Tuesday’s Morning Mashup: Rex Ryan insists Jets weren’t ‘playing scared’ vs. Patriots

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
College football: Arkansas State at Louisiana-Lafayette, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
NBA preseason: Thunder at Bulls, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)
Women’s soccer: Exhibition, U.S. vs. Germany, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Jets coach Rex Ryan defended his team's play calls in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Patriots. (AP)

♦ Normally brash Jets coach Rex Ryan found himself in unfamiliar position on Monday — defending his team for appearing scared down the stretch of a game against the rival Patriots.

Members of the New York media peppered Ryan with questions about the team’s conservative play-calling on the Jets’ final possession of regulation in Sunday’s overtime affair won by the Pats. After recovering Devin McCourty‘s fumble at the New England 18 with just over two minutes remaining, the Jets ran the ball twice (including a first-down run up the middle by Tim Tebow) before quarterback Mark Sanchez was sacked on third down. New York settled for a go-ahead field goal but left time for Tom Brady to lead the Patriots on a last-minute drive that ended with a game-tying kick.

Ryan brushed off the criticism as unfounded.

“That’s not even close,” he said. “Saying we played scared is somebody who has probably never played the game in his life. I mean, that’s a ridiculous comment because that’s certainly not what we do. Everything we do is to play to win the game.

“If you lose, people have the right to any opinion they want, but to say we were scared, that’s not even close to being accurate.”

♦ Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, who has completed just 58.5 percent of his passes, thrown nine interceptions vs. five touchdowns, and lost five fumbles, was demoted to backup on Monday by coach Romeo Crennel in favor of Brady Quinn.

“I felt like the most impactful move I could make to get everybody’s attention was to change the quarterback,” said Crennel, the former Patriots assistant coach. “I think that will get everybody’s attention, and hopefully that impacts the team because the quarterback position is the one that has the spotlight on him.”

Quinn, a first-round bust who is playing on a one-year contract, will start Sunday’s game against the Raiders and remain as the starter for the foreseeable future.

“Am I going to say I’m happy about the situation? Absolutely not. I’m frustrated,” said Cassel, who was acquired from the Patriots four years ago and given a six-year, $63 million contract by another former Patriots employee, general manager Scott Pioli. “But at the same time, I’m a team captain on this team. I care about this team and again, as we move forward, I’m a big boy. I’m not going to hang my head. I’m going to do what I’ve always done, which is work hard — work tremendously hard.”

♦ NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “Town Hall” show, said the league is running out of patience with the Pro Bowl. The NFL allowed the game to continue last season following an appeal from players, but the quality of the performances was lacking in the AFC’s 59-41 victory.

“If we cannot accomplish that kind of standard [of high play], I am inclined to not play it,” Goodell said. “It is really tough to force competition, and after a long season, to ask those guys to go out and play at the same level they played is really tough.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Oct. 23, 2004, the Red Sox opened the World Series with a 9-7 victory over the Cardinals after squandering a 7-2 lead. Who hit the game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I wish it were that easy. And maybe there were times when it has looked that easy. But I think you appreciate it when it does work. And you realize the preparation that you put into it, that it pays off. Maybe we’ve just spoiled some people in the meantime. Because it’s hard to win, man. It’s really hard to win.” – Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, during his Monday morning appearance on Dennis & Callahan

STAT OF THE DAY: 14 – Hits in the NLCS for Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro, tying a record and earning him MVP honors following San Francisco’s Game 7 win Monday night

‘NET RESULTS: Pacers center Roy Hibbert is front and center at a flash mob performance of “Gangnam Style” at in Indianapolis mall Sunday.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Mark Bellhorn

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Weird Al Yankovic turns 53 Tuesday.

One Comments for “Tuesday’s Morning Mashup: Rex Ryan insists Jets weren’t ‘playing scared’ vs. Patriots”

1. BullChip Says:
   October 23rd, 2012 at 2:09 pm

   If Rexy and the Jets weren’t scared then they were too conservative and just plain stupid. With the state of the Patriots pass defense all year, not to attempt a throw with the game in the balance screams of incompetence. Thankfully for us, Rexy might be too dumb to be scared!

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