The Jets and Giants do not take the field until Friday night, but they are already trading blows.
Jets coach Rex Ryan fired back at Giants rookie running back Andre Williams on Wednesday after Williams told The Post the Giants are the “real New York team.”
“The last time I saw him, he was getting smoked by Clemson,” Ryan said of Williams.
Ryan’s son Seth attends Clemson and is a walk-on for the Tigers, so he often references their games. Williams had 70 yards on 24 carries last year for Boston College in a 24-14 loss to Clemson.
The Jets and Giants meet on Friday night at MetLife Stadium. Ryan said Williams should be ready to get hit.
“I will say that kid’s a good back, though,” Ryan said. “He is. I was like, ‘Is anybody going to tackle him?’ That’s great. I have a funny feeling he’s going to get some Riddells put on him, but we’ll see. It will be a competitive thing. I know he will be pumped up. Trust me, our guys will be pumped up, too.”
Nose tackle Damon Harrison tweeted, “See you Friday Mr. Williams.”
Ryan said this preseason game always has a special feel.
“It is a bigger deal than preseason games when you play other people,” Ryan said. “Guys go to the same eating establishments, whatever. I think there is something to it. You don’t get to play each other very often. It’s kind of a one-shot deal. This game is always a physical game. I think guys like each other, respect each other and things like that.”
Ryan said the players are excited to play the game.
“You’ve got guys popping off,” Ryan said. “You have the running back from Boston College I see where he’s already saying the Giants are the best team in New York and all that kind of stuff. You don’t get to play each other. This is the only time you get to play each other and I think it amps up a bit. I really do.”
The Jets showed they can get fired up for a preseason game last week in Cincinnati when they drew seven personal foul penalties. They were aggressive in that game after getting embarrassed by 40 points by the Bengals last season.
This game might not be as chippy, but the players acknowledge there is a different feel.
“This is the in-state game so it’s naturally going to be a high-energy game,” Jets linebacker Demario Davis said. “It’s important. We’re fighting for the Snoopy [Trophy]. It’s going to be fun.”
This is also the final game the Jets starters will see much time. Ryan said he expects the starters to play into the second half. Quarterback Geno Smith said he expects a tough task facing the Giants’ defense.
“It’s definitely a bragging rights game,” Smith said. “We look forward to it. It’s also another chance for our offense to get out there and continue to get better and continue to develop our skills. It’s a tough test. They have some great corners on defense. They bring a lot of different blitz packages. We have to be ready for everything. I think it will be a really good test for us.”
Last year, Smith had a brutal night against the Giants. He threw three interceptions and stepped out of the back of the end zone for a safety. It was the night he won the starting job by default after Mark Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.
“I had a tough outing,” Smith said. “I can remember them throwing a lot of blitzes at me. They had a rookie quarterback and they sent a bunch of different disguises and looks at me and I had a tough one. I look forward to this game and seeing how much I’ve improved since then.”