A diss has now become a dare.
One day after Antonio Cromartie derisively called Patriots quarterback Tom Brady an “a–hole,” the Jets cornerback yesterday defiantly dared Brady to throw at him all game in Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff showdown at Gillette Stadium.
“I hope he’ll throw the ball 10 times my way,” Cromartie said. “More chances to make him pay.”
Based not only on Brady’s legendary prowess — particularly his history of torching opposing players who disrespect him — but also Cromartie’s inconsistencies in coverage this season, Cromartie might need all nine of his children to help him cover New England receivers.
Brady yesterday seemed unfazed by Cromartie’s remarks.
“I’ve been called worse,” he joked. “In fact, [Bill] Belichick and my offensive coordinator have called me that and I know they like me, so maybe [Cromartie] really likes me.”
Brady, too, downplayed the fact that when an opponent disses him as Cromartie did, it fuels him.
History, however, would dispute that.
Just ask former Steelers safety Anthony Smith, who before a 2007 game against the Patriots guaranteed victory and then watched helplessly as Brady proceeded to torture him all game. In a 34-13 New England win, Smith was burned for a couple of Brady touchdown passes and, on his way off the field, Brady got into Smith’s face and taunted him.
Are the Jets endangering themselves the way Smith did by poking a sleeping alligator?
The Jets players, who live in a Rex Ryan culture that pushes freedom of speech to its limits, don’t think so.
Ryan delivered a theatrical opening act to this week of hype by ripping Brady for pointing toward the Jets’ sideline after scoring touchdowns.
Cromartie then took matters to a much more intense level on Tuesday.
When Ryan and the Jets players were asked by The Post yesterday if they might be messing with the wrong guy by rattling Brady’s cage, no one seemed overly concerned about it.
“[Cromartie’s] language was a little strong for me,” Ryan, star of the X-rated HBO “Hard Knocks” series, joked. “I can tell you our whole football team respects Brady and we respect the Patriots. But hey, we don’t like any of them right now. Trust me, the feeling is mutual.”
Cromartie yesterday hardly backed off his diss to Brady.
“I said what I had to say,” Cromartie said. “Why would I regret it? That’s my quote and that’s how I feel about it. In my opinion, it’s never going to change about Brady. I hate him. He hates me. He hates the Jets. Who cares?”
Are Cromartie and the Jets in store for another Brady beat-down?
“The alligator is going to open its mouth regardless,” Jets defensive tackle Trevor Pryce said. “You can say anything you want about the guy — good, bad or indifferent — and he’s going to be what he is. There’s no waking a sleeping giant, because Brady is one of those giants that doesn’t sleep a whole lot.”
Even the more conservative veterans in the Jets’ locker room didn’t seem upset by Cromartie’s taunts.
“If someone said that about me I’d be [ticked] off and want to get back at him,” said right guard Brandon Moore. “That can backfire, too, if you get too riled up end up pressing and making mistakes. But is [Cromartie] going to make [Brady] madder or hate us more? Can he hate us any more than what he does already?”
Receiver Jerricho Cotchery, perhaps the most humble and soft-spoken player on the Jets, said, “I wouldn’t say [Cromartie’s taunt] is a danger. We don’t go into a game tiptoeing, like ‘Don’t awake the giant’ or, ‘Don’t step on the dragon’s tail.’ We go into the game feeling confident.
“When Cro’ is mad he’ll say something. The way that last game (the 45-3 Jets loss) went . . . and the way a lot of things were going on out there on the field, he probably wanted to speak his piece. That’s something he did.”
mcannizzaro@nypost.com