Belichick downplays Revis-Moss, but applauds Rex...

New England coach Bill Belichick held a conference call with the New York media today -- and in typical Belichick-style, said nothing tantalizing or controversial.

And as expected, he offered a bland assessment of the much-anticipated matchup between cornerback Darrelle Revis and Randy Moss his weekend, refusing to add fuel to the fire.

“There are matchups on out there on every play every week,” he said, matter-of-factly. “They’re all an important part of the game. Ultimately it comes down to how the team performs and how one team performs against another. The individual matchups, the game within the game, are important, but in some respects, I don’t think in any way they override the overall performance of the team.

"The bottom line on the game Sunday is how the two teams fare. It isn’t a one-on-one game. It’s a team game across the board. What we want to do as a team is be able to execute better than the Jets do for 60 minutes. It’s a big challenge, but that’s what our goal is this week.”

Despite the Jets' lackluster performance Monday night against Baltimore, the Patriots coach praised the Jets' offense, saying: “ They have a good offensive scheme. They definitely give you a lot of problems (and) a lot of things to prepare for. They hurt Baltimore with the plays with Brad Smith (and) (LaDainian) Tomlinson. They have great weapons there at receiver, tight end (and) running back. They give you a lot of things to prepare for.  They do a good job.”   

Belichick also complimented Jets head coach Rex Ryan for the job he’s done with the team in a little over a year.

“I have a lot of respect for Rex. I always have. My relationship with that family goes back quite a ways with Buddy (Ryan) in Philadelphia and Arizona, when we were both coordinators or head coaches in the league. [Rex's] brother, Rob, coached here for four years. Rex has done a terrific job. I think our styles are a little different, but I don’t think that really matters. I have a lot of respect for what he does and the way that his teams play.  They’re a tough opponent. We certainly have a lot of respect for Rex and the entire team of the New York Jets."
 
So has the two ever gone out for a beer?

“We’ve hung a little bit," Belichick said, dryly. "Not too much, but a little bit.”
 
As for whether he watched “Hard Knocks,” the coach said: “I just caught a very little bit of it. I spent most of my time working on game film and the coaching films. That’s where a bulk of our preparation comes from."

Here are some other Belichick tidbits, in case you're interested...

On if Tom Brady is back in form after his knee injury…
“Yeah, I think Tom’s playing well. He’s had a good training camp. I think he was healthy last year, too. He’s been a good player for us through the years and I think he’s had a good training camp and is off to a good start this year.”
 
On trading Laurence Maroney…
“We felt like it was the best thing to do for our football team. He’s done a lot of things for us in four years.  He came in as a young player and improved a lot. He worked hard and I have a lot of respect for Laurence. (We) just thought it was the best thing for our team right now to move on from that.”

On Wes Welker’s health and how he has played so far…
“Wes just missed a little bit of time in training camp. Otherwise, he’s done everything everybody else has done in the first few days. He’s worked very hard. I think he’s had a tremendous rehabilitation and a good training camp. He’s been impressive in the opportunities he’s had to practice and play. He’s looked pretty good. 
 
On what he saw from Kyle Wilson on Monday night…
“I think Kyle is a very talented player, good hands (and) a good athlete. (He) can return kicks. (He) can run. He has good quickness and is a good defensive player. They took him in the first round and he has good talent.  I’ve seen him in the preseason. He’s played outside. He’s played inside. He’s done a lot of good things."