The past three seasons the New York Jets have been known to be loud and rambunctious bunch that aren't afraid to take swipes at other teams (and each other) in the press.
This season has been no different, including last monthwhen the team got into some hot water for claiming they were going to put "hot sauce" on Miami running back Reggie Bush before their game against the Dolphins.
The two teams match up again in on Sunday at MetLife Stadium and the war of words has reached new heights, with both sides taking shots at each other this week.
Following the incident with the "hot sauce" comments, Bush said that Darrelle Revis, who was lost for the season in that game, deserved his injury due to the way the Jets were talking.
"What goes around comes around," Bush said at the time, according to ESPN.com.
Things heated up again this week when safety LaRon Landry and linebacker Aaron Maybin made comments directed at the Dolphins.
"Every time he sees me, he will remember that hit (from Week 3)," Landry said to ESPNNewYork.com. "If I'm in the box or I'm going downhill, he'll remember that hit."
Maybin later said to ESPNNewYork.com, "We want to knock him out, but we're out to do it legally."
The Dolphins had been mostly quiet about the comments, but center Mike Pouncey couldn't help but respond to the comments on the radio on Thursdasy.
"I can respect LaRon Landry, what he said, (because) he's a starter, he's a proven player in this league," Pouncey said, according to ESPNNewYork.com. "For Aaron Maybin to open his mouth, I just don't understand it. It's going to be a physical game. Hearing that from a guy known as one of the biggest busts in NFL history ... for him to open his mouth and say he's going to hurt our starting running back, no, we're not going to have that."
Maybin was a first-round pick for the Buffalo Bills that never worked out. He signed with the Jets this season but has only made four tackles this year.
"He won't even play enough to hurt Reggie. I don't even want to talk about him. He's a joke," said Pouncey.
Later Maybin spoke to reporters about the comments.
"In order for us to beat Miami, we have to stop the run and that means eliminating Reggie Bush," Maybin said. "However people want to take that out of context, that's fine, but I'm not going to get into it."
In Week 3 the New York Jets won in overtime 23-20 against the Dolphins, although Miami was able to run the ball effectively.
"We ran the ball terrific in the first game and we expect to do the same thing this time," Pouncey said in the radio interview. "Last game we let it get away from us. They made one more play than we did. We're expecting a whole different outcome this time."
The use of the media to stir up controversy isn't anything new for the Jets and that may be one reason why the team has struggled the past two seasons. It's not a mistake that successful teams like the New England Patriots and New York Giants don't have players making waves by saying controversial comments in the press.
The Jets enjoy a circus-like atmosphere and bring it on themselves by allowing players to say whatever they want in the media. New York has struggled this season offensively, but refuses to admit that their play-calling has been the reason for it.
The acquisition of Tim Tebow has been a huge failure, but the team refuses to admit that either.
"You can't just dial these things up and think every play will be a successful play because it's Tim," offensive coordinator Tony Sparano said to ESPNNewYork.com. "You have to give credit on the other side, too. That being said, throwing the football out of that is definitely something we have to consider doing more of, no question about it, because Tim can throw the ball."
Mark Sanchez has been less-than-stellar this season, but not for lack of talent. What he really needs are other talented players around him; more wide receivers and more running backs. The Jets knew this, yet in the offseason they brought in one big name acquisition: Tebow.
While teams like the Giants and Falcons surround their quarterback with playmakers, the Jets bring in a backup quarterback during a season in which Sanchez is supposed to prove he is "the man" in New York.
"Can I put him in more of these different situations? Sure. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I can't do that, but it's just a feeling you have during the course of a game," Sparano said. "When you're rolling and you feel Mark [Sanchez] is hot, you drive with the hot hand."
Pouncey spoke in his radio interview about Tebow, who was his teammate at Florida.
"I feel his pain," Pouncey said on ESPN New York 98.7 FM. "Tebow is a playmaker. With playmakers, you either start them or you don't. You can't expect him to play five plays in a game and come in the game and make magic. You have to let him loose and let him make the plays he's always been known to make."
