If Rex Ryan wanted to distract the media from the 45-3 pasting the Jets took in Week 13, well, it’s working.
We don’t think any of the talk will have one bit of impact on Sunday’s game, but it makes for good entertainment. And you guys sure seem to like clicking on it. Here’s a mid-afternoon Wednesday recap.
Rex Ryan on cornerback Antonio Cromartie’s comments: “Trust me, [the Patriots] are saying a lot worse about me and others here, maybe it just wasn’t printed.”
Ryan isn’t worried about the effect his comments could have in New England.
“To think that a comment here or there is going to incite them to play at a greater level or something like that,” Ryan said. “I don’t believe that’s true.”
Cromartie didn’t back down from calling Brady an a–hole. He further chastised Brady’s actions after scoring. “Be a pro about it. Have your fun. Do it on sideline. But don’t look at our sideline.That’s big sign of disrespect.”
Cromartie also said that he remembered how the Patriots were “classless” like LaDainian Tomlinson once said during the 2006 playoffs in San Diego. He hopes that the Patriots target him on Sunday and doesn’t want to know what Brady said about him.
“Don’t care,” Cromartie said via Bob Glauber of Newsday. “Next question.”
The Patriots predictably wouldn’t respond. Belichick said they are just focused on the game. Brady simply said that Cromartie was a great player and that maybe the Jets cornerback truly has affection for him.
“Belichick has called me [an a–hole],” Brady said. “My OC has called me that. They like me, so maybe he likes me.”
We’ll let cornerback Darrelle Revis have the final word, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
“You can blab all you want during the week, but you got to be able to perform and execute.”
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33399756?launch=41042980″ width=”420″ height=”245″ allowFullscreen=”true” /]