It would have been so easy to let the trash talking and gamesmanship die down after Rex Ryan, Antonio Cromartie, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady had their say early in the week. However, this wouldn't be a New York Jets-New England Patriots rivalry game if that were to happen. So Patriots' wide receiver Wes Welker and Jets linebacker Bart Scott upped the ante at the end of the week.
Welker, who has never been known to stir things up in the media, got the ball rolling on Thursday when he made no less than 11 foot references during his media availability in an attempt to target Ryan's alleged foot fetish, Scott did not take it too kindly.
"I'll tell you what," Scott said via Newsday that afternoon when asked about Wes Welker's foot routine. "Be very careful what you say about our coach. His (Welker's) days in a uniform will be numbered. Put it like that."
Oddly enough, Scott's not-so-veiled threat to Welker came after the league sent out a warning to more than one NFL team about making physically threatening comments, reminding them that such comments will be taken into account when meting out punishment for illegal hits on the field. What that means for Scott now is that the referees at Sunday's game in Foxborough, Mass., will be keeping a closer eye on him.
All of this trash talk makes for great theater, and there is no doubt the people at CBS are loving it because this will only drive up their ratings on Sunday. This weekend is a double-bonus for the network as Saturday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens also is a guaranteed draw. But considering Scott's mouth has done an awful lot more than his body on the field, Welker likely won't be rattled much if at all.
Cromartie, who might find himself covering Welker at different points during the game, will probably have more opportunities to deliver a hit with an intended message on Welker. And never one to remain silent, even after his obvious dislike for Brady was broadcast to everyone earlier in the week, the former San Diego Charger gave his two cents on what Welker said.
"If you read in between the lines, a lot of what they say is directed toward us, but they try to clean it up," Cromartie said. "It's different, but they are doing the same thing. At the end of the day, it's trash talking no matter how you try to put it, how you try to clean it up."
Come 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, the time for talking will be over.
Bart Scott Paints Target on Back of Wes Welker With Implied Threat
Jan 15, 2011 – 3:46 PM
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