CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Rex Ryan's mouth is at it again.
One day after using an expletive during his training-camp news conference to tweak his former team, the New York Jets' brash coach might have ramped up the rivalry with New England by saying he's "not intimidated" by Patriots counterpart Bill Belichick.
Ryan's first test?
It won't take long for Rex Ryan to put his money where his mouth is: The Jets host the Patriots in Week 2. Check out NFL.com's interactive regular-season schedule to see all the Jets' 2009 opponents. **More ...**
Ryan said during a radio interview a few months ago that he didn't come to New York "to kiss Bill Belichick's rings." He explained Tuesday what he meant, adding he's "not trying to be disrespectful."
"When I said that about Belichick, I'm just letting him know I'm not intimidated by him," Ryan said. "He's got the same position I have. We're both head coaches in this league. He just happens to have a hell of a lot more Super Bowl wins. I don't have a win. I understand that, but we're not going to tiptoe our way through this thing.
"You don't line up and beat a Bill Belichick-coached team by tiptoeing in there."
Ryan also didn't shy away from any of the headline-grabbing comments he has made since being hired by the Jets in January.
"We're going to be ourselves, and I'm going to be myself," Ryan said. "How much more motivation are they going to get by putting a quote from me on the wall, saying I believe in my football team and I'm not going to be intimidated by a coach or anyone else?
"If that's where you're going to draw motivation from, hell, we'll probably kick your (butt)."
Toward the end of his news conference Monday, Ryan spoke glowingly about the Baltimore Ravens' defensive tradition in advance of the Jets' preseason game against them next Monday night. Then he mentioned former Ravens defensive end Michael McCrary.
"I am disappointed that they gave his jersey to some rookie who hasn't proven (anything)," Ryan, the former Baltimore defensive coordinator, said, using an expletive. "Excuse my language."
McCrary, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who retired after 2002, wore No. 99, which was given to second-round draft pick Paul Kruger, a linebacker-defensive end out of Utah.
"I got carried away," Ryan said Tuesday. "It was more of a shock to my system. ... I shouldn't talk about somebody else's football team, and that's not my team, but that's my player. I guess that's why I said what I said."
During the offseason, Ryan also got into a playful -- and entertaining -- daily exchange with Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder.
"I probably won't call out Channing Crowder again," Ryan said. "That's one thing I probably won't do because that really got blown out. I'll pick on a kicker or something."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
