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New York Jets coach Rex Ryan rips Cincinnati Bengals for making 'excuses' in fiery speech


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CINCINNATI - It got hot inside the Jets' meeting room Friday night at their Cincinnati hotel, and it wasn't because somebody was fiddling with the thermostat.

On the eve of the playoffs, the Daily News has learned that Rex Ryan delivered a short but fiery speech in which he listed the myriad "excuses" used by the Bengals in the aftermath of their 37-0 loss to the Jets last Sunday, according to people in the room. Among them: A vanilla game plan. Resting starters. Nothing at stake.

"He's pissed," said one person at the team meeting. "He wants respect for this team."

Today, the Jets can shut up the critics - and the whiny Bengals.

After a wild regular season that included two three-game losing streaks, 20 Mark Sanchez interceptions, three fourth-quarter meltdowns, two Ted Ginn daggers, a Maurice Jones-Drew knee to the gut, an uncovered Tony Gonzalez and a Peyton Manning hook, the Jets play a wild-card rematch this afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium.

No more excuses. It's 'go' time. The Jets, the biggest long shot in the 12-team field (sorry, Rex, but Vegas says it's so), intend to stick around for awhile. They're determined to prove they're more than just the product of the Curtis Painter folly in Indianapolis.

"We're in it to win it," said tackle Damien Woody, who won two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. "We're not satisfied with just getting to the tournament and bowing out. We feel like we're going to go all the way. That's just our mind-set."

Said safety Kerry Rhodes: "We really feel like we have a chance to win it all, not just one game."

The fifth-seeded Jets (9-7) are remarkably confident for a team that received tremendous breaks in recent weeks, but there are good reasons for the positive vibe. They're hot (a 5-1 stretch run) and they're physical, boasting the league's top-ranked rushing attack and the No. 1 defense in points and yards allowed. That they smacked around the Bengals last week also didn't hurt their confidence.

"I won't be surprised when we win," Ryan said.

The Jets haven't won a playoff game since Jan. 8, 2005, a wild-card game in San Diego. This matchup features two old-school teams, run-heavy offenses that complement stifling defenses. Considering the similar styles, and the frigid conditions, this figures to be a low-scoring, field-position game.

And that's okay with Ryan, who believes it sets up perfectly for his defense, which has allowed only 47 points over the last six games. The No. 1 scoring defense has reached at least the divisional round every year since 1993, including five that won the Super Bowl.

"We have the mind-set on defense that we can shut down anybody in this league," coordinator Mike Pettine said.

The Jets dominated last week, but they didn't see leading rusher Cedric Benson, who was rested. The Bengals didn't use many of their inside power runs, and the passing game consisted of very little motion by the receivers. Defensively, they didn't unleash their Double A-gap blitz, where two linebackers blitz the center-guard gaps.

Today, the AFC North champs return Benson and three starters on defense. Whether they can shake off 37-0, not to mention a poor homestretch in which they went 1-3, remains to be seen. But they have a significant advantage at quarterback, Carson Palmer versus Sanchez. Even though Sanchez is "as confident as I've ever seen him," according to Ryan, the Jets are wary of relying too much on the rookie. He's never gone three straight games without a turnover. In seven third-and-long situations last week, he was allowed to throw only three times - a glaring indication of the tight leash.

The Jets will pound the ball, use their Wildcat as a changeup and hope Sanchez doesn't have to throw more than 20 times against the Bengals' two stellar corners, Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. Several veterans have pulled Sanchez aside, reinforcing the stakes and the goal - no big mistakes.

Sanchez said he can detect the sense of urgency in his teammates' faces. "The Look," he called it. It's the look of a team that craves a championship.

"These next few weeks can change your life," Sanchez said. "It can change a lot. It's do or die."

[url="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2010/01/09/2010-01-09_cincy_has_rex_roaring_mad.html?page=1"]http://www.nydailynews.com[/url]
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My favorite part about the game was watching Sanchez jump up and down and throw fist pumps everywhere on every completed pass. Its good to be excited about winning a game and making plays, but him and Rex looked like they were winning the Super Bowl in that game.

I mean, seriously, how inflated do you have to be to get that excited for winning against a team that is obviously laying down for you. Challenging the ball placement on a 4th and 1 attempt when you are already up 30-0? Really?
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Cripes.....the way they describe their defense, you would think that they are absolutely impenetrable. Why did they lose 7 games then?

Oh yeah..Broadway Marky INT's/Ted Ginn/Pats/etc...who is "whiny" now, NY Daily News?

There have been sports reasons why I continually despise New York..these asshats are just another one.

Stuff a cobb in their collective asses, Bengals!
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[quote]Sanchez said he can detect the sense of urgency in his teammates' faces. "The Look," he called it. It's the look of a team that craves a championship.
[/quote]

Well, hell! If they've got "the look" on their faces, then that's the ballgame right there! There's no way the Bengals are going to beat them with "the sense of urgency" on their faces. Has any team ever beaten a team that had "the look" on their faces? Damn, I was hopeful until I read that. There's just no way to scheme or game plan against "the look".

Good thing for the Jets that none of the other eleven teams in the playoffs "craves a championship". Since they're the only ones "craving" it, I guess that makes them a lock.

Go Jets! Go Jets! Go awesome, awesome Jets!
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[quote name='Bleeds Orange' date='09 January 2010 - 10:19 AM' timestamp='1263050373' post='853875']
Well, hell! If they've got "the look" on their faces, then that's the ballgame right there! There's no way the Bengals are going to beat them with "the sense of urgency" on their faces. Has any team ever beaten a team that had "the look" on their faces? Damn, I was hopeful until I read that. There's just no way to scheme or game plan against "the look".

Good thing for the Jets that none of the other eleven teams in the playoffs "craves a championship". Since they're the only ones "craving" it, I guess that makes them a lock.

Go Jets! Go Jets! Go awesome, awesome Jets!
[/quote]


I wanna know how a NFL rookie, who's never won a championship on the college or pro level knows what "the look" looks like?
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[quote name='mongo' date='09 January 2010 - 09:36 AM' timestamp='1263051362' post='853879']
As a bengals fan looking for weak links, I wonder if all of rex's talk of going deep in the playoffs has his team less focused on today than he should
[/quote]

When you're as good as the 2009 New York Jets, it would be very tempting to overlook the weaker teams in the playoffs.
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This may have been posted elsewhere on the board, but just in case...

Rex Ryan has scheduled the Jets Super Bowl victory parade. From PFT:


[quote]
[b]Rex Ryan is planning for a long playoff stay[/b]
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on January 9, 2010 11:51 AM ET Rex Ryan says his team should be the [url="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/01/06/rex-ryan-jets-should-be-favored-to-win-the-super-bowl/"]Super Bowl favorites[/url], and he's made the appropriate plans for a long playoff stay.

ESPN's Rachel Nichols reports Ryan handed out a schedule of practices and meetings this week to players, and the schedule ran through the end of the Super Bowl. He even listed the date for a potential parade.

Whether his tactics really make a difference or not, it's hard for this New York resident not to love what Rex Ryan has brought to the Jets. He's the biggest gift to back page headline writers since Alex Rodriguez arrived in town.

We'll see Saturday afternoon if Ryan's players can live up to their coach's belief.

They will do battle with the Bengals at full strength. Nichols reports linebacker [url="http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=NFL&id=4197"]David Harris[/url] will start at inside linebacker, as expected.[/quote]
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