It's Personal

It seems just about everything nowadays is personal to Rex Ryan. First was his wife’s infamous YouTube video. To questions about this alleged personal video account, the New York Jets coach responded, it’s personal. And as the Jets headed to Indianapolis to take on Peyton Manning and the Colts in last week’s Wild Card matchup, Ryan’s rivalry with Manning was personal. Now, as New York prepares to take on the regular season AFC champion New England Patriots this weekend in Foxboro, Mass., it seems nothing has changed. On Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Ryan had this to say; “There’s no question. It’s personal. It’s about him against myself, and that’s what it’s going to come down to” (nfl.com). Ironically, it is a defense-minded coach who has gone on the offense in addressing the Jets’ opponents this season.

Now that Ryan has made clear to all that just about everything in the National Football League is personal, we turn our attention to his team, hoping to see how Ryan’s press conference rhetoric will affect the players’ attitudes and game plans going into the weekend. Belichick has urged his own players not to respond to Ryan’s prods and provocations, understanding that the last thing the Patriots want to do is give the underdog Jets material to use for inspiration. As the Jets head into the divisional round, they come off a 17-16 win in last week’s Indianapolis game hungry to avenge their embarrassing loss to the Patriots’ in a Week 13, 45-3 rout.

Ryan finally realized his very personal goal of beating Manning, but is unsatisfied, and seems to take some enjoyment in letting upcoming opponents in on his sensitivities. In this way, Ryan has captured media headlines and attempted to shift and dictate pre-game narratives throughout the season, but has only grown more outspoken as the postseason progresses. New England quarterback Tom Brady, in addition to Belichick, has recently fallen subject to Ryan’s pokes and jabs. Last week, the Jets’ coach playfully critiqued Brady, suggesting that he does not study the game as seriously as does Manning, and implying that perhaps Brady receives undeserved compliments and media attention.

While the jury’s still out as to how exactly the trash talking will affect the game, if at all, it was certainly very daring of Ryan to challenge mastermind Belichick, no matter how personal things may be. This week, during an interview with the New York Daily News, Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie had some choice words (that included profanities) when describing his own affection, or lack thereof, for Brady. When questioned about these comments, the cornerback expressed no regret, but rather fervent conviction in his prior statement. In light of Cromartie’s statements, the question may shift from, ‘how will this affect the game?’ or ‘is this the smartest thing for the Jets?’ to ‘have they gone too far?’ It is clear that Ryan’s vitriolic words have ignited his own players, pushing them to make inappropriate statements. While Cromartie described a “hatred” in his relationship with Brady, the ever-charismatic Patriots QB made light of the remarks, dismissing them with a few jokes and some backhanded compliments of the Jets’ other corner, Darrelle Revis.

In their attempts to get under the Patriots’ skin, however, Ryan and Cromartie may have done nothing more than to awaken a sleeping giant. The Patriots have been unstoppable this season, and if there is one thing a football fan should know, it is that the Pats have the ability to turn their level of play up even higher when the calendar pages flip and the weather turns cold. In the past decade, Brady, Belichick, and the Patriots are, perhaps, the most dangerous and least predictable (except in their ability to win) team come January. Furthermore, with an outstanding undefeated home record (many of those wins were brutal and decisive), the Patriots have not dropped the ball (figuratively) a single time when competing on their own turf. The cards are certainly stacked against Ryan and his players, and inciting a feud with the best team in the NFL before heading off to play on their field, may have only served to dig the Jets’ grave deeper. That, ultimately, may not have been the best call in the playbook.

 [Story can also be found at Ravens Blackout; photo: LA Times]