Rex Ryan calls Jets-Patriots clash on Monday night 'the marquee game of the year' » By Manish Mehta UPDATE (12:29 p.m.): The Daily News has learned that Bart Scott won his appeal for the $30,000 in fines he accrued for violating the league's uniform policy. The Jets linebacker was fined $10,000 in Week 8 (Packers) for playing with an unbuckled chin strap. The NFL fined him an additional $20,000 for a similar chin strap infraction in Week 9 (Lions). However, Scott won't have a pay anything now after winning the appeal, according to sources. Rex Ryan, predictably, didn’t sugarcoat the Jets’ impending Monday night clash with the Patriots on Dec. 6: "It's the marquee game of the year," Ryan said this morning. Ryan, who’d undoubtedly make a great fight promoter, started what promises to be 10 days of hype leading into the primetime game in Foxboro between two 9-2 teams. He did everything from praise the Patriots “unstoppable” offense to call Bill Belichick the best coach in the land without conceding anything. “They seem at times… almost look like they’re unstoppable,” Ryan said of Tom Brady & Co. “I’m pretty confident where our team is right now. We have the exact same record.” “In my opinion,” he added, “the best two teams in football are going to be squaring off against each other.” Ryan famously said a year ago that he wasn’t going to kiss Belichick’s Super Bowl rings, but he gave the Patriots coach props in the run-up to this Week 13 showdown. "There's a lot of really good coaches in this league, (but) really there’s only one guy that’s the best,” Ryan said. “I like a challenge. It motivates you…. I'm still not in Bill Belichick's class. And I know that. But I know one thing: He’s going to get my best shot." Ryan hammered home the fact that the Patriots have won 25 straight regular-season games. (He chose to ignore that the Ravens routed Belichick's team in Foxboro in the playoffs last season). The Jets, of course, have won eight regular-season road games in a row. (They lost in Indianapolis in last year’s AFC Championship game). It’s obvious that Ryan is trying to motivate his team by claiming that “experts” aren’t giving the Jets a chance to win this game. “We have the same record and we beat them once,” Ryan said. “I don’t know if we’re looked at in that light. But that’s okay.” Ryan’s defense, coming off its best overall performance of the season last night, will have its hands full against Brady & Co., who lit up the Lions in the second half en route to a Thanksgiving laugher. “Judge us by what happens at the end of the year,” Ryan said of his defense. “That’s what we keep saying. Nobody wants to listen. But that’s the truth… If this group communicates and we don’t have mental mistakes, then we’re going to be tough for anybody to move the ball against.” “I understand New England is moving the ball up and down the field against everybody,” he added. “But I have confidence that that won’t be the case (next) week.” The Jets defense showed no signs of the communication lapses last night after a pair of late-game breakdowns. “We played a complete game (as a defense) probably for the first time this year,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “This is how we can play. This is how we should play. This is how we see ourselves as a defense closing this season out, playing at an extremely high level.” No late-game collapse this time. The defense held the Bengals to only nine yards and one first down in the fourth quarter. Carson Palmer & Co. didn’t convert a third down (0-4) in the final 15 minutes, either. They also did plenty of talking amongst each other. “We kind of overdid it,” Calvin Pace joked. “Don’t keep it a secret to yourself… We really needed it… to really go out and make a statement defensively.” NOTES: Ryan said it’s “a good possibility” that WR Jerricho Cotchery (groin), DB Dwight Lowery (concussion) and CB Marquice Cole (hamstring) will play against the Patriots. ** Mark Sanchez said he "just took a step in the wrong direction. It needs to get a lot better down the stretch." The second-year quarterback was 16-for-28 for 166 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT against the Bengals. ** Look for the Jets occasionally to play Darrelle Revis inside against the Patriots tight ends. Revis, of course, took his crack at Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham once on Thursday night. Aaron Hernandez, who had his way in the first half in Week 2 against the Jets, could see Revis or even Antonio Cromartie from time to time. It makes the most sense against New England’s tight end-driven passing game. Ryan said there’s “flexibility” in his system. There will almost certainly be times when Revis lines up across Wes Welker, of course. The Patriots have leaned on its inside pass-catching threats (i.e. - Tight ends) since Randy Moss’ departure. Brady has also thrown plenty of underneath passes to the outside guys. "Before, everybody would have to play Cover 2, you’d have to roll up to Randy Moss’ side," Ryan said. "I think they realized with us that wasn’t case anymore. We could actually single Moss, whether that was with Cromartie or Revis. I think some of the benefit they would get with having Randy Moss, they kind of lose, against us anyway.” ** Ryan took a jab at the poor play by Lions cornerback Alphonso Smith on Thursday against the Patriots. Smith gave up three touchdowns in the blowout loss to New England, including a laughably bad effort on Deion Branch’s 79-yard TD catch: “Detroit should probably offer us three first-round picks for one of our corners,” Ryan said. “Looking at the way that one kid played for them.” http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2010/11/rex-ryan-calls-jets-patriots-c.html
Well yeah Rex is gonna say that to pump up his team, but he also knows the Pats have no chance of winning this game. One of their two losses have come to the Jets. The Pats have averaged 30 points a game (1st in the league) but against the Jets they only put up 14 points last time, and now you see the problem for the Patriots in this game. The Jets can limit them in scoring, and once they do their defense cannot match that productivity against the Jets offense. So the result of this game will be the same as last time... Jets 28, Pats 14.
