Dungy to Rex: Critique nothing personal

As Rex Ryan-Tony Dungy dust-ups go, it paled in comparison to the one last summer, in which Dungy took issue with Ryan's language on "Hard Knocks" and Ryan took issue with Dungy taking issue.

But then the former Indianapolis Colts coach was on NBC's "Football Night in America" last Sunday, offering what seemed like a reasonable football opinion about the task facing the Jets.

Referring to "these blitzing defenses where you've got to make good decisions," Dungy said, "I don't think you can beat Peyton Manning with a defense that's just trying to fool you."

When Ryan was asked Monday about Dungy's take, he got a tad, um, defensive.

"When you get out there [in the media] you have all the answers, but you don't have to play anymore," he said. "I respect everybody's opinion, but the only one I care about is my own."

Dungy said Tuesday he meant nothing personal and nothing unique to the matchup with the Jets. "I'll say the same thing if [the Colts] go into Pittsburgh," he said.

The defenses that have done best against Manning's Colts, Dungy said, were ones able to get sufficient pressure with four players. That has been a problem for the Jets.

"You can't count on, hey, we're going to run this blitz and get to them," he said, referring to Manning and Tom Brady, who would be the Jets' next opposing quarterback.

"I would be concerned if I were one of the Jets' defensive coaches, knowing when we have rushed four people and double-covered people we haven't generated a lot of pressure."

Again, nothing personal. In fact, Dungy insisted despite Ryan's polar opposite personality and all those F-bombs in Cortland, he respects what the Jets' coach has accomplished and even his outspokenness - mostly.

"I think he has gone in with an idea that he's had to rally his team and build that us-against-the-world [attitude], which he's done," Dungy said. "Players love to play for him."

In August, Dungy sharply criticized Ryan on Dan Patrick's radio show for the coach's heavy use of profanity on HBO and said he would not hire someone like that.

Ryan was hurt by the remark and reached out to Dungy; the two later spoke by phone.

"We talked man-to-man," Ryan said at the time. "He told me his position, and I definitely told him my position. It was good."

Dungy said his intent was not to be disrespectful of Ryan.

"I was asked a question," he said. "In New York everything gets hyped up four or five times . . . He has been very effective in the way they do things. It's just not the way I would do it.

"We didn't know each other well, so it was good to have that conversation. We talked about what was said and what I meant."

Dungy said this season has been among Manning's greatest, given the Colts' many injuries.

"To be able to still move the ball and utilize the other guys and get those guys to be very productive, people don't realize how difficult it is," he said.

The flip side is how difficult it is to stop Manning, something Ryan knows well. The only question is how to go about it.

It's a matter of opinion.