NFL

Jets get extra motivation from critics

Every morning a packet of articles arrives on Rex Ryan’s desk.

It contains everything that was written about the Jets that day. Sometimes the packet reaches 50 pages. The coach goes through the articles, looking for criticisms, slights and rips on his team.

“I try to read everything and I try to see everything that I can because it drives me [and] it drives our football team,” Ryan said.

Ryan has had plenty of material lately. Critics, including some of Ryan’s former players, hammered the Jets during their three-game losing streak. People reveled in watching the chatty Jets get humbled.

But all of that criticism had an unintended consequence. The rips and digs have brought together a team that was, at best, splintered and, at worst, ready to implode.

The Jets relish being hated and doubted, and that is exactly how they feel now after absorbing a month of body blows.

“I love when there is a challenge out there to us,” Ryan said. “I think this team responds because they know it’s like, ‘Hey, we believe in each other,’ regardless of whether people say they stopped believing.”

After Sunday’s victory against the Chargers, several defensive players took issue with Warren Sapp’s remarks on the NFL Network that the defense was Darrelle Revis and 10 other guys. Linebacker Bart Scott did not speak to reporters. He clearly did not like the perception that the Jets defense had gone soft on the run. He also pointed reporters in the direction of Plaxico Burress, who endured weeks of questioning before Sunday’s three-touchdown game.

“I’m going to let Plaxico do the talking. He has some things to get off his chest,” Scott said. “As for the defense, we’ll just be slap[sticks] who can’t stop the run. We’re embracing our role.”

Two wins have rebuilt the Jets’ psyche, but the criticism has let them regain their personality. The Jets have been underdogs since Ryan arrived, but they started this season hearing Super Bowl predictions (even some from outside their coach’s office) and seemed to lose their edge.

That edge is back. They feel disrespected, underestimated and written off. And don’t think Ryan hasn’t let them know what every TV talking head and newspaper columnist has said. It’s one of his favorite tactics.

Before the Chargers playoff game two years ago, Ryan gathered the team the night before the game in a hotel meeting room. He showed a video of every commentator from that week who said the Jets had no chance against the Chargers. The Jets won, 17-14.

“I do it to drive me,” Ryan told The Post of his use of bulletin-board material. “I’ve been doubted all my life. That’s part of the thing that drives me. I take it as a personal challenge. People who don’t follow the team on a day-to-day basis, maybe they’re in the national media, when they make comments about this team that really drives me. They don’t even follow us and they’re popping off.

“There is that, ‘I want to show you. I want to prove to you that you’re wrong.’ ”

There is no bigger target than Ryan for the media. Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher criticized Ryan this week on the CBS pregame show.

“To me, Rex is more concerned with perception than reality,” Cowher said. “Reality should be done with your deeds and not your words. Now, I have concerns this is going to trickle down at some point, and his words are going to become hollow. It’s going to filter down to his team. I believe they win today, but he’s heading down a slippery slope.”

Those comments made their way back to Ryan, who responded Monday without naming Cowher.

“I know there is a coach that was saying they don’t believe what I say,” Ryan said. “Really? Oh, OK, I wonder who you talked to. No one in this locker room.”

That locker room almost fractured from within two weeks ago. The barbs and digs from the outside have been the stitches Ryan has used to sew it back together.

Hard time to say it’s a good bye

The Jets’ bye week arrives at a terrible time for the team. They feel as if they are just hitting their groove and now they go home for six days. It will help banged-up players on the team like Nick Mangold and David Harris, but overall it does the Jets more harm than good.

The Jets are 0-2 under Rex Ryan after bye weeks, losing a wacky game to the Jaguars two years ago and falling to the Packers last season. Ryan gives his players the entire week off after Monday. He did not alter that plan this year.

Teams have struggled around the NFL after their bye this year, going 3-9. The new collective bargaining agreement requires players to have four consecutive days off.

Some feel that is too much time off. Bill Parcells used to never want to give players too many days off in a row. He feared what would happen when they traveled home or to their alma maters.

The Jets say they will be ready to go when they come back next week.

“We just have to be smart in that first practice back on Monday, or whenever it is, and not have the typical ‘Oh, you guys look like you took a week off’ day,” guard Brandon Moore said. “We really have to zero in and get a lot out of that day, and gain a little bit of an advantage there after losing a little bit during the week off. I think that’s the biggest thing we have to focus on is that practice on Monday.”

The Jets yesterday waived center Colin Baxter, who started two games this season, and released OL Matt Kroul from the practice squad. Former Eagles DE Ricky Sapp tweeted the Jets had signed him to their practice squad last night, but a source said he had not been signed by the team. Former Bills TE Shawn Nelson visited for a workout, according to a source.

Stat’s just par for course

The Jets talked about some of their statistical goals during training camp. The bye week feels like a good time to check on how they are doing in those categories:

* Mark Sanchez’s completion percentage: 55.8, 28th in the NFL

* Third-down defense: 32 percent, sixth

* Interceptions: 11, tied for third

* Red-zone offense: 95.2 score percentage, sixth