Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News

Rex Ryan has a 1 4 record against the Patriots in Foxborough, but his return to calling defensive plays could fool Tom Brady.

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Rex Ryan's best offseason move was placing his faith in himself during a watershed moment in his professional life.

Although Ryan has been rightfully criticized for curious decisions surrounding his quarterbacks in the past year, his defensive acumen is beyond reproach. He is football's Raymond Babbitt, a savant who has built a career flummoxing some of the best offensive minds of this generation.

Ryan has returned to his roots as a stalwart defensive play caller after a brief hiatus. Now, his defense just may save him in a make or break season.

The league landscape is littered with overreaction after the first weekend of football. The Jets made a defensive splash by shutting down the Buccaneers in an 18 17 season opening win on Sunday, but Ryan's unit will have to elevate its play to slow down the high octane Patriots on Thursday night in Foxborough.

The Jets still aren't playoff contenders, but Ryan's defense may be good enough to help win enough games to keep him around beyond 2013.

Ryan's group held Josh Freeman to a 48% completion rate and 67.9 passer rating and Pro Bowl running back Doug Martin to 2.7 yard per carry in Week 1. The confident head coach didn't indulge in hyperbole when asked Monday if that defensive success was a product of a questionable Tampa Bay offense or simply the Jets' dominance.

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"You guys figure it out," Ryan said. "We'll be pretty good on defense."

The Patriots, of course, are expected to present a more daunting challenge.

Bill Belichick's team underwent an offensive makeover in the offseason due to contract impasses, injuries and legal transgressions, but as Ryan wisely noted, "It's New England. It starts with Brady."

Ryan's mission to stymie Tom Brady isn't impossible. It only seems that way.

The Jets won three of the first five games in the divisional series under Ryan.

His finest moment against the AFC East rivals came during the 2010 divisional playoffs when he devised a brilliant game plan with then defensive coordinator Mike Pettine to propel the Jets to a second consecutive AFC Championship Game. Brady, http://www.lionsauthenticofficial.com/authentic-t-j-jones-jersey.html who was sacked five times, was skittish from start to finish that night.

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Ryan, however, has lost four in a row to the Patriots by an average of 16 points. The Jets are 1 4 with Ryan in Foxborough, with a 17.8 point average margin of defeat. His teams have given up an average of 31.2 points in five road games against the Patriots since 2009.

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