With Jets down, Rex does standup routine

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan was sporting a navy blue blazer, doing what he could to show everyone that Bill Belichick isn't the only coach on tap to be enshrined in a Hall of Fame.

Ryan's mock suitcoat had a logo of an angry bulldog with writing around it that read: "SWOSU Hall of Fame 2011." The acronym stood for Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he played football. On the back of the blazer, he had "HOF" written in block lettering.

"What it is," he said with a huge grin, "is a Hall of Fame blazer."

Welcome to Jets-Patriots week.

Ryan was having a little fun with an intense rivalry, in which the Jets have had the upper hand since he came on board in 2009. Including playoffs, Ryan is 3-2 against the Pats, whom the Jets meet for the first time this season Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

The Jets stunned Belichick & Co. in January, knocking them off in the AFC divisional playoffs after the Patriots drubbed them, 45-3, in early December. Before the playoff game, Ryan made it "personal" with Belichick, saying he had to be on top of his game if the Jets were going to beat New England. So Wednesday, Ryan played off that theme.

"There's a lot of five-star matchups this week, when you have the New England Patriots against the Jets," he said. "But this one, so many times, comes down to as we say -- it never does -- but I always say, it's Belichick versus I. I just wanted everybody to understand that you're talking about two Hall of Famers here, because we know he's going to have a bust in Canton and all that, that other, minor Hall of Fame.

SEE PHOTOSJets-Patriots rivalry through the years

"So it boils down to two Hall of Famers butting heads."

Ryan was trying to lighten things up after two brutal defeats, and admitted this game really doesn't come down to him against Belichick. It's all about how the Jets play, which could put Antonio Cromartie squarely in the spotlight.

The cornerback did little Wednesday to remove that huge bull's-eye on his back that appeared in January after his well-publicized, expletive-filled comments about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

"What I said last year is what I said. It's not going to change," Cromartie said. "The biggest thing for us as a team is to make sure we go up there with the right mindset, and that's to come out with a win."

At his weekly news conference, Brady was asked for his reaction to Cromartie's rant last season. After the third try, Brady ended it early, responding: "I really don't care what he says." He walked off the podium and said, "Thanks, guys."

Asked later on a conference call with New York media if he wanted to respond, Brady said: "No, I don't."

Cromartie said he enjoys the rivalry, adding: "Hopefully, the words I said last year will make it even bigger."

He refused to repeat the infamous words, but may have fanned the flames when discussing the Jets' defensive plan. "To beat the hell out of their receivers," he said. "That's our game plan on the outside, is to try to mess up their timing routes as much as we can."

Just don't expect the game plan to include Cromartie apologizing to Brady.

"I'm not going to change how I feel about Tom Brady from what I said last year,'' he said. "Do I respect him? Yes. He is a guy that has three Super Bowl rings. But other than that, when we are on the football field, I really don't give a damn."