Jets' defense backs up its strong words

Admit it. The preseason bluster that Jets coach Rex Ryan directed at Bill Belichick, the Patriots’ Lord of the Rings, and the controversy stirred by safety Kerry Rhodes with his desire to “embarrass” a team that had an eight-game winning streak on the Jets’ home turf worried Jets fans and veteran players alike. But after their 16-9 upset of New England yesterday, you have to say this doesn’t look like the Same Old Jets, and it’s certainly not the Same Old Jets defense. Two games into the Ryan regime, his aggressive, confusing defense has yet to surrender a touchdown, and there’s no denying that Pats quarterback Tom Brady looked mortal, completing less than 50 percent of his passes (23-for-47) for a miserable passer rating of 53.1. Ryan’s defensive scheme has bred a newfound self-respect. Free-agent linebacker Bart Scott, who accompanied the coach north from Baltimore, was effusive about how well the Jets have taken to Ryan’s style.-- PHOTOS: Jets beat Patriots, 16-9 “It’s ‘insta...