Jets coach says Ravens' Reed is best safety 'ever'

Jets coach Rex Ryan does not downplay how highly he thinks of Ravens safety Ed Reed.

“A first ballot Hall of Famer, in my opinion. The best safety that’s ever played,” Ryan said this week.

Ryan watched Reed up close as a Ravens assistant for seven seasons. Now, it’s up to Ryan to gameplan against him. Last season, Reed was injured when the Ravens and Jets met in the season opener. In that 10-9 Jets loss, quarterback Mark Sanchez could do nothing. He finished with a 56.4 passer rating and didn’t complete a pass longer than 13 yards.

This time, Sanchez has to contend with Reed, who always is looking to turn a bad pass into a defensive TD.

“I wish I had another set of eyes,” Sanchez said. “He’s one of those guys who’s that good. He’s so smart and savvy in the back end there. He just kind of plays center field. Sure, he plays his scheme and knows his assignment, but at the same time, he has a real good feel for things.”

At 33, Reed has talked about retirement but still looks like the same player he always has. He intercepted the Steelers twice in the first week of this season.


(nypost.com)