Rex Ryan Big Apple of Buddy's Eye

The N.Y. Jets went down to Houston last Sunday, licked the storied Texans, and now are talking like they are the second coming of the Patriots.

Yep, Rex Ryan's team really knows how to handle success, eh? Looks like this big apple didn't fall too far from daddy, Buddy's tree.

On Tuesday, the younger Ryan (pictured) made it clear to Jets fans that, "he is not here to kiss a ring," referencing Bill Belichick's three Super Bowl rings he's won with the Patriots, the Jets foe on Sunday.

It was only only four months ago when the John Candy of coaches said on New York's WFAN, "I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings," which would mean either he needs to get some new material or he has a serious jewelry fetish.

No matter, word is his players just love the guy! He's like the cool parent that let's the neighborhood kids get away with saying swear words and stuff. Neato!

On Thursday, the Jets' free safety Kerry Rhodes outdid his cool coach when he had this to say to the New York Daily News' Gary Myers about playing the Patriots:
“You go out from the first quarter on, from the first play on, and try to embarrass them. Not just go out there and try to win, try to embarrass them. Try to make them feel bad when they leave here. We don’t want to just beat them. We want to send a message to them, ‘We’re not backing down from you and we expect to win this game, and it’s not going to be luck, it’s not going to be a mistake.’ ”

At a time it seems everybody is running their mouths, from congressmen...to star tennis players... to star rappers...maybe we should just give the Jets the benefit of the doubt, and construe all this as some weird kind of childish, motivational self-talk.

Or, maybe, the laugh-a-minute Ryan would be better served reminding his team and himself that talk is dirt cheap, and widely available to all shoppers, but the cost of winning isn't.

Thing is, if any franchise should know this, it's the Jets.
This is a team that hasn't beaten the Patriots at home in eight years. This is a team that hasn't even seen a Super Bowl in 40 years. This is a team that has won three playoff games over the last 12 years, during which time the Patriots have played in FIVE Super Bowls, winning three of them.

But here they are, all big and bad at 1-0, a rookie coach and quarterback at the helm, and talking like they own the NFL. Truth is, they don't even own their own city.

Should the Jets back up their big talk with a victory Sunday, bar the door, Katie, because they will become positively insufferable to deal with, and moving targets in every NFL stadium they visit this year.

Really, the best thing that could happen to this group would be to get knocked off their soap box fast. It'll hurt a lot less that way, because right now, they really don't have that far to fall.


Here's what else is on the Football Friday Menu in the Grill Room:

Take your pick
For informational purposes only...some picks for Week 2 action around the NFL brought to you by folks who most likely know as much about the game as you do:
ESPN
YAHOO!
CBS Sports
FOX
CNN/SI
NBC
SportingNews

College:
SportingNews
CBS Sports
NBC

This Week's Grill Room NFL 100-PROOF lock: Washington over St. Louis minus-9.
Warning: Week 2 might be the most dangerous forecasting week of any football season. Why? Because all the teams have film on their opponents, and are able to set their game plans accordingly.

Week 1 is much more of a guessing game, where, with little else to go on, the best talent often simply wins out. There are loads of so-called experts in the soup line each year after Week 2 because they put too much stock, and money, into what a team did, or didn't do, in Week 1.

With that in mind, and even if we did hit our pick last week right on the number making our patrons in the GR boatloads of cash, don't expect us to go all Rex Ryan on you with this week's offering. We practice what we preach around here, and will let our picks do the talking.

No. 19 Washington was outclassed by the No. 3 Giants last week on the road, but did a decent job limiting the Jints' vaunted rushing game to 103 yards on 31 carries.
This week, the Redskins' defense will face a St. Louis offense that was positively anemic on the road in a 28-0 loss at Seattle.
Expect DT Albert Haynesworth and the gang to play downhill and in the Rams' backfield all day long. The Redskins open at home with an easy 24-10 win over the No. 31 Rams.

Tape it up
Injuries are part of the game around the NFL as this week's injury report certainly bears out.
No. 2 Philadelphia isn't ruling out QB Donovan McNabb for this week's showdown with the No. 11 Saints.

TV Time
If you can't stop by the Grill Room, here's the college and pro football fare that's cooking on the tube this weekend:
(For our U.S. military viewers and their families overseas the games American Forces Network will be showing are in bold.)

COLLEGE:

Friday, Sept. 18
Boise State at Fresno State, 9 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, Sept. 19
California at Minnesota, Noon, ESPN
East Carolina at North Carolina, Noon, ESPN2
Boston College at Clemson, Raycom
Duke at Kansas, Noon, Versus
Eastern Michigan at Michigan, Noon, Big Ten Network
Northern Illinois at Purdue, Noon, Big Ten Network
Temple at Penn State, Noon, Big Ten Network
Wofford at Wisconsin, Noon, Big Ten Network
Louisville at Kentucky, Noon, ESPNU
North Texas at Alabama, 12:21 p.m., SEC Network
Tennessee at Florida, 3:30 p.m., CBS
USC at Washington, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Nebraska at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Arizona at Iowa, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Michigan State at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m.
Utah at Oregon, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Tulsa at Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m., FSN
Indiana at Akron, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
Virginia at Southern Miss, 3:30 p.m., CBS CSN
Cincinnati at Oregon State, 6:45 p.m., FSN
Florida State at BYU, 7 p.m., Versus
Louisiana-Lafayette at LSU, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Air Force at New Mexico, 7:30 p.m., CBS CSN
Georgia at Arkansas, 7:45 p.m., ESPN
West Virginia at Auburn, 7:45 p.m., ESPN2
Texas Tech at Texas, 8 p.m., ABC
Kansas State at UCLA, 10:15 p.m., FSN
Hawaii at UNLV, 11 p.m., Mtn.

