The Ravens are 1-0 against the Rex Ryan-coached New York Jets, but Ryan values his two AFC Championship appearances even more.
In the ongoing back-and-forth between these two teams that dates back to when Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis reprimanded the Jets for creating hype before the season even started, Ryan continued to serve volleys.
“We have not beat them since I’ve been here, that’s for sure,” Ryan said in a conference call with Baltimore media. “You can throw in the preseason game, too, if you want. That’s exactly right.
“But the fact of the matter is, we all said we were going to meet in the AFC championship game. Now, we haven’t won the AFC championship game, but we’ve got there two years in a row. The Ravens haven’t. So you can throw that one right back at them as well.”
Ryan, who spent 10 years as Defensive Line Coach and Defensive Coordinator in Baltimore, has been to the playoffs in each of the past two years, reaching the conference title match on both occasions.
The Ravens have been to the playoffs all three seasons under Head Coach John Harbaugh and have one AFC Championship appearance.
“I’ve gone to the playoffs every year, and I’ve gone to the championship game every year since I’ve been here as well,” said Ryan. “But who cares? This is what it is. They know I did a great job there for 10 years.
“Those players did a great job for me there. They’re the reason why I’ve been put in this position and all that. And no matter what kind of ridiculous question it’s going to be, the simple fact of the matter is, they’re two pretty good football teams going at it.”
When told of Ryan’s words, linebacker Terrell Suggs said, “That’s was definitely a shot. We will take that with the most disrespect.”
Lewis isn’t biting on Ryan’s AFC title jab, however.
He believes teams can only truly be measured by Super Bowl wins. Everything else is moot.
“The only response I could ever have for that is he was sitting in the same place I was sitting watching the Super Bowl. He had to be, because he wasn’t in it,” Lewis said Wednesday. “I don’t care how far you go. The ultimate goal is to feel that confetti drop. You can ask the Pittsburgh Steelers. They wouldn’t be proud to go back to a Super Bowl.”
“The bottom line is you have to win a Super Bowl when you get there.”
