Jets' Richardson: Rex Convinced Us That We're Better Than The Patriots
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Jets were better than the Patriots on Sunday. Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson says Gang Green is better than New England, period.
The facts are the teams split their season series, each scoring 40 points, and the first-place Patriots (5-2) still own a one-game lead over the Jets (4-3) in the AFC East.
But don't tell that to Richardson. The high-impact rookie doesn't want to hear it.
Richardson, the 13th overall pick in this year's draft, said head coach Rex Ryan tried on Saturday night to convince his team it is better than New England. The Jets then went out and erased a frustrating first half with a dominant second half in an eventual 30-27 overtime win over the Patriots on Sunday.
When asked after the game if he, himself, now believes the Jets are the better team, Richardson said, "Yes."
Richardson has been a vital addition to a defensive line that is quickly becoming among the best in the NFL. He has 19 solo tackles and 2.5 sacks as part of a unit that is very difficult to run on and has done a very good job of applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
With their effort Sunday, the Jets became the first team to hold Tom Brady to a less than 50 percent completion percentage twice in the same season. Brady was 19-for-39 for 185 yards with a touchdown in the teams' first meeting, a 13-10 New England victory back in Week 2, and 22-of-46 for 228 yards with an interception on Sunday.
Last week Richardson told ESPN.com that Brady isn't "Superman," adding "He's just the opposite of that." However, when Richardson was asked about his statements following the Jets' win Sunday he was much more contrite, saying only "No, I'm not talking about that. He's a great quarterback."
The Jets travel to Cincinnati this Sunday for a key AFC showdown with the Bengals (5-2).
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