You may not have heard about it yet, but the New York Jets, fresh off a 17-16 road win at the Indianapolis Colts, are coming to Foxboro this week. Again.
And this time, it's personal.
The hyper-dramatic gang green and their group of thespian soliloquists have wasted no time climbing to the podium and soaking up the warm rays of the spotlight on this cold January morning. And their leader, the histrionic Rex Ryan, has un-sepulchered the game tapes of his team's 45-3 drubbing at Gillette stadium just last month and is ready to watch and watch and watch them until he can't watch no more. Er, that is, after he gets done telling the media just how terrible the opposition his squad will be facing is.
Among the highlights of Rex's media monologue from Monday morning include the coach's declaration that "if [Patriots head coach] Bill Belichick slips at all, we're going to beat him" and noting that the recently dispatched Manning "would have been watching our game" instead of going to see a play on Broadway Saturday night, as Pats QB Tom Brady did.
Brady's response, as might be expected, was cool, candid and well-constructed. The presumed MVP stated simply, after first declaring his respect for Ryan as a coach, that "I don't think anything people say has bothered me good, bad or indifferent over the year," and that his team will be prepared.
Whether or not Brady's affected by Ryan's statements, there's little doubt that the two-time Super Bowl MVP and his mates got a good whipping at the hands of the pugnacious, pot-bellied pigskin proctor.
But to say that Rex was the only one foaming at the mouth with venomous threats would be treading too lightly. These are, of course, the New Jersey Jets we're talking about. The rarely obsequious Braylon Edwards informed New York reporters that - in spite of that seven-touchdown defeat - he "knows [the Jets] are better than [New England]."
Edwards, who did a backflip before leaving the Lucas Oil Stadium field after the Jets' win Saturday night, might have shaken loose a few of his remaining dozen or so brain cells in the process. But that's no matter. Brady's word will be the authoritative one.
"There's all the hype and talking and then the whistle blows at 4:30 Sunday afternoon. We'll see who's ready to play."