FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Few coaches, if any, draw as large of a crowd for a conference call as Rex Ryan of the New York Jets. With about 20 reporters gathered around the speakerphone here at Gillette Stadium, Ryan called in for the standard weekly opponent call at 10:45 a.m. ET.
Here are some of the notable topics related to the New England Patriots:
Patriots' defense has changed since Oct. 16. Ryan made the point that the Patriots look different defensively from when the teams met Oct. 16. He touched on the Patriots bringing in a "couple big guys" since that point (presumably referring to defensive tackle Alan Branch and defensive end Akeem Ayers) while also pointing out "a lot of different coverages that they haven't played in the past that they're playing now." Asked later about those coverages, Ryan said there are different things a team can do in man coverage and that's what he was referring to.
Thoughts on the Patriots-Jets rivalry. Asked his place in the New England-New York rivalry, Ryan said he had no idea. Then he re-directed, saying, "We all know what's getting ready to happen in this game. We know that both teams give their maximum effort against each other. I don't think each team particularly likes each other. It's on. Regardless of what the record is. We could be playing for first place or whatever, it's the same effort always. It's usually a close game and it's usually a physical game."
More on the Patriots. While Ryan and the Jets don't like the Patriots, there is respect. "They always have it -- six years in a row that they've won the division. You're a little envious, I guess. It's what it is -- they're the ones you chase. We respect them a great deal -- they're led by a Hall of Fame quarterback and a Hall of Fame coach. So they're hard to beat and we recognize that, but that doesn't mean that we'll take our rightful place underneath them. That's not going to happen. We're here to beat them. That's our mentality every time we play them. They're going to get our best shot and we're going to get theirs; we understand that about each other."
Not going to gush about Revis. The opening question of the conference call was on cornerback Darrelle Revis, with Ryan asked to speak about what he's seen from Revis this season. "No," Ryan answered, before pausing and adding, "I'm just going to go with 'yes' and 'no' answers the whole time. Just kidding." While Ryan lauded Revis, when asked if he was worthy of MVP consideration, Ryan also stopped short of saying too much while citing the possibility of being charged with tampering. "If I comment on him, then I'll get in trouble [for] commenting on somebody else's players. I'll just say he's an excellent player and let the experts figure out where he belongs in the discussion."
How tough this season has been on him. When Ryan was asked how tough the season has been on him given "some of the things swirling about what's going on inside the team," he responded, "Anything that's swirling around inside our team, I'm proud of this team. We've got nothing (in terms of issues). Some guys' reports are probably as far off as any I've ever seen. This team is tight. Our record is the only thing that stinks. We have a great group of guys that care, that prepare, practice hard. It's obviously unfortunate that our record is what it is. But it has nothing to do with the type of character in this room."
Thoughts on competing against Bill Belichick twice a year the last six seasons. Asked how much he's relished matching X's and O's and wits with Belichick, Ryan said, "I don't know how I've fared that way with him, but as a competitor, you like facing the best. That's what he is. Obviously I like doing that, just like any competitor would. I obviously wish I had more success against him, but they do a tremendous job in all phases of the game. They're a really well-coached football team, and his assistant coaches are outstanding as well, and they've been around a long time with him. Obviously, it's a huge challenge. As a competitor, absolutely I enjoy the preparation and the battles against him."