*ESPNBoston.com* lays it all out on the table. The Jets are brash. Coming off their 45-3 dismantling, they want revenge. They want blood. The Pats won't waver tight-lipped and focused amidst New York's storm of mudslinging, yet 2-4 against repeat opponents in the postseason. And the Jets, who beat Indy on the road in the first playoff round, certainly learned something from the Dec. 6 massacre. Two days till Sunday.
Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis isn't flashy and his resume hardly holds a candle to rival Jets running backs LaDainain Tomlinson (fifth overall pick in 2001) or Shonn Greene (third round pick in 2009), yet this 1,000-yard runner gets the job done--he only has 24 negative yards for the entire 2010 season. The *Boston Herald* examines how Green-Ellis has consistently punched through the hole throughout the season, without a single fumble.
The *Boston Globe* looks at Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather, a sometimes controversial player. Some have questioned his Pro Bowl nomination after such incidents as a severe helmet-to-helmet on Ravens tight end Todd Heap. Yet with 66 regular-season tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery, Meriweather would tell those who question his prowess to look at the Patriots record. "We're winning."
Was Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker taking jabs (or should I say "kicks") at Jets coach Rex Ryan in his press conference yesterday at Gillette Stadium? *ESPNBoston.com* counted 11 foot references in an interview lasting roughly 10 minutes. Read a similar story in the *Boston Globe*, which also mentions Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork's press conference and Patriots' injuries.
The *Boston Herald* notes it's been three years since Welker played in a postseason game. But he kept his "foot" in the air last year after a season-ending knee injury and now he's ready to play some playoff football.
Read more about Wilfork, who sees the Jets as a formidable playoff team, in the *Herald*.
Read a profile on brainy Jets safety Eric Smith in the *Boston Globe*. A smart hitter whose hits smart.
Read about how the Patriots and the Jets match up in the *Boston Herald*. Read about the Jets secondary, which has suffered an injury in nickel back Drew Coleman, in the *Boston Herald*'s Jets notebook. Read about Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis in the *Boston Globe*.
All this week, the papers have been profiling the players involved in this Border War showdown, the divisional playoff rubber match on Sunday. Now to take a look at the coaches. Read how Patriots owner Robert Kraft obtained head coach Bill Belichick in the *Boston Globe*. Read about Jets coach Rex Ryan vs. Belichick in the *Herald*.
