Bears TE Bennett Felt 'Disrespected' By Rex Ryan
(CBS) Ever the character and always a lover of attention, Bears tight end Martellus Bennett searched to find motivation ahead of Chicago's 27-19 win against the New York Jets on Monday night in East Rutherford, N.J. He found it on the opposing sideline, from the guy in a headset who was in charge.
In a conference call with Chicago area reporters last week, Jets coach Rex Ryan had high praise for Bears receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. He also pointed out Bennett, though not in the same light.
"They're playmakers," Ryan said. "You've got two monsters out there, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, those are the two guys that jump out at you. The tight end is a big dude, you know (Martellus) Bennett. You've got three massive targets out there."
That apparently didn't sit well with Bennett, who in a postgame interview Monday night said that fired him up.
"I felt a little disrespected," Bennett said. "We watched a video where Rex Ryan said we have monsters on the outside with Brandon (Marshall) and Alshon (Jeffrey), but then he just said, 'Oh yeah, the tight end is a big dude.' I feel that when he talks about me, he should talk about me with enthusiasm. He was just monotone when he mentioned me. I was upset about that. I talked to Rex Ryan before the game, and I said he should use enthusiasm when he talks about me, but he just laughed it off."
Whatever the case, Chicago will take the result. Bennett had five catches for 54 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown reception to give the Bears a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and a 13-yard scoring catch that gave them a 24-13 lead early in the third quarter.
It being Monday Night Football, it was certainly a stage Bennett enjoyed.
"I like playing on television, especially when it's the only game on, it's like being in a movie premiere," Bennett said. "I enjoy it. We play at twelve next week so we don't get the primetime spotlight but it's still a big game."