“He just came out of nowhere,” Jacobs told reporters after the game, which kept the Giants on track to reach the playoffs while putting the Jets’ chances on life support.
“He told me, ‘shut the f- up, wait ‘til we win the Super Bowl’ and I told him I’d punch him in the face,” said Jacobs, who had responded to Ryan’s braggadocio in the run-up to the game by saying the new MetLife Stadium they share would always be regarded as Giants Stadium.
“I think the Jets are a good football team. I think they’ve got a lot of talent,” added Jacobs, a bruising runner who made a key 28-yard run late in the third quarter to set up a touchdown that increased the Giants’ lead to 17-7.
Asked if he had a message for Ryan, Jacobs said: “I think you need to shut up. He’s a great coach, comes from a great coaching family, but he needs to shut up.”
Ryan saluted the Giants after the game, saying they were the better team this year.
Asked about Jacobs, the Jets coach said: “We had a private conversation. That’s all I’ll leave it as. He doesn’t like me. I respect him, but I couldn’t care less about him.”
Most of the Giants players prior to the game followed the example of their coach Tom Coughlin, who refused to be drawn into a war of words with Ryan by saying talk was cheap and questions would be answered on the field.
Jacobs, who has always been one of the more outspoken Giants players, said he had expected lots of pre-game boasting by the Jets.
“We knew that was what we were going to get as soon as he (Ryan) had the opportunity to run his big fat mouth,” said Jacobs, who said Ryan’s approach was in stark contrast to Giants coach Coughlin.
“’Shut up and play,’ that’s what he tells us.”
