Before the New York Jets can turn their focus toward their opponents in the AFC title game, they’ve got a few things that they need to get off their chests about the opponents they just vanquished.
Linebacker Bart Scott took aim at Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
“This was the quarterback that couldn’t get touched,” Scott told reporters after the game, via the Boston Herald. “[The media] talk all about how great he’s playing, but what Rex [Ryan] pulled out for us was his last three playoff games -- what his record was and what his rating was then. He had a 66 quarterback rating in his last four or five playoff games and you guys didn’t believe that. You guys didn’t look deep enough into the notes.”
Scott said that Brady was intimidated by the pass rush.
“He started looking for the rush when there was no rush,” Scott said. “He thought after a certain amount of time somebody was coming, he was fidgeting. . . . Most quarterbacks don’t like getting hit. They get hit and they turn into a totally different person.”
It was a stark contrast from last weekend’s approach against the Colts, during which the Jets opted not to harass quarterback Peyton Manning but to force him to be patient.
Scott said that the Jets also realized that they had more experience than the Patriots lately in elimination games.
“That’s what we leaned on,” Scott said. “We leaned on the fact that we knew we had more playoff experience than that team. We know that when the pressure was on, those young guys wouldn’t be able to perform at a high level. We’ve been there done that and we let you guys build [Brady] up, let him read his things and that’s why he can go kick rocks.”
The Jets, meanwhile, will attempt to continue kicking ass. Their next chance comes in Pittsburgh next Sunday.
To complete a 2-0 sweep at Heinz Field, the Jets won’t be able to use the same approach. The Steelers have won two Super Bowls since the Patriots won their last one, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t get flustered when guys are breaking his nose and/or otherwise trying to toss him around, and the Steelers seem to find a way to win as the stakes get higher and higher.
Especially when they don’t have to play the Patriots.
