The rivalry between the New York Jets and New England Patriots doesn’t need any bulletin board material to burn hot, but Sheldon Richardson couldn’t help himself following a big win over Washington on Sunday.
The defensive tackle, who just came back from a four-game suspension, is already looking ahead to next weekend when the Jets will hit the road to face their AFC East rival.
“We’re licking our chops,” Richardson said of anticipating Jets-Patriots, (h/t Daryll Slater of NJ.com). “He’s run this division for a while now, so I’m kind of happy we’re getting after it.”
Richardson could either be referring to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick or quarterback Tom Brady, but it matters not.
The Pats — undisputed king of the AFC East — already took the Buffalo Bills down earlier this year, and based on history, there’s a good chance they’ll have success again next weekend against the Jets. New England has won four of the last five games against New York, with the only Jets win coming in overtime.
The last three games have been decided by a total of six points, however, and Richardson sees the 2015 version of the Jets as much more capable of taking down top teams like the Patriots than the team has been in the past.
“We were equipped every other year, too, but guys just didn’t make plays when they were supposed to,” said Richardson “We have playmakers now, so that’s pretty much the only difference.”
Speaking of playmakers, receiver Brandon Marshall had a humongous game on Sunday against Washington. He finished with seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, making a couple of unbelievable plays in the process.
Running back Chris Ivory has also been terrific this year for New York, providing a steady rushing attack to keep defenses honest.
The Jets may indeed have the playmakers to give the Patriots a run for their money next weekend. That said, giving Mr. Brady and the feisty Patriots more reason to come with nothing but their best effort may not have been advisable by Richardson.
You don’t want to make Brady angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. We’ll see if the Jets can back up Richardson’s bold words next Sunday.