Rex Ryan discusses Jets vs. Pats

On Monday New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan addressed the media, which of course generated headlines nationwide. The stories ranged from “Rex calls out Belichick” to “Ryan calls out Brady.” The fact of the matter is that Rex was just being Rex, and most of what he said was actually true. In the Jets last meeting with New England, a 45-3 drubbing by the Pats, Ryan was clearly outcoached. The Patriots were the better team on and off the field and a lot of that had to do with the game plan and preparation. If Gang Green is going to have any chance to beat New England on Sunday the entire Jets coaching staff has to do a better job. So for Rex to comment that he needs to beat Belichick on Sunday is not all that far fetched.

As for Ryan’s comments regarding Tom Brady, it is no secret that the Patriots quarterback despises the Jets organization. This is one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL and whenever one of the teams has a chance to take a shot at the opposition, they do so with a smile on their face. It is what it is and Ryan was just not scared to point it out.

Rex Ryan is always going to call it like he sees it which offers a chance to rub someone the wrong way. Does Ryan get too arrogant at times? Sure. Does Rex get carried away with his boasting? Definitely. But Rex Ryan also has his team one game away from the AFC Championship game so there may be a method to his madness.

Here is the transcript from Monday’s press conference. After reading it you may notice that some of his quotes were taken out of context.

Opening remarks…

“After watching that tape, it was great. It’s a lot easier to watch that tape when you know the outcome. It was really one (great) football game that we had against Indy (Indianapolis). The play of Darrelle Revis (was great). Quite honestly, he’s the best player in football. That is what you saw out there. Hold Reggie Wayne, who led the league in catches, I think he had 111 catches, to one catch for one yard. That tells you how good Darrelle Revis is. I know he’s probably not going to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, but the impact he has is amazing. We were able to do some coverages during the game where we actually played man-coverage strictly on his side regardless of who the receiver was and roll their coverage away from it. You only do that if you have Darrelle Revis. He’s an amazing once-in-a-life-time player and we took advantage of him. The (game) this week will be the same deal because when people see (Revis) over there, they don’t even throw to him. They realize that that guy isn’t open. I don’t care who the receiver is, he is not going to be open. We know that and we’ll try to take advantage of it again this week.

We’re going back up to Foxborough. After really looking at it, I realize that I was out-coached in that game. I said that then and I’m saying it now. It’s a recognized fact that (Bill) Belichick is a Hall-of-Fame coach and he’ll go down in history as maybe the best football coach in the history of this game or close to it. He was at that level (during the last game) and I was not. For whatever reason, I did not have my team prepared the way it should have been prepared and that falls down on me. 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.”

On how he raises his level to prepare for New England…

“It’s going to be a ridiculous amount of preparation on our part. It’s my job to make it simple for our players no matter how difficult that may be. As a coach, it’s your job to get your players to play at the highest level possible and that’s taking away some of the gray area. They do a great job with their matchups. We have to do a great job of making it, whether it’s a complex plan or not, it has to be simple. We have to play fast and physical. That doesn’t mean we’re going to dummy it up. If you dummy it up against them, you’ll get crushed. We have to find that balancing act and I have to find the balancing act while keeping our team physical.”

On if the last game was too complicated…

“Yes, I definitely think so. The plan may have looked good on paper, but it wasn’t realistic. When we had to make the adjustments, we couldn’t execute them. They did a great job and were prepared. It really came down to coaching more than playing. It was obvious that Belichick was that much better than I was (during) that last game.”

On if Sunday’s will be a defining game for him…

“No question. I think that’s true.”

On the qualities that make Belichick a great coach…

“I think his experience is a huge thing. He wasn’t this good when he was starting out. If you look at (his) Cleveland days, he was still an excellent coach, but not like he is now. I know I only have two years of experience as a head coach, but I’ve had a lifetime of experiences with this game. I’ve grown up a coach’s son just like he did. I know how to get this done. I believe in myself and I think we’re going to get it done.”

On if the scheme against the Colts will be used against the Patriots…

“As far as he knows, we’re not going to change a bit. We’re going to take the Colts game plan and just go with it (smiling).”

On if they are at a disadvantage since New England has had an extra week to prepare…

“They were probably getting ready for somebody else. I think they look at us like they beat us 45-3. They can probably just take that game plan and that’s probably what they are thinking.”

