Rex: Belichick 'very complimentary' postgame

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.

After a week full of talk and headlines and general ill will - most of it emanating from northern New Jersey - the loudest statement came Sunday from the most unlikely source:

Bill Belichick, Dark Lord of the NFL coaching fraternity, embraced the Jets' Rex Ryan moments after watching his team get bounced from the playoffs, 28-21, at Gillette Stadium.

What did Belichick say? Neither man would discuss that, beyond Ryan saying Belichick was "very complimentary.''

But as every Belichick-ologist knows, a limp postgame handshake and quick turn indicate a lack of regard. (See Mangini, Eric.) A long, seemingly genuine hug? It was a sure sign Belichick was able to see past the bluster and bravado to a football soul mate.

Either that, or he just really, really needed a hug, and Ryan was the closest person available.

For Ryan, it was a delicious moment. Last Monday, he had said the divisional-round game would be decided by him having to outcoach Belichick. And sure enough, that's what happened. The two defensive masterminds went at it, and only one left having flummoxed a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Not that Ryan was biting on that story line. Not officially, anyway.

"I was dead wrong,'' he said. "I thought it would come down to me and Belichick, and thank goodness it never did because he won that battle, like he always does. It came down to our players and it came to the assistant coaches and we won that battle.''

Nice try. For a clue to what Ryan really is thinking, remember what he told Newsday before the teams' December game: That he was brought here to kick Belichick's rear end.

After that 45-3 loss Dec. 6, he admitted the kicking was on the other foot. He kicked back Sunday.

Ryan's players were less shy about getting in their shots at Belichick.

Linebacker Bart Scott, take it away: "Belichick was one Mo Lewis hit from being fired. That's what I thought of that [2001] season. If [Brady] doesn't come in, [Drew] Bledsoe continues to be the quarterback, and we're probably talking about him being on unemployment.''

That sort of disrespect is a bit much, even if Belichick now is 0-for-the-playoffs since losing as a big favorite against another New York-area team in Super Bowl XLII.

But it's also true that Belichick's demeanor has helped him burnish his image and that Ryan's volubility has tended to obscure just how good he is at X's and O's. Ryan's beloved defense now has gotten the better of the two best quarterbacks of this century on the road in consecutive weeks.

It was enough to inspire Ryan to celebrate the (apparent) clinching touchdown by running to the end zone to join Shonn Greene. Then he joked about the sprint, naturally.

Belichick? He and his staff green-lit Patrick Chung's ill-fated fake punt call, went for a strategically dubious two-point try (even though it worked), allowed their offense to get peculiarly patient down the stretch and were unable to get Brady going until it was too late.

Belichick was his usual unforthcoming self on what went wrong: "I just think we didn't play well or coach well. We didn't do anything well enough.''

Ryan displayed his trademark blend of bravado and chip-on-his shoulder sarcasm. "You know, this isn't the first time we've ever played good on defense,'' he said. "We know a little bit about playing defense.''

And this: "Maybe I'm not always wrong on everything I say.''

And, finally, inevitably, this: "Same old Jets, going to the AFC Championship Game two years in a row. The only difference is we plan on winning this one.''