Rex Ryan all but challenged Bill Belichick to a duel at 20 paces at the 50-yard line of Gillette Stadium on Sunday, an obvious motivational ploy to take the pressure off his players.
“I recognize that this week, this is about Bill Belichick versus Rex Ryan,” Ryan said of the head coaches in Sunday’s Jets-Patriots playoff game.
But when Ryan turns and fires, he’ll be aiming at Patriots QB Tom Brady.
And Ryan yesterday began firing the first shots at Brady. Because Belichick isn’t the target as much as it is Brady. It isn’t Belichick who rankles Ryan as much as it is Brady.
If you want to be known as a great coach, you don’t just beat Peyton Manning in the playoffs, you beat Brady, too. Because if you beat Brady, you can beat Belichick.
And so Ryan sounded yesterday as if he might have to be restrained from sprinting onto the field and tackling Brady if the NFL’s MVP taunts the Jets sideline after throwing another touchdown pass.
“I’m just saying that when he celebrates and looks over at the sideline and all that … that’s kinda like the old, once a team scores and the horse goes around the field on ya … that’s just what he does,” Ryan told The Post.
Ryan volunteered last week that Manning prepares like no other quarterback, that Brady has the luxury of help from Belichick. Yesterday, Ryan was asked about Brady taking in the Broadway show “Lombardi” on Saturday night instead of watching the Jets’ wild-card victory.
“Peyton Manning would have been watching our game,” he said coyly.
He was asked whether his remarks last week should be interpreted as a slap at Brady.
“That wasn’t my intent,” Ryan said. “My intent was to say that — as good as Tom Brady is, that’s a Hall of Fame quarterback with three Super Bowl rings and all that — I recognize the guy’s an amazing quarterback, everybody knows how he studies. But there’s only one Peyton Manning as far as preparation.
“I mean, anybody that goes back to 16 millimeter films when my dad [Buddy] was coaching the ’85 Bears … there’s only one guy that belongs in that category, and that’s Peyton Manning. And that’s all I was saying.”
But that’s not all he was saying yesterday.
“But again, I understand how it’s gonna be a slap, that I took a shot at Brady and all that. He took a shot at me by his antics on the field, so I understand that. That’s what it is. I don’t want him to score, and so I’m gonna do whatever I can to keep him out of the end zone.
“He’s gonna try to look at me and do what he always does after he wins and sprints off onto the field.”
Ryan was asked whether he was referring to Brady pointing to the sidelines when it became 38-3 Pats, the last time these two teams played.
“He always points after he scores to everybody,” Ryan said. “So, again, my job’s to keep him out of the end zone.”
What antics are you referring to?
“Well just the way he … Brady being Brady,” Ryan said. “I don’t like seeing that, nobody does. No Jet fan likes to see that. And I know he can’t wait to do it. He’s not gonna say anything publicly, but he does it. … It’s what it is. … My job’s to keep him out of the end zone.”
He specifically pointed at you?
“No, I don’t think so,” Ryan said.
He just pointed at the sideline?
“Yeah, I’m not as big a target as I used to be,” Ryan said, prompting laughter.
Ryan no longer tells us that the Patriots have the advantage over the Jets at head coach and quarterback. Just head coach.
“He’ll go down in history as maybe the greatest football coach in the history of this game, or gonna be close to it,” Ryan said.
No mention of Brady on Belichick’s side and Mark Sanchez on his side.
“When you look at it, both teams are very even,” Ryan said.
“When you look at the players, our teams are solid across the board. When you look at the assistant coaches, we’re on level ground. So this is gonna be about me raising my level against Bill Belichick. I recognize he’s the best and all that, but I’m just trying to be the best on Sunday, and I plan on being the best coach on Sunday. … He’s gonna get everything I have on Sunday. And if he slips at all, we’re gonna beat ’em.”
And: “If it was up to the players, their play on the field, this would be a tie, this game. … I recognize I’m never gonna be as good a coach as he is. My job is to be better on Sunday.”
This is about Tom Brady versus Rex Ryan.
steve.serby@nypost.com