After watching the Ravens trounce St. Louis 37-7 last week, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan isn't sure what to expect from the Ravens on Sunday night.
But the Ravens know what to expect from the Jets.
They're going to be ornery, nasty, physical and totally ticked off after losing to Oakland. But it just wasn't the loss that has Ryan a bit more humbled this week; it's the way the Raiders ravaged the Jets for 234 yards rushing.
Of the 32 teams in the NFL, New York is ranked No. 31 in run defense.
So with Ryan coming to Baltimore, where he built his reputation as a defensive guru, it's personal. He doesn't want to get smacked around by the Ravens.
"Oh my gosh, we have to get it fixed. I know that," Ryan said. "We're 31st in the league in run defense. That's a first time ever [for me]. There is no question, it was brutal. We let [Darren McFadden] get outside on us.
"You look at what happened to Baltimore, they go out and absolutely annihilate Pittsburgh, who was a great football team — a physical football team. Then they go kind of lay an egg against Tennessee. There is no other way to put it. Then, they bounce back and have a great game against St. Louis. There are bumps in the road for every team. Baltimore fixed theirs. We have to try to fix ours this week, albeit against a great opponent."
That's what is so intriguing about the game. Whether you love or hate Ryan, he has one of the brightest defensive minds in the game. After torching the Rams for 553 yards last week, the Ravens talked about opening up the offense and becoming more balanced.
This comes after a face lift of the skill positions during the offseason, but Ryan still knows some of the key personnel here. Nearly four years ago when John Harbaugh become the Ravens' coach, it was fun watching Ryan and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron dialing up plays against each other in training camp.
Last week, St. Louis had one of the worst run defenses in the league and the Ravens came out throwing. Will they have the nerve to go after New York's Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, one of the best cornerback tandems in the league?
And how much will Ryan blitz Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and leave his cornerbacks exposed, especially Cromartie, who is nursing bruised ribs?
For most of Ryan's ten seasons in Baltimore, the Ravens seldom had a quality passing attack and most of the staff prayed for a deep vertical threat.
Ryan broke into laughter this week after watching rookie receiver Torrey Smith repeatedly burn the Rams with several long passes.
"I will say this: I was a little shocked when I saw it," Ryan said with a laugh. "When I saw this kid catching three touchdowns in one quarter, and he really could have had five … He's a fast guy … but I don't think he'll have equal success this week. If he does, then I'm just going to stay in Baltimore."
Ryan then became a little more serious.
"If we want to shut him down, we can always put Revis on him," Ryan said matter-of-factly. "We'll do what's in our best interest. I think the guy that I'd be more concerned with would be [Anquan] Boldin. He's the proven commodity."
Regardless of the poor defensive ranking, the lack of a running game and the Jets barely beating Dallas, Ryan remains confident and downright cocky at times.
He did compliment Flacco.
"It's funny, I have to give a lot of credit to [director of player personnel] Eric DeCosta and [general manager] Ozzie [Newsome] and all them because when they came out and said, 'We're thinking about taking this quarterback named Joe Flacco,' I am like, 'Joe Flacco?' I go, 'Who?' Then we were watching the tape and all that, he gets in, and the first practice, I am like, 'Oh my gosh!'
"He is poised, but he can make every single throw. He is just a talent. He is a much better athlete than what you would think a guy that is 6-foot-6, 240 pounds is. He can run — he is kind of a long-strider — but he is an excellent athlete."
Ryan isn't as concerned with the Ravens as he is with his own team. In New York, it's never quiet. Already this week, the greatest Jet of all time, Joe Namath, criticized Ryan for overhyping his team every year.
The Jets are 2-1, but they haven't been impressive. After the Ravens, the Jets travel to New England and then host Miami and San Diego.
That's a tough stretch for a team that hasn't proven that they can run or stop the run. There are quite a few folks in New York who'd like to take a few shots at the boisterous Ryan if the Jets start losing.
But first, it's the Ravens. Ryan has to fix the heart of his defense and his team.
"Their first priority coming in here is going to be to stop the run. You've got to stop the bleeding where it starts," said Ravens running back Ray Rice. "When you watch the film of Darren McFadden, he ran hard. So, when he got out to the edge, he made a couple guys miss. That's where you get big plays at when you've got a nice tempo.
"As a running back, you sort of lick your chops when a guy goes for 170 yards. But at the same time, we're playing the Jets, so we know they're going to come in here amped up ready to play."