Road to MetLife Stadium 1 on 1: Ex-Jet Brandon Moore talks Patriots-Jets rivalry
Moore spent his entire career with the Jets before retiring this summer. Unfortunately for Moore, he was involved in the now famous "Butt Fumble" play from last season which Patriots fans probably remember him for. We did not get into that, but did talk about the Jets-Patriots rivalry, after the bitter taste left in the Jets mouth the last time New England was in MetLife, you know Moore was pulling for his old team in this one.
We talked the intensity of the rivalry, how Jets players view the Patriots, the Jets struggles in the rematches and impressive play of New York so far this season.
PatriotsLife: Does Rex Ryan deserve a lot of credit for the Jets exceeding expectations?
Brandon Moore: You have to give a lot of credit to Rex. The guys like him, you always want a coach the guys want to play for, that can get guys motivated, and then when you can couple that with a guy that knows what he's doing. You have to respect coaches that have the ability to do that.
A lot of the credit goes to him, but a lot of the credit goes to the guys in the locker room. The have some guys in there that have been around, Calvin Pace, David Harris, Nick Mangold, D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Guys that have been apart of some successful teams and that understand what it takes to win in this league.
PL: With the constant trash talk, do Jets players really hate the Patriots?
Moore: Hate's a strong word, my mom always said don't use the word hate, but you don't like them. A division rival, they've won the division for the past [10 of 12] years. They've been in your way as far as the goals you try to accomplish. They've got a hall of fame quarterback who's made plays in crucial times and ruined a few games for us.
You see how he's propped up around the league. Those guys in the lines, they hear the ref saying 'stay away, don't touch, watch your hands', that maybe you don't see when you play a quarterback down in Tampa Bay.
You don't like em, I'm sure that's across the league but definitely within your division.
PL: Has rivalry gotten more intense since Rex Ryan came on?
Moore: It's gotten more intense. I'd say because we've lost a few along the way. With every loss it gets a little tougher to handle, you see in those games that maybe you lost you know at certain points the game was there to be had. That makes it even more hard to deal with.
PL: Why have the Jets struggled in the rematches with the Patriots?
Moore: Sometimes the coach, especially Rex, you feel like you did so well against them the first game. Sometimes as coaches you can feel maybe a little too confident and not really change up that game plan...You know Brady and Belichick, they're going to scheme up and be prepared for all these different things.
Not just Rex Ryan, it's gotta be the offense and you got to score points...
If you can get Brady where he's pressing and having to throw the ball a lot more with his younger receivers, guys that aren't quite on the same page as they have been in the past, those are the positions that you have to put them in in that second game.
PL: How big is it for the Jets to win this game?
Moore: It'll definitely be something that would give them a lot more confidence and they're already a confident bunch. To be able to beat them - and Rex will tell you its a game and a half because its a division game - against Tom Brady at home especially when the record over the past few years hasn't been that good. It's something you can build on going into a tough stretch going against Cincinnatti and New Orleans.
“In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with MetLife as part of the Road to MetLife Stadium Preferred Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving special access to MetLife Stadium events and be conducting reader giveaways, with prizes provided by MetLife. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own. “
“I am currently a member of the Road to MetLife Stadium Preferred Blogger Program and this post is part of my involvement. While MetLife provides me material and necessary resources to complete various activities, all statements and sentiment in PatriotsLife are my own.”
