playoff game.

In his press conference Thursday, Welker managed to work in the words "foot," "feet," or "toes," 11 times. (News)

2nd biggest game for Jets? Only if they win

In his final weekly press conference, just two days before facing the Patriots on Sunday, Rex Ryan was not interested in downplaying the significance of his third matchup with New England this season.

"I think it'll be huge, this one will probably be the second-biggest in the history of the franchise," Ryan told reporters today. "Obviously Super Bowl III being the most. Even more so than last year's Indianapolis game (in the AFC Championship), this year is huge because you've got your rival, a team that's won three Super Bowls right there in your own division, at their place, coming off the huge, embarrassing loss that we had in the Monday Night game, I think this — without question — will be the second-biggest game in the history of the franchise. That's my opinion." (Ledger)

Rex vs Brady part III

Rex Ryan opened the door for this last week when talking about Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning.

Unprompted, he roped Patriots' QB Tom Brady into the discussion, saying that Manning is better at preparing than Brady is, though Brady may think otherwise.

"There's nobody like this guy in the league," Ryan said about Manning. "Nobody studies like him. I know (Tom) Brady thinks he does and all that stuff, but I think there is a little more help from (Bill) Belichick with Brady than there is with Peyton Manning."

Brady, responding on Boston's WEEI radio this morning, didn't object to this. He was teased for going to see the Broadway musical Lombardi during the Jets game on Saturday. He said he made it home to see the second half. (Ledger)

Ryan's mouth in full gear

Rex Ryan has had just about enough of Peyton Manning and he's making it his business to finally get past the Colts and their Super Bowl MVP quarterback.

Manning has knocked Ryan out of the playoffs twice, including a 30-17 decision in last year's AFC Championship tilt in Indianapolis, and Ryan is dialed in on sending the likes of Manning, Dwight Freeney,Reggie Wayne and Rashean Mathis home this time around when the two teams meet in their AFC wild-card matchup at 8 p.m. Saturday at Lucas Oil Stdaium.

"With Peyton Manning, I want to beat him," Ryan said Monday at the team's training complex in Florham Park, N.J. "I don't know when I'm going to beat him but I want it to be Saturday. Is it personal? Yes. Is it personal against him, Reggie Wayne, Freeney, Mathis and all those other dudes? Absolutely. I want to win and that's why I'm here. That's why I say they are going to get my best shot and they are going to get our team's best shot and we'll see if they are good enough to handle us." (Newsday)

Rex isn't telling but expect to see Brunell on Sunday

Noncommittal fits Rex Ryan like an uncomfortable suit. He doesn't wear it well.

That's why his uncharacteristic waffling about his plans for Mark Sanchez in Sunday's regular-season finale doesn't make a lot of sense.

Though Ryan yesterday wouldn't say whether Sanchez would start or play at all, he continued to hint strongly that Sanchez will play. He said he just doesn't want to commit to it until he makes completely sure Sanchez's sore right shoulder is right.

"I haven't decided that he's going to play X-amount of plays or if he's going to play at all," Ryan said. "I'm leaning to think that maybe he'll play some, but we'll see." (Post)

Jets can be punished for tripgate

Rex Ryan on Friday continued to deny he had any role in the trip heard 'round the NFL.

After former Ravens coach Brian Billick said in a radio interview Ryan had to know his team built a wall of people to disrupt opponents' punt coverage, the Jets head coach replied to reporters in New Jersey.

"I just wish he (Billick) would’ve asked me. I would've told him the truth. I think he made an assumption there; but he's wrong,'' Ryan said.

"The facts are the facts. I never knew, so it's easy for me to stand up here and tell you that. I'm not a guy that lies. If that amazes people, that amazes people. It's easy for me to stand here and tell you that.'' (Post)