Several Jets players yesterday scoffed at the claim Patriots receiver Deion Branch made Sunday that some of the Jets celebrated in a “classless” manner.
“Just take the loss like a man and move on,” Darrelle Revis said yesterday. “[The Patriots] do stuff as well. I don’t know who was doing it or whatever, but if so, whatever. If they would’ve won, I’m sure they probably would’ve done the taunting like they did that last game we played them.
“Their secondary was doing the airplane and just teasing us. So you’ve got to take it both ways, when you win or lose.”
Revis was referring to the Patriots’ 45-3 win on Dec. 6, when some of their defensive backs mocked the Jets afterward.
Branch, when asked if he was embarrassed after the loss, said, “I’m just frustrated. The embarrassing part came from a few classless guys [on the Jets] after the game. There were a lot of classless things that went on after the game ended.”
A number of Jets players recalled the Patriots’ antics after the 45-3 game and laughed at any notion they did anything differently than the New England players.
“That’s the same Jet thing they were doing last game and they call us classless?” DT Trevor Pryce said. “We have film of it. We watched them do it, watched the film the night before [Sunday’s] game. I don’t see why it’s such a big deal now when they were doing it. If they had won the game, they’d have called us classless.”
Receiver Jerricho Cotchery said the Jets remembered how the Patriots conducted themselves.
“All the guys on the sideline were like, ‘Remember this, remember everything they’re doing right now,’ ” Cotchery said. “A lot of people didn’t see it, but we took mental notes of it. A lot of those emotions spilled over throughout the week last week. We could’ve kept a lot of those things in, but we were very fired-up about that game.
“[Branch’s accusation] creates a perception we were classless, and all we’re doing is enjoying our win. We haven’t won up there in the playoffs in I can’t remember, probably never done it.
“We were just enjoying the win, enjoying the moment. For someone to try to create that perception that we’re classless, that’s heart-breaking.”
Right guard Brandon Moore said he vividly recalled Tom Brady and his teammates taunting the Jets in December.
“All I remember from the last game is them with the six-shooters and flight crews, doing our dance and stomping on the Chargers’ thing a couple years ago and ‘Lights Out’ and all that other stuff,” Moore said. “Whatever.”
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As euphoric as Rex Ryan was about the Jets’ win, he expressed concern about the uncharacteristic poor special-teams performance.
“I was really disappointed with the special teams,” he said. “Something that we really pride ourselves in is having great special teams, and that wasn’t a good effort.”
The Jets faltered in several areas, but mostly in the kicking game. Nick Folk missed a 30-yard field goal that would’ve given the Jets a 3-0 lead in the first quarter after a David Harris interception.
Then two of Steve Weatherford‘s six punts went for touchbacks while another was returned 41 yards by Julian Edelman late in the fourth quarter to set up a field goal that closed the Jets lead to 21-14 at the time.
“It starts with Steve punting the ball better,” Ryan said. “He’s had six touchbacks in the playoffs and he had four all season. [If] we get back to punting like we know he can, that could be a huge plus for us. Our special teams are always a big plus for us.”
Weatherford for some reason had two of his worst games of the season in New England. In the 45-3 loss, he had a 12-yard punt that set up a New England TD.
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Ryan shed little light on whether Brad Smith, who missed Sunday’s game with a groin injury, would be back this week.
“He never played this game, so I don’t think [the Steelers] should plan on him playing,” Ryan said coyly.
Smith returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the Jets’ 22-17 win over the Steelers on Dec. 19.