Is it any surprise the NFL's most outspoken coach kicked off this war of words?

"I never came here to be little brother to anyone. So, it's on," Ryan told media at his Monday morning news conference. "There's no way I'm going to be second fiddle ... I don't want to be second fiddle to them." Ryan was quick to point out that he's taken the Jets to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, and the Giants have not been to the postseason in that time. "I recognize that they're an excellent football team. But I think we're better."

The Giants coach is certainly the polar opposite of Ryan when it comes to brash talk, but he's not shy about tough talk, so Coughlin was quick to comment in his first team news conference after Ryan's first shot.

"I just say, regardless of the talk, it will be decided at one o'clock Saturday afternoon," Coughlin said Wednesday. "Regardless of what is said. Talk is cheap, play the game. That is the way I've always believed."

This trash talking has been a nice distraction for Jacobs from his usual war of words with fans of his own team. Jacobs, who's had an up-and-down relationship with Giants fans, is surely back in good graces, at least for now, after firing back at Ryan.

"They're going to need a hell of a lot more than this game to make that happen," Jacobs said, referring to Ryan's boast that the Jets will own New York. "I think they're trying to put something in people that may not be there. Sometimes I say things like, 'Man, maybe this won't happen, but I'm going to make myself believe it.' (Ryan's) trying to put something in people's minds that might not really be there."

Somewhat overshadowed by all the trash talk is that this really is a meaningful matchup for Burress, a hero for the Giants in Super Bowl XLII before being cast off after his accidental shooting and subsequent jail time.

"I definitely want to get in the end zone. Once, maybe twice, maybe three or four," Burress told the New York Daily News. "I'm going to try to play lights-out football. My goal is to go out and play the best game that I've played to this date for the season."

That's more sincere determination as opposed to trash talk. Oh, wait, there's more: "Somebody's going to wake up with a bittersweet Christmas. And it's not going to be me."

There you go.

Usually it's the defensive backs who double-team a receiver. In this case, the Giants wideouts ganged up on Gang Green's all-pro cornerback.

"He's decent," Nicks deadpanned about perhaps the NFL's best pass defender. Cruz then piled on: "Teams aren't really scared (of Revis) anymore. He's got to earn his money this year. Teams aren't really backing down. I feel like we're going to do the same thing. We're going to go out. Until he physically stops us, we're going to throw the ball on him."

Naturally, the New York media couldn't wait to get Revis' reaction to the attack on him. Revis was relatively understated, but he kept the volley alive. "These guys can say whatever they want," Revis said Thursday. "You just laugh at it. ... We'll see."

In addressing Cruz's comments, Revis made it sound like he remembered when the second-year player caught three TD passes in a 2010 preseason game against the Jets -- but might not be ready to offer notice of what Cruz has done this season. "Whatever he says, it's in one ear, out the other," Revis said. "The only thing I remember about this guy is preseason."

Jets receiver Santonio Holmes dispensed with petty trash talk and went straight for the heart -- attacking the Giants' pass defense that has given up boatloads of yards and points down the stretch.

"They've given up big plays. They are poor tackling guys," Holmes said. "We know plays can be made over their head, we've just got to be willing to take advantage of them and make them count."

You knew the Jets' other big-play corner couldn't resist getting in on the chatter, so he was quick to defend Revis ... and attack the Giants receivers.

"You got guys that are not even Pro Bowl material," Cromartie said of Nicks and Cruz. "Who really cares what they have to say?" And when Cromartie was told that Giants WR Mario Manningham said he gives up big plays, Cromartie had this to say to the Daily News about Manningham: "He let a guy named Victor Cruz come in and take his job."

Sometimes, when you try not to trash talk, it still comes out as bold talk.

"Our game is played on the field," said Giants DT Chris Canty. "It's not played in the locker room during media time."

Fair point. Still sounds like trash talk somehow, doesn't it?

Leave it to the Jets' cranky special teams coach to put this whole thing in perspective. It's a long season, and these teams surely have issues with lots of other folks besides each other.

"I pretty much don't like anybody," said Westoff.