For the better part of 59 minutes, his hirsute twin brother had tormented Tom Brady, had him on the ropes, was already celebrating one of the most exhilarating triumphs of a nomadic career, was certain he was delivering a humbled and beaten quarterback and a first-place showdown, of all things, to Rex Ryan and the Jets.
And then Rob Ryan, defensive coordinator of the Saints, learned firsthand what Rex Ryan has come to understand: that you play 60 minutes against Tom Brady, or you do not live to tell about it.
Even if Aaron Hernandez rots in jail. Even if Rob Gronkowski still hasn’t played. Even if Wes Welker belongs to Peyton Manning and Danny Amendola is knocked from the game. Even if Brady has to negotiate 70 yards across the last 1:13 to be the hero. Even if he has to throw to receivers named Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson and Austin Collie and Julian Edelman.
And when Brady found Thompkins with that 17-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone with five seconds left for a 30-27 victory, Rex had lost to the Steelers and Rob had lost to the Patriots and there would be no Patriots-Jets first-place showdown Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“It was a horrible day for the Ryan family,” Rex said Monday. “Good thing my dad’s out of coaching that day.”
Rex saw his brother sag in shock and disbelief. The whole country saw a man who looked as if he had just learned he had been audited by the IRS.
“I don’t think it was as bad as my reaction,” Rex said.
And now Brady goes for the twin killing.
“Until it hits zero, Brady’s done that time and time again,” Rex said.
So with his team 3-3 and two games behind the Patriots, Rex vows to fight to uphold the family name and keep alive his team’s improbable dream against his mortal enemies, Brady and Bill Belichick. Who have made a living turning everyone’s thrill of victory into the agony of defeat.
Rex watched in horror as déjà vu all over again unfolded, and coached along with his brother every step of the way at the bitter end.
“You want to make calls for your brother if you think you can help, but they’d been doing a pretty good job of their own anyway,” Rex said. “And I know what he went to, he went to a four-across, he had four guys on top, and that’s a tough situation right there. ’Cause you can’t double ’em all. He got what he wanted, and so did they. They got a jump ball out there, and you know what’s coming. Everybody in the park knows it’s coming. You just don’t know which receiver it’s going to.”
Go ahead and second-guess the strategy all you want.
“I put my chances with a Ryan over somebody else,” Rex said.
Rex was asked if he spoke to Rob after the nightmare ending.
“Yeah, we texted back and forth a few times,” he said.
Did you try to cheer him up?
“Yeah, of course,” Rex said. “That’s what you do.”
In one of his more memorable triumphs, Rex upset Brady in the 2010 playoffs in Foxborough and frustrated him (19-for-39, 185 yards, 1 touchdown, no interceptions) last month in Foxborough in a 13-10 loss.
But Brady has toyed with Rex and the Jets the last two times he has visited MetLife Stadium. You may recall an event forever known as the buttfumble. It happened in the course of Patriots 49, Jets 19. Brady was 18-of-27 for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns that night. A year earlier, it was Patriots 37, Jets 16. Brady was 26-of-39 for 329 yards and three touchdowns. That makes him 44-of-66 for 652 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions the last two times in Rex’s house.
“I’m just telling our fans, ‘Come ready,’ ” Rex said on ESPN Radio.
I asked Rex if there are any tips his brother could give him about defending Brady he doesn’t already know.
“I played against him more than he has,” Rex said. “… Trust me, if there’s any tip by now, he’s given me everything.
“But will I check with him again? Of course. Absolutely.”
Must Twin.