Rex Ryan didn't waste much time in his Wednesday press conference to cut to the chase on the New York Jets' Sunday opponent in the San Francisco 49ers.
"...quite honestly this football team right here is loaded," Ryan said.
"...quite honestly this football team right here is loaded," Ryan said.
Ryan went on to explain that the Jets' pro personnel department grades all their opponents on a blue, red and white scale, with blue meaning a player is Pro Bowl or All-Pro level.
The Jets ranked seven players on the 49ers defense alone in the blue.
"I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that many," Ryan said. "When you look at them, they certainly are deserving of that. Both of their inside linebackers are tremendous athletes, run/hit guys. They fly around and never come off the field, except [Patrick] Willis came off obviously in that last game with a little bit of an ankle. I understand he’ll play. I was going to call Harbs [Jim Harbaugh] up and make sure that he doesn’t play, but I don’t think he’s going for that, so you start with those two.
"Then you have the two bookends with [Ahmad] Brooks and Aldon Smith. Obviously, Aldon Smith last year had the 14 sacks, half a sack away from the rookie record last year, so that’s impressive right there. I think Justin Smith is about as good as there is at D-line. I remember when he came out of Missouri as a first-round pick, went to the Bengals for years, but wow, he was a great player then, but he’s an even better player now."
"I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that many," Ryan said. "When you look at them, they certainly are deserving of that. Both of their inside linebackers are tremendous athletes, run/hit guys. They fly around and never come off the field, except [Patrick] Willis came off obviously in that last game with a little bit of an ankle. I understand he’ll play. I was going to call Harbs [Jim Harbaugh] up and make sure that he doesn’t play, but I don’t think he’s going for that, so you start with those two.
"Then you have the two bookends with [Ahmad] Brooks and Aldon Smith. Obviously, Aldon Smith last year had the 14 sacks, half a sack away from the rookie record last year, so that’s impressive right there. I think Justin Smith is about as good as there is at D-line. I remember when he came out of Missouri as a first-round pick, went to the Bengals for years, but wow, he was a great player then, but he’s an even better player now."
Hang on... there's more.
"You look at the secondary and you’ve got [Dashon] Goldson, the Pro Bowl safety with the six picks," Ryan continued. "He’s a big, physical guy. He can do it all. Was a corner in college. That’s what you’re looking for at that position, obviously. Oh, and by the way, [Donte] Whitner is the other safety, a throw-in. It’s a great group of safeties. Their corners, with a Pro Bowler, [Carlos] Rogers, with six picks. This is obviously a very deep and talented defense."
Ryan added that he knows Vic Fangio, the 49ers' defensive coordinator, well, as the two coached together in Baltimore.
"He's probably a blue also," Ryan said.
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