Jets offensive lineman Willie Colon made it clear prior to his team’s Week 2 matchup with the Patriots that he is not very fond of the division rivals.
Well, that game didn’t turn out too well for Colon — the Jets lost 13-10, and he was fined $35,000 for his role in a late-game brawl — and with the teams’ second meeting of the season looming, the lineman isn’t changing his tune.
“I just hate them,” Colon told the New York Daily News on Wednesday, saying that his disdain for New England dates back to the Spygate scandal, which happened while he was playing in Pittsburgh.
“There is no middle ground in cheating,” he said. “You either cheated or you didn’t. I think the proof is out there on that regard. It is what it is.”
Colon did admit that he can’t help but have respect for the Patriots’ success, however. New England has taken 20 of the last 27 meeting between the teams dating back to 2001, and the Jets have not beaten the Patriots since knocking them out in the AFC divisional round following the 2010 season.
“I don’t like them. But at the same time you got to respect what they’ve done as an organization,” Colon said. “Winning Super Bowls. They’ve built a tradition there where they get it done. No matter what you feel about them personally, you got to respect that they win.”
An ugly 19-6 loss to Colon’s former team, the Steelers, last week dropped the Jets back to .500 on the season, with quarterback Geno Smith struggling after a breakout performance in a Week 5 win over Atlanta. For New York to keep within striking distance in the AFC East, Colon considers this Sunday’s matchup a must-win.
“If we want to have a chance at the division,” he said, “We got to have this game.”
