FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – As if Jets-Patriots needed any extra juice, New York cornerback Darrelle Revis and New England receiver Randy Moss are ready to take their rivalry to the field again.
“It ought to be a great one,” Jets Coach Rex Ryan said Wednesday.
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That’s because the two stars have taken playful shots at each other the last several months.
To review: Revis was playing a word-association game on the NFL Network in January when he was asked about Terrell Owens.
“Slouch,” Revis responded.
Deion Sanders, conducting the interview, then said: “Randy Moss.”
Revis responded: “Probably say slouch, too.”
Well, Moss playfully fired back during an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, saying, “We’re coming to the Meadowlands on Sunday, man, so you got 60 minutes of this ‘slouch.’ I don’t really get into the trash talking, but if what he called me was a ‘slouch,’ then I guess the ‘slouch’ will be there to see you on Sunday.”
Revis was amused.
“He probably said it with a laugh, but it’s been in his mind for the whole offseason and he’s been working hard for this day to come,” Revis said. “I’m expecting him to play his A-plus game. I don’t expect anything less against Randy.”
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady pays no attention to any trash talk.
“We’re all called a lot of names by a lot of people,” Brady said. “It’s hard for me to think you get so worked up over that. Revis is a good player but we play a lot of good players, too. The Jets have a lot of good players. We don’t prepare for one player. We prepare for the whole defense.”
The back-and-forth between Revis and Moss started last season when Moss was held to four catches for 24 yards in the Jets’ 16-9 victory. Moss refused to give Revis total credit, saying he had help in the coverage, and that ticked off Revis.
“When I played him the first game last year, I called him a slouch for a reason,” Revis said. “Because that game, I felt like he played like a slouch. That’s the simple point. But I still have respect for him and I know he’s one of the best there is.”
Reminded he called Moss a “slouch” a few months later, Revis shrugged.
“If I said it in January or whenever I said it, you guys know I said it,” he said. “Like I said, that’s how I felt at that particular time.”
In their second meeting, Moss had five catches for 34 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown reception, as New England cruised to a 31-14 victory.
“They tried to come after me in the second game and he was more prepared for me, too,” Revis said. “But they tried to get me on some trick plays.”
But was Moss a slouch in that one, too?
“No,” Revis said, smiling, “he wasn’t a slouch in the second game.”
Revis said neither player talks much trash on the field, but he expects Moss to want revenge when the teams play Sunday.
“I look forward to the matchup,” Moss said. “I have a lot of respect for Darrelle Revis. He’s a young player who definitely matured faster than most young players do. I’ll get the best from him. He’ll get the best from me. The only thing I can say is, collectively as a team, hopefully we get the best of the Jets.”
Ryan is just glad he’ll have Revis, who held out of training camp in a contract dispute, on the field against Moss.
“There’s only one corner in the league that would dare to go against Randy Moss one-on-one, and that’s Darrelle,” Ryan said.
“That’s the only one that should try to compete.”
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