Rex: Patriots game ranks just behind ’69 Super Bowl

Associated Press

florham park, n.j.

As if this thing needed more hype.

Rex Ryan said this about the New England Patriots during his final news conference before Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff:

The Jets respected them but didn’t fear them.

The game ranks right behind the Broadway Joe Super Bowl win in 1969.

And, yes, the Jets would win.

No expletives.

“I think it’ll be huge,” the coach said Friday. “This one will probably be the second-biggest in the history of the franchise.”

Following a ho-hum week of name-calling, accusations and challenges, New York is looking to get past the Patriots and reach the AFC championship game for the second straight season. But Bill Belichick and Tom Brady might have something to say about all of that. On the field, that is.

“Certainly the stakes are much higher than they were the last time,” Brady said, referring to the Patriots’ 45-3 rout last month. “Each can execute, certainly, at a very high level against great competition and that’s going to be part of the reason why there is going to be millions of people tuned in for the game on Sunday.”

That these teams clearly don’t like each other — at all — would be another.

“One thing I can tell you right now,” Ryan said, “we have plenty of respect for them up there, but we don’t fear them. I can promise you that. We do not fear them. We respect them and we’re going to win the game. That’s our message. It’s our message every week.”

There have been plenty of other messages sent to and from New York and Boston during the last few days, making for an interesting week.

Ryan kicked things off by praising Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, saying no one studies the game quite so hard, even though Brady thinks he does. Then, Ryan said the game was “personal” between him and Belichick. Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie took things to another level of nastiness when he called Brady a dirty word, while he and his coach accused the Patriots quarterback of showboating and pointing at their sideline after a late touchdown.

Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said the Patriots spread their arms out like planes — the touchdown celebration some New York players use — after an interception in the last meeting.

“When you have a rivalry like this, things are going to come out,” Cotchery said. “People shouldn’t be surprised by any of this. This is a contact sport, though, and it’s going to be settled out there on the field in the end.”