I haven't really kept up with the Pats, but what makes their offense so good? I mean yeah they have Brady, but they still have an offense dominated by the likes of Danny f'n Woodhead and Deion Branch. Are the defenses they're playing that bad or is Tom Brady really just that damn good?
It's a simple equation. If you look at their schedule you'll see that most of their wins have come when they have put up big points. They put up nearly 40 points against the Steelers for instance. How can you win when you let the opponent score 40 points? Against Indy they put up 31 points. That's tough to overcome. The problem for the Pats is they won't put up those kind of points against the Jets. They need to score big, and this defense is not the kind defense to allow that. If you beat the Jets it's gonna be by 7 or less, not by three touchdowns. See the problem for the Pats now?
It's Brady. Mans on fire, spreading the ball around all over the field. They don't have a big play threat (unless you want to count Brandon Tate) but the play calling and Brady's ability is leading them. They look to do a lot of dinks and dunks.
wtf? Really? This, however, I do agree with. If the Pats Offense is slowed down and held to 21-24 points, then they'll be in serious danger of losing because their D can't carry them.
I could realistically see them putting up 21 on the Jets, at Foxboro. I'm confident, however, that we can beat them in a shootout if they open the passing game from the get-go and exploit the Pats' weak secondary.
21 points against a strong and explosive Offense (which the Jets have, albeit inconsistent) will not be enough for the Pats D to keep a lead.
Anyone else feel a little better about this game with lowery being back? He made some big plays to close a couple games and should help against the two te's
I was thinking about Lowery,too. A lot of people get on his case for whatever reason, but he's made some pretty clutch INTs and in general gets the job done (despite getting beat in man coverage occasionally).
He gets beat by wr's on the outside but he's ok playing zone in the middle.I really think he could be a key to us winning
I don't know guys. Call me a hater or whatever but going to New England where Tom Brady hasn't lost since 2006, I think it's a very real possibility that we lose this game.
but, but that was a playoff game. Yea, and this is essentially a playoff game. Sanchez plays big in big games and I expect another one next Monday night.
The Pats are far from the 99 Rams, because the 99 Rams stopped opponents and actually had a good defense. Very far.
Its simple, if the Jets play like they did against NE the first game, or like they did in the 5 game streak at the start of the season, they should win. If they play like they have the last 3 weeks, they will get their asses handed to them. Fat ass big mouth better have them ready to play next week.
I think Sanchez will ball in this game. He's got a history of showing up big in games that matter. I was skeptical that the offence could get fixed between week 1 and 2, but they did it. Sanchez will play well and I hope the offence finally gets out to a hot start. If they do and we get some TDs on the board early, bump the NE receivers at the line and throw some creative blitzes and Beiber, the Jets will win. Of course, they'll make it closer than it needs to be, but that just makes for compelling TV.
Jets were the last team to hand him a loss in Foxboro during the regulare season back in 2006.But I think we are going to get screwed in this game by bull penalty calls!