On when they are going to watch tape of the 45-3 loss to New England…

“Everyday.”

On if he thinks the loss to New England was because of coaching decisions…

“I know it was. It wasn’t the players. My job as a coach is to get (the players) to where they know their jobs and there is no gray area and they can be physical and aggressive. Clearly, New England was like that and we weren’t. We’re 2-2 against each other the last two years, so it’s a level playing field. Now, it’s just going to come down to me raising my level.”

On if he knew the minute the most recent New England game was over that he wanted to play them again…

“Oh yes, no question. It happened when we played Miami (last season) when I said that will never happen to me again. I was out-coached. That’s how I felt and I was wrong because New England did it. That’s how I felt. I also told (Bill) Belichick after the game, ‘We’ll see you in round three.’ He just looked at me.”

On injuries from the game…

“Damien (Woody) came through. His knee is ok. We’ll see. He was kind of wobbling around a little bit. We’ll see if he’s able to go or not. Brad Smith has the groin (injury).”

On if he thinks Smith will play this week…

“I’m not sure (smiling).”

On what his plan is if Brad Smith doesn’t play…

“I don’t think they should prepare for the Wildcat (laughter). That’s just my saying.”

On if Brad Smith is fine…

“Probably.”

On if he thinks New England tried to run the score up on them…

“Yes, just like we would do if we’re ever in that situation. We’d try to do the same thing. We’d pour it on them. It’s our job to stop them. What are they supposed to do? Kneel on it when there’s 10 minutes left in the game?”

On if he thinks New England would have ran up the score if they had been playing a different team…

“Yes. Like I said, nobody’s going to kneel on the football when you’re up that many points.”

On New England keeping Tom Brady in the game when they had a big lead…

“That’s fine, we could have knocked him out. That’s just the way it is. They’re just playing football. It probably would have been worse if they just kneeled on it.”

On if the coaches got away from their game and tried to outsmart themselves…

“Probably so. They made all the plays physically. They were prepared to do that. When I look back on it, we don’t need to trick them, we need to outplay them. We have to give our guys a chance. Obviously, there are chess matches involved every week, but it was checkmate. He definitely out-coached me.”

On if he thinks his coaching decisions were a 42-point mistake…

“Yes.”

On if he would have coached it differently…

“Definitely. There’s no question. Again, the play on the field, both teams are outstanding as far as the talent that’s out there. I was out-coached that game. I said that right after the game.”

On if he’s putting all the pressure on himself…

“I think the pressure should come on me. That’s it. I’m the guy that said we’d be in this position again. By the way, we’re here. I’m the guy that said we’d play them again. I’m the guy who believes we’ll beat them. It comes down on me, nobody else.”

On Tom Brady going to a Broadway play on Saturday night instead of watching the Jets-Indianapolis game…

“Peyton Manning would have been watching our game (laughter).”

On Mark Sanchez’s shoulder…

“I think he’s fine.”

On why Vernon Gholston was inactive on Saturday…

“We’re always going to do what we think is the best interests of our team to win a game. It’s nothing personal. Our matchups that game, we were going to be on a two-man rotation at two different spots. I felt that Shaun Ellis and Trevor Pryce gave us the best matchup there, so that’s why I went with Trevor over Vernon.”

On if he has to raise the level of confidence in the locker room because of the 45-3 loss to New England…

“Since we beat them at our place already this year and since we split with them the last two times, our confidence level- we just beat Peyton Manning in Indy. I don’t know how many teams have done that. This team has won three road playoff games in two years. If we win this one, we’ll be right back where we always are. ‘Same Old Jets’ are in the AFC Championship game.”

On how he will prepare differently for New England…

“I think the preparation will be (different). It will intense and all that, but I have to work it down in to not just what I would know, or what (Mike) Pettine would know or what Dennis Thurman would know, but what we would know on defense. How we get it communicated with each other, I think, is going to be the key.”

