Rex Ryan has said enough since he arrived as head coach of the New York Jets to indicate that Bill Belichick is his mortal enemy.
From not coming to New York to "kiss Belichick's rings" all the way up to December's "we want to kick Belichick's [obscene name for a donkey]."
Last week, Ryan was asked a question about Peyton Manning, but was very quick to drag Belichick into the discussion. According to Pro Football Talk, Ryan said, "Nobody studies like him. I know Brady thinks he does. I think there’s probably a little more help from Belichick with Brady than there is with Peyton Manning."
Although many in the media saw this as an insult to Brady, is that an indictment on him as much as it is on Manning? Of course Brady gets help from Belichick; the quarterback and head coach should be on the same page for any team to achieve greatness. Not to say that Manning and Caldwell aren't on the same page, but Brady and Belichick most certainly are. They always have been, and always will be.
They embrace and embody the Patriot Way; teamwork and unity.
Brady, meanwhile, had his own small jab for Ryan. "Of course we [get help from Belichick]. I think we have the best coach in the history of football. We have a great offensive staff, a great defensive staff that get all the players prepared."
Could it be that Rex Ryan actually agreed with Tom Brady? Ryan said, "I recognize [Belichick] is the best. But I'm just trying to be the best on Sunday. And I plan on being the best coach on Sunday."
What Ryan may not realize, or may not want to admit, is that it's not about Rex Ryan vs. Bill Belichick. While their game plans and play calling will play a role in the outcome, they won't ultimately decide anything. It will come down to the players making the plays and executing that game plan for a full 60 minutes of football.
It will come down to the many match-ups between the two teams and how they break down.
That's where Bill Belichick comes in.
Remember when the Patriots were beating the Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 13 by a score of 45-3? Most head coaches might be taking it easy on their players, resting up the starters and drawing up game plans for the next week.
Not Bill Belichick.
He was right in their faces, telling them that he didn't care what the score was, the Patriots were going to play a full 60 minutes of football. And they did.
He was still looking for weaknesses to exploit. And he did.
The scary thing is, he even made that game look like a mess. According to NESN.com's Jeff Howe, Deion Branch said, "The score was 45-3, but we had a lot of mistakes in the game and I think those are the things we focus on more. He drills us on it. You wouldn’t think we won the game 45-3, which is good. That’s a good thing. Once [Belichick] shows [the film], guys realize where they made the mistakes and we’ve got to correct those mistakes."
It doesn't matter to Belichick that they won 45-3, it wouldn't have mattered if they won 450-3. Belichick can look beyond those numbers and see room for improvement.
That's the type of team that's ready for every situation because they've seen it all, and know how to react. At that point, it's just about players making plays.
What Belichick realizes, that Ryan has failed to come to grips with, is that not saying a word all week can be the sweetest feeling in the world when you win on Sunday. Or maybe it only feels that way when Ryan has been talking all week.
Belichick coaches for 60 minutes, and holds his team to the same standard by ingraining that 60 minute mentality into his team.
You could truly call these Patriots the "60-Minute Men."
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