No war of words between the Jets and Steelers. The only blip on the No Fun League's Polly Purebred meter came from Patriots receiver Deion Branch who called the New York team "embarrassing" and "classless." That's pretty tame stuff in the Jets universe.
The Jets head coach has been saying 'it's personal' about a lot of things the past few weeks beginning with the foot-fetish videos, which popped up on YouTube, and calling out opposing team's proven leaders the week before they meet. Now the boastful Ryan has become...boring. It makes one wonder why he would tone it down and tinker with success now?
First, it was Ryan's old thorn-in-the-shorts tormentor Peyton Manning of the Colts who got the Jets skipper yapping. Then last week, it was Mr. Personality, Belichick and a side order of Tom Brady, who got Ryan riled. The Jets won both games.
The closest Ryan got to insulting anyone yesterday, after showering the Steelers with everything but candy and flowers, was ask whom he was gunning for this Sunday.
"Give me somebody you want to call out," said Ryan. "I guess Hines Ward, Casey Hampton."
The Steelers wide receiver and nose tackle make good adversaries but what about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger?
The Jets have had one of the toughest roads to the Super Bowl. If they succeed, they will have faced, and beaten, the holy trinity of NFL quarterbacks--Manning, Brady and now Roethlisberger. No small feat, but that task just got bigger--a lot bigger.
Big Ben is the largest and strongest quarterback of the three and could set up the fiercest challenge for the Jets defense.
Roethlisberger may not have the statistical clout of the the other two but he makes up for it in pure size and toughness. The brutish, 6'5", 240-pound Steeler can flick a pass 50 yards, can pound the defense on the ground and improvise a play-in-progress with the best of them. The Jets D will have their hands full.
"You can't prepare for what he naturally does," said defensive-end Trevor Price. "How do you prepare to tackle a guy as big as a polar bear?" How do you prepare for a guy who wants to win like he wants to win?"
Ryan agrees. He said, "I've never seen a guy take the hits he can take and also make people miss the way he does and be as accurate on the run."
The Jets beat the Steelers 22-17 on December 19 in Pittsburgh by executing their "Plaster Rules." It was a zone scheme which turned into man-to-man coverage after Roethlisberger was chase out of the pocket. On the plays where Pittsburgh started in a man coverage, it usually ended with Steelers gaining large chunks of yardage.
The Jets rough-and-tumble road to Dallas must continue through a solid Steelers team. The Jets have exorcised the ghosts of their arch-enemies-- the Colts and the Patriots. Now they face the daunting task of beating an experienced and playoff-tested team. Can they do it without puffing out their chests and flapping their gums? It seems unlikely.
If anyone can find a way to rile the Steelers with trash talk, it is Ryan. Many have called him and his team loud-mouthed braggarts. The Jets 4-1 playoff record over the past two seasons have been partially attributed to the blustery head coach whom his players adore. Many have called the Jets uncouth but they seem to be winning when everyone expects them to lose.
The Jets have been winning by getting under the other team's skin and making it 'personal'. The bragging, mocking and seven-letter words are what set the tone for this squad. Something just doesn't seem right with this new fuzzy-puppy version of the team.
The NFL is probably happy about the eerie quiet. The networks, not so much.
Anyway, there are still five days to go. An eternity in Rex Ryan press conferences.
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