On whether he thinks his comment last week that Tom Brady gets help from Bill Belichick could be interpreted as a shot at Brady…

“That wasn’t my intent. My intent was to say that this guy, as good as Tom Brady is, that’s a Hall-of-Fame quarterback with three Super Bowl rings, I recognize the guy is an amazing quarterback. Everybody knows how he studies, but there is only one Peyton Manning as far as preparation. Anybody that goes back to 16 millimeter films when my dad was coaching the ’85 Bears (is in their own class). No, I’m not going to put somebody (in that class). There is only one guy that belongs in that category and that’s Peyton Manning. That’s all I was saying. Again, I understand how it’s going to be a slap, that I took a shot at Brady and all that. He took a shot at me by his antics on the field. I understand that. That’s what it is. I don’t want him to score, so I’m going to do whatever I can to keep him out of the end zone. He’s going to try to look at me and do what he always does after he wins and sprints off onto the field.”

On whether he is referring to when Tom Brady pointed at the Jets sideline after a score in the most recent game…

“I don’t know. He always points after he scores to everybody. Again, my job is to keep him out of the end zone.”

On what antics he is referring to…

“Just the way he (is), just being Brady being Brady. I don’t like seeing that. Nobody does. No Jet fan likes to see that. I know he can’t wait to do it. He’s not going to say anything publicly, but he does it. It’s what it is. My job is to keep him out of the end zone.”

On whether Brady specifically pointed at him on the sideline…

“No, I don’t think so.”

On whether he just pointed at the Jets sideline…

“Yeah, I’m not as big a target as I used to be (laughter).”

On if this is a ploy to place the focus being on him as opposed to his players…

“I’m just saying that’s where it should be. Like I said, this would be a tie. If it were up to the players, their play on the field, this would be a tie, this game. The fact that it was me against Belichick, last game it was 45-3 in his favor. I’m trying to level the score. I just want to win on Sunday. I recognize I’m never going to be as good a coach as he is, but my job is to be a better coach than he is on Sunday.”

On whether he will put in more hours this week…

“I’m going to do what I always do, but I just have to find a better way of teaching it and communicating it.”

On running the ball with under a minute less against Indianapolis…

“Here’s the thing, we still had a timeout, so we could have used the timeout. I know everyone is killing Jim Caldwell, but we actually tried to run a trap because we had popped a trap on them earlier. That’s what we tried (to do). It wasn’t like we were just trying to run it in the middle of the line. We tried to pop a trap on them. (It) never worked. We still had that timeout we could’ve used. They called the timeout. I know he’s getting killed for it. Jim Caldwell is an outstanding coach.”

On what he would have done if Jim Caldwell had not called a timeout…

“We would’ve called timeout. We would’ve had an opportunity to throw it or run it again.”

On why the Jets would have thought about running it after the timeout if they called it…

“We could’ve just spiked the ball.”

On the incomplete pass downfield to Braylon Edwards on third down late in the game…

“Once we had the look, we were like, ‘Hey, we have the matchup we want. Game is over if he (Braylon Edwards) catches it.’ It’s just that Mark (Sanchez) saw it. In that situation, you don’t have to make the perfect throw. You just have to give your player a chance and I think he thought he had to lay in there perfect and it just missed. Braylon is 6’5”, or whatever he is, just give him a chance at that thing. He’ll just go jump up and take it. Just like he did on that last one. It was a great throw. The throw of the game was that last throw.”

On what their strategy would have been if Sanchez completed that pass to Edwards…

“I would’ve been happy with him catching an 80-yard touchdown. I know what you’re saying. Did we absolutely tell him, ‘Hey, catch this fade route and then get down with it?’ We did not say that. That would’ve been something Belichick would’ve said, because it’s smart. I’m not there yet, but I’m going to be someday.”

On whether the game ball from the loss to New England is still buried…

“That’s where it should be. That’s not coming out of there. That one is behind us. The funny thing is, I said we’d play them again (and) we’re playing them again. We’ll see if the outcome is any different. It’s funny because, unless they change the rules, they’re starting out this game at 0-0.”

On embracing the Jets-Patriots rivalry…

“My thing goes back to when they were the Boston Patriots and they had Lionel Antwon, that’s one of the D-lineman, and they had Jim Nance as a great back. That’s how far I go back in this thing. It’s not just (now). This never started when Belichick became the coach. They always had (a rivalry) with these two (cities), and let’s face it, New York is New York. Everybody wants to beat the best (city).”

Tyson Rauch

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