NFL:
Sunday, Sept. 20
Carolina at Atlanta 1 p.m., FOX
Minnesota at Detroit 1 p.m., FOX
Cincinnati at Green Bay 1 p.m., CBS
Arizona at Jacksonville 1 p.m., FOX
Oakland at Kansas City 1 p.m., CBS
New England at N.Y. Jets 1 p.m., CBS
New Orleans at Philadelphia 1 p.m., FOX
Houston at Tennessee 1 p.m., CBS
St. Louis at Washington 1 p.m., FOX
Tampa Bay at Buffalo 4:05 p.m., FOX
Seattle at San Francisco 4:05 p.m., FOX
Pittsburgh at Chicago 4:15 p.m., CBS
Cleveland at Denver 4:15 p.m., CBS
Baltimore at San Diego 4:15 p.m., CBS
N.Y. Giants at Dallas 8:20 p.m., NBC

Monday, Sept. 21
Indianapolis at Miami 8:30 p.m., ESPN
(All times EST)

(Associated Press photo)

It's Pittsburgh with a Philly chaser

After clearing the joint last night, our bartenders knocked back the good hooch and set about putting together our inaugural NFL 100-PROOF RANKINGS.

Why bartenders, you ask? Because in all of your life, and all the people you've ever known, have any of them, even once, made more sense than a bartender?

Prost!

THE STRONG STUFF

• 1) Pittsburgh (100 proof) The Grill Room subscribes to the thinking that the champ is the champ until proven otherwise. Plus, Pittsburgh runs the best organization in football.
• 2) Philadelphia (94 proof) This is a nasty team, and the controversial Vick signing signals that they are all-in this year for a title. Better be, because the window's closing fast.
• 3) N.Y. Giants (93 proof) Who does Eli Manning throw to? Otherwise, the best combined O- and D-lines in football keep the Giants in the hunt for the promised land.
• 4) New England (91 proof) Were No. 2 until dumping Seymour. Know Belichick's a genius and all, but hard to see how giving up your best defensive player makes any sense.
• 5) San Diego (90 proof) Despite coach Norv Turner, but because the Chargers are loaded on both sides of the ball. Need to stay away from Tequila, though.
  

WORTH A SHOT

• 6) Indianapolis (83 proof) Big falloff between No. 5 and 6, but Manning's still around, and the schedule is reasonable. Even catch their nemesis Patsies at home this year.
  
• 7) Tennessee (82 proof) Because Jeff Fisher is the GR's favorite coach. The dude gets every bit of talent out of his hard-nosed squad year in and year out. How long can Collins keep chucking it, though?
• 8) Minnesota (80 proof) We're buying this team's chances. All Favre has to do is make a couple of big plays each game and hand the ball to his magnificent RBs. The defense is mean.
  
• 9) Dallas (77 proof) You either like the Cowboys or you hate them. We hate them in the GR. Maybe in a year when nobody is licking their boots, the 'boys can step up and actually do something?
• 10) Arizona (74 proof) Because the GR subscribes to the thinking that the Super Bowl loser has to be in the Top 10 until proven otherwise. How long can Warner go on?
• 11) Atlanta (72 proof) Another squad we're buying. The Gonzalez pickup made too much sense. Coach Smith also seems to be the real deal.
  

WATERED DOWN

• 12) Houston (69 proof) If the season ended now, they'd be in the playoffs with this ranking. Schaub must somehow stay healthy, though.
• 13) New Orleans (68 proof) This team reminds us a lot of the Chargers in the 80s. All O and no D. But, dang, they got plenty of O, and the best QB in the conference.
• 14) Chicago (66 proof) The bouncers at the GR would run Cutler and his big mouth in a minute. Let's see what happens if he struggles early and has some real press to deal with.
• 15) Carolina (64 proof) Not sure why we are showing so little love for this squad. Call it bartender's instinct. Delhomme just seems finished to us.
• 16) Green Bay (62 proof) Suddenly every one's designer pick. If defensive wizard Dom Capers can work his magic with this defense, we'll get on board with the hype. Until and if...
• 17) Cincinnati (59 proof) Yeah, a bit of surprise but if QB Palmer's back and healthy, and if the 12th-ranked defense from a year ago keeps stepping up, this team could surprise. Shut up, Chad.

CHEAP STUFF

• 18) Baltimore (58 proof) LB Scott, gone. WR Mason, gone. D-Coach Ryan, gone. Playoff chances, gone.
• 19) Washington (56 proof) Too bad they play in the toughest division in football. Too bad Dan Snyder's their owner.
• 20) San Francisco (54 proof) We like Mike in the GR. Coach Singletary will have this squad playing hard...or else.
  

ROT GUT

• 21) Miami
• 22) Seattle
• 23) N.Y. Jets
• 24) Buffalo
• 25) Jacksonville
• 26) Oakland
• 27) St. Louis
• 28) Denver
• 29) Tampa Bay
• 30) Cleveland
• 31) Kansas City
• 32) Detroit