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| New England Patriots DT Vince Wilfork knocks the ball loose in a hit on Buffalo Bills WR Donald Jones on Sept. 30. Jets coach Rex Ryan said they'll have to put two guys on Wilfork. (AP Images) |
Coach Rex Ryan spent the first five minutes of his Wednesday press conference extolling the praises of the Patriots and pointing out all of their strengths.
Some things to watch for on Sunday: The Patriots are playing more up-tempo this year than ever. They are No. 1 in the NFL on offense. They frequently go no-huddle, which creates problems for defenses as it can strand good players on the sideline.
In addition, New England is grounding and pounding, utilizing the running game a lot more than in the past, alternating between RBs Stevan Ridley and Danny Woodhead. WR Wes Welker has four consecutive games with at least 100 yards. And, as Ryan pointed out, TE Aaron Hernandez is back, "just in time to play us."
Patriots QB Tom Brady seems to have taken a page from the Jets, who have been encouraging their players to get more sleep. On Wednesday, Brady said he was asleep by 7:15 Tuesday night. "Trying to get bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," he said.
On defense, two words: Vince Wilfork. "You have to block him with two guys, otherwise you're not budging him," Ryan said. However, while the Patriots are No. 1 on offense, they are down at No. 22 on defense. The Jets have worked their way up to No. 18.
Ryan, who called himself the best defensive coach in the league during training camp, on Wednesday talked about the best head coach: "I don't think I'm the best coach in football right now. [Bill Belichick] is."
Meanwhile, the Jets continues to make moves. They reached an injury settlement with FB John Conner, who has had a hamstring injury. Conner was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round in 2010. Ryan said they needed the space on the roster and have elevated LB Marcus Dowtin from the practice squad.
Stay dialed in on the New York Jets by following correspondent Lisa Zimmerman on Twitter @CBSJets and @LisaZimmerman.
