Well, that didn't take long

I had barely shaken the sleep out of my brain this Monday when I read this quote from Rex Ryan on ESPN.com : "This is about Bill Belichick vs. Rex Ryan. There's no question, it's personal. It's about him against myself. That's what it's going to come down to."

The trash talk has begun. And it's only Monday.

Mt. Ryan finished his Grand Slam breakfast and took to the podium for his morning press conference. (Here's the complete video on nyjets.com. He starts talking about the Pats at about the 1:30 mark.) If it was Belichick (or any other coach) you'd hear lots of the following: "We know we are facing a tough challenge this week. They are a very good team. We are going to have to be at our best. So on and so on."

Not Rex. That's not his way.

"I recognize (Belichick's) the best. I'm just trying to be the best on Sunday, and I plan on being the best coach on Sunday. ... That's what it is. I recognize my level has to come up. He's going to get my best shot. He's going to get everything I have on Sunday. If he slips at all, we're gonna beat him."

This is going to be a fun week.

Nothing Ryan said was a shot at Belichick. He called him a Hall of Famer and probably the best coach the game has ever seen. Correct on both points. He was simply saying he got out-coached in the Monday night game in December and knows that can't happen again or his team will get crushed again. Correct on both points.

But why say it at all? Was it, as some writers have suggested, a clever ploy to take the pressure off his players and put it on his shoulders? I doubt it. The foot doctor likes to talk. That's his thing. It seems he likes to talk more than he likes to coach. He likes to put on a show. A show that is all just for show. Take the time he buried the game ball after that Monday night loss to the Pats. He gathered the team around on the practice field in Jersey and made a speech about burying the ball and putting the loss behind them. Great show. The Jets lost at home the next week against the not-so-tough Dolphins. So much for the show.

This is a must win game for Rex Ryan. He knows it. You can only shoot your mouth off so long before you have to back it with results. He's 3-1 in the playoffs with the Jets. Pretty darn good. None of that matters if his team loses Sunday.

Ryan closed his Belichick comments by saying: "I told Belichick after the game, 'We'll see you in Round 3.' He just looked at me." I can only imagine what Belichick was thinking at that moment. Maybe it was "Well Rex, because we just kicked your butt, if there is a Round 3 it will be right here at Gillette. Where we very rarely lose."

I enjoy listening to Ryan babble on. It's a good show. But I'm glad he isn't the coach of the team that I root for. Although I wouldn't mind a little input from him on the tailgate menu for Round 3.