Sean Payton views the Jets as a threat to take his Saints’ Super Bowl title.
“They’re a threat to everyone,” the New Orleans head coach said today.
That’s because the head coach is a force atop the Jets’ organization.
“I like Rex Ryan,” Payton said. “He’s brought a swagger to that team. I think he’s a guy that’s fresh. I think he’s outstanding as a coach. And I think his players gravitate to him, and you see that.”
Payton knows the role intangibles can play in a championship season. He was promoting his book “Home Team,” the story of how the Saints and post-Katrina New Orleans bonded during their 2009 run to the NFL title.
Payton, a former Giants offensive coordinator, said Mark Sanchez gives the Jets a winning quarterback, too.
“I think he’s a sharp guy who’s won,” Payton said. “I think he’s played in big spots. I think he’s gonna get better. We loved him coming out (of USC in 2009). I think he’s got some of those things you look for in a young player after his rookie season.
“I thought he had good arm talent. I think he has accuracy. I think he sees himself as a competitor. There was a lot of upside with him, considering he really hadn’t started a lot of college games.”
Payton, himself outspoken at times, said he doesn’t mind Ryan’s braggadocio. Payton added that NFL teams are studying Ryan’s top-rated defense this offseason.
“I guess the No. 1 mistake young coaches can have is to try to be someone they’re not,” Payton said. “I think you have to be yourself, and I think Rex is being himself.”