Rex Ryan wasted no time issuing “Beware of Michael Vick” and “Beware of Birds” warnings yesterday to his Jets.
“They have so many weapons, and any given day they can play their best football, so we have to bring our ‘A’ game,” Ryan said.
With the playoffs on the line, the Jets have no other choice than to brace themselves for a belated arrival of the explosive Dream Team.
“This is probably the best offense that we’ll probably have faced this whole year … and it’s probably the best receiving corps we’ll face this year,” Darrelle Revis said.
Never mind the fact that list would include Tom Brady’s offense. Never mind that Vick missed practice yesterday with his broken ribs. Never mind that Jeremy Maclin (hamstring, shoulder) was limited.
“Everybody’s seen ’em on TV, their games are on a lot, so you never know which team you’re gonna get,” tight end Dustin Keller said. “Some games you may see one of the best offenses, if not the best offense in the NFL. Some weeks you see the exact opposite of that. We just have to come ready to play our best football because more than likely, that’s what they’re gonna bring.”
They sure brought it to MetLife Stadium when backup quarterback Vince Young drove the ball down the Giants’ throats at the end, and Big Blue coach Tom Coughlin was sick to his stomach over his pathetic 29-yard rushing night.
“They can ruin your day,” Jets guard Matt Slauson said.
Since they likely are to bring it to the Jets on Sunday at the Linc while they still have a pulse, Jets players should reach out to whomever they know on the Giants for assistance.
Who knows the Eagles better than the Giants? And who hates the Eagles more than the Giants? And who wouldn’t want the Eagles dead and buried more than the Giants? And who would want the Jets coming to MetLife Stadium on Christmas Eve coming off a loss and even more desperate than they are right now?
Wouldn’t it be a smart idea, since the Giants know them so well, for you and some guys to pick their brains about the Eagles?
“I mean, It couldn’t hurt,” Keller said. “It definitely couldn’t hurt. They play ’em obviously a lot more than we do. I didn’t even think about it, but that’s a good idea. … Might have to do that.”
The Giants would love the Eagles out of their hair, and they would not want to see you guys coming off a loss … correct?
“Yeah,” Keller said. “That’s true. That’s a good point.”
So, is he gonna call somebody?
“I’m gonna hit somebody up. … I’m gonna hit somebody up,” Keller said. “The more you know the better.
“I gotta make sure it’s somebody that won’t lie to me. Some of ’em don’t care about anything except for seeing the Jets lose.”
Eli Manning would tell Mark Sanchez to get the ball out quickly — Screen Team — against pass-rushing demons Jason Babin (15 sacks) and Trent Cole.
“They’re the No. 1 pass-rush team in the league,” Ryan said.
Brandon Jacobs would tell surging Shonn Greene that the Eagles’ run defense has improved dramatically.
“You want a big back at the end of the year, because those are the guys that can take the pounding, and they also dish it out,” Ryan said.
Jason Pierre-Paul would tell Calvin Pace and Aaron Maybin that you better not let Vick, as human as he has looked, stand in the pocket and throw a strawberry through a battleship.
“You better go hit him, that’s the way you better approach it,” Ryan said.
Justin Tuck and Chris Canty would tell David Harris that running back LeSean McCoy has become the most dangerous Eagle.
“He can make every cut known to man, and when you watch film on him, the play’s designed to one way, and he cuts all the way back to the other side of the field and he does a great job of making the first defender miss,” Harris said. “So we gotta have 11 guys watching him and run to the ball every play.”
Steve Weatherford (or Matt Dodge) would advise T.J. Conley against punting to DeSean Jackson.
“I think there’s people around here that might be able to answer that question better than us,” Ryan said with a smile. “But let’s face it, he doesn’t make that return, Green Bay doesn’t even go to the [NFC] playoffs last year. He’s one of those guys you have to hold your breath every time he gets it.”
All the Giants would tell the Jets to expect a hostile environment.
“We’re expecting a lot of yelling, a lot of profanity,” Slauson said with a smile. “But it’s all right.”
Perhaps when it is over, the Eagles will tell the Giants: Beware of the Dream Team Jets.
“As long as we keep on playing like this, then I believe we are gonna win the Super Bowl,” Slauson said.