FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Observed and heard in the New York Jets' locker room after their 27-25 loss to the New England Patriots:
Rex Ryan was furious in his postgame address to the team, according to players, and he carried the emotion into his news conference. He was particularly upset with his defense, which allowed three touchdowns passes, including one on third-and-19 that will haunt him for a long time.
"We never played the smartest game in the history of the sport, without question, on defense in particular," Ryan said, adding, "It's ridiculous to stand here after a loss and think where our team is at (1-6). It's not where this team should be. There's too much fight and too much heart to be (1-6). I hope it levels out and we start getting some breaks -- and start making some breaks."
When a reporter suggested to Ryan that he seemed "shell-shocked," the coach fired back.
"I'm a little upset, but I'm not shell-shocked by any stretch -- by any stretch," he snapped. "We did what we wanted to do. ... It was there. It was there for us."
Safety Antonio Allen stood in front of his locker for several minutes and accepted the blame for two of the biggest mistakes by the defense -- Tom Brady's 49- and 19-yard touchdown passes to Shane Vereen and Danny Amendola, respectively. Allen was guilty of a mental lapse on both plays. "Great quarterbacks make great plays," Allen said. "Obviously, I wasn't in position and they made a big play -- two big plays."
Veteran linebacker Calvin Pace, never regarded as an eternal optimist, stepped out of character and tried to take a positive approach to the sixth straight loss. "I still believe," Pace said. "In my mind, I still believe we can win the rest of our games. Outside people will laugh at that statement, but I still believe."
