FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan is feeling Super these days.
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The New York Jets' confident first-year coach believes his team should not only be favored to beat the Cincinnati Bengals but to win the Super Bowl.
During his daily news conference Wednesday, Ryan was asked what his reaction was to the team not being expected to win the championship.
"I wasn't aware of that," Ryan said, "but to me, we should be favorites, so that's fine."
"I mean in the whole tournament," he said. "You know the way that I feel."
That's right. The guy who mistakenly thought the Jets were eliminated from the playoff picture after losing to the Atlanta Falcons three weeks ago believes his team can win it all.
"I think we have the best defense, I know we do," Ryan said. "I know we have the best rushing attack. Those are two huge factors in our favor. With a couple of exceptions on our staff, myself probably, I think we have a great coaching staff."
When told of Ryan's statement, Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine smiled.
"Shocks me," said Pettine, whom Ryan brought with him from Baltimore. "Like I've said before, that's Rex being Rex."
"I want this football team," Ryan said. "I'm not going to trade our team. If I had a choice to coach any team in this tournament, I would choose this one."
The Jets, of course, haven't won the Super Bowl since 1969, when quarterback Joe Namath helped deliver the franchise's only title -- with Ryan's father, Buddy, the defensive line coach.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
