The Patriots.
The two 5-3 teams play Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, and Ryan is pressing fans to turn up the volume.
"The first year that we beat New England, our fans, we gave them a game ball and everything else," Ryan told The Star-Ledger on Wednesday. "They were the difference. Two good football teams going at it, but they were the difference."
That was in 2009, after Ryan left a mildly creepy voicemail with Jets season ticket holders (a call to arms overshadowed by his heavily buzzing Belichick complex). Ryan has slayed the New England beast more than once now -- and this week's war cry doesn't feel quite as urgent -- but he wants the Patriots hot and bothered Sunday night.
"That's a challenge I'm taking to our fans this week. We're here, we're undefeated at home and let's make it miserable."
That means you, Fireman Ed. It's time get your little white hat on and prance about singing, "J-E-T-S" (at very least, sir, fire up your Fireman Ed chant cellphone app for all to hear).
It's clear Ryan has respect for Tom Brady -- although he couched a slight Peyton Manning-angled diss his way Wednesday -- and would like the frenzied crowd to generate severe problems for the Pats' attack.
"Let's see if you can't make them burn timeouts," Ryan said. "See if our fans can't make them false start. ... I wouldn't ask the fans to do this if I didn't think they can be the difference."
