In a conference call Thursday with reporters who cover the Jets, the Ravens’ middle linebacker took the opportunity to respond to the swagger coach Rex Ryan and his players have displayed during the preseason. Many publications, including Sporting News, have tabbed the Jets as Super Bowl 45 favorites.
"The bottom line is—and I'm going to be very careful with this—we're talking about the Jets like we're talking about the Saints," Lewis said. "That's the Super Bowl champs. Until they play tonight, that's the only people that can be dethroned—Drew Brees and the Saints, not Mark Sanchez and the Jets.”
Lewis took issue with Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie's proclamation that they are the “Miami Heat of football”—a team with the talent to be considered champions-in-waiting.
"If you're the Miami Heat, we got to be the Lakers," Lewis said. "We're aiming for multiple rings. But you listen to all this yap, yap, yap, the bottom line is you got to buckle up your chin straps."
One Hard Knocks clip especially irked Lewis. After Ryan allowed Sanchez to call offensive plays from the sideline during a preseason game—taking over for coordinator Brian Schottenheimer—the coach referred to a similar scenario in which he had permitted Lewis and safety Ed Reed to briefly call defensive plays during his days as Baltimore's coordinator. According to Ryan, Sanchez handled the play-calling duties better than Lewis and Reed.
"Whatever he feels that they want to say—and all of these Jets want to talk, man—you've still got to play the game," Lewis said. "The game ain't played through tongues. The game is played when you buckle up your chin strap. So, all this pressure he wants to put on his team, I hope they can cash the check that he writes."
