Ryan declines chance for another round of verbal sparring
The New York Jets, having spent most of the post-season trash talking their rivals, have suddenly changed tack in the build-up to Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The sixth-seeded Jets have recorded road wins over the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots in consecutive weeks and now stand one victory away from their first Super Bowl appearance in 42 years.
Rex Ryan, their bombastic head coach, preceded those contests by calling out Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick respectively.
But Ryan has been nothing but complimentary about the Steelers, and in particular opposite number Mike Tomlin, ahead of the Heinz Field showdown.
Respect
"Mike Tomlin, I have a great deal of respect for, he's one of my favourite coaches," gushed Ryan, whose side are looking to go one better than last year when Manning's Colts denied them the AFC crown.
"He's a man's man and his team plays like that."
Ryan is looking to avoid a third straight AFC title game defeat - he lost with the Jets last year and also as defensive co-ordinator of the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.
"For myself, I've been there three years in a row, I don't know if I can handle not winning it," he added. "I need to win this game.
"You definitely would've taken a different route... I'll be honest; I wasn't wanting Indy to be in there. The same thing in New England. Now, you have (Steelers QB, Ben) Roethlisberger."
Outsmarting Roethlisberger, who is one of the league's standout play-off performers with a 9-2 record in the post-season, may be the toughest challenge of all.
Roethlisberger sat out the first four games of the season after being suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the league's personal conduct policy, but has been a model citizen since his return, guiding his team to this stage for the third time in six years.
"I know I am probably never going to win a league MVP," he said. "I'm probably never going to win a passing title but that's not why I play the game.
"I just go out and try and win football games and try and win championships."
History
The Jets have won just once in eight visits to Heinz Field, although that victory came just last month.
Sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez will, however, have his hands full attempting to oversee a repeat dose.
Pittsburgh's defence finished the regular season as the NFL's top-ranked unit and are boosted by the return to fitness of Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu.
"I think they have been pretty consistent about stating their intentions all year, which is to be world champs," said Tomlin.
"I think we've been pretty consistent about stating ours, so you know where that's going to lead us. That's two trains on a track."
The sixth-seeded Jets have recorded road wins over the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots in consecutive weeks and now stand one victory away from their first Super Bowl appearance in 42 years.
Rex Ryan, their bombastic head coach, preceded those contests by calling out Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick respectively.
But Ryan has been nothing but complimentary about the Steelers, and in particular opposite number Mike Tomlin, ahead of the Heinz Field showdown.
Respect
"Mike Tomlin, I have a great deal of respect for, he's one of my favourite coaches," gushed Ryan, whose side are looking to go one better than last year when Manning's Colts denied them the AFC crown.
"He's a man's man and his team plays like that."
Ryan is looking to avoid a third straight AFC title game defeat - he lost with the Jets last year and also as defensive co-ordinator of the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.
"For myself, I've been there three years in a row, I don't know if I can handle not winning it," he added. "I need to win this game.
"You definitely would've taken a different route... I'll be honest; I wasn't wanting Indy to be in there. The same thing in New England. Now, you have (Steelers QB, Ben) Roethlisberger."
Outsmarting Roethlisberger, who is one of the league's standout play-off performers with a 9-2 record in the post-season, may be the toughest challenge of all.
Roethlisberger sat out the first four games of the season after being suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the league's personal conduct policy, but has been a model citizen since his return, guiding his team to this stage for the third time in six years.
"I know I am probably never going to win a league MVP," he said. "I'm probably never going to win a passing title but that's not why I play the game.
"I just go out and try and win football games and try and win championships."
History
The Jets have won just once in eight visits to Heinz Field, although that victory came just last month.
Sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez will, however, have his hands full attempting to oversee a repeat dose.
Pittsburgh's defence finished the regular season as the NFL's top-ranked unit and are boosted by the return to fitness of Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu.
"I think they have been pretty consistent about stating their intentions all year, which is to be world champs," said Tomlin.
"I think we've been pretty consistent about stating ours, so you know where that's going to lead us. That's two trains on a track."
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