Sione Pouha pulled a Rex Ryan, saying it's personal for him Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Why?
In last month's meeting, the New York Jets surrendered a season-high 146 rushing yards to the Steelers, who averaged a remarkable 5.8 yards per carry. Rashard Mendenhall ran for 99 yards and a touchdown. That was an ego blow to the Jets' defense, which allows an average of 91 yards on the ground.
Pouha is the Jets' nose tackle, and his job is to stop the run.
"For the guys up front, especially me and (Mike) DeVito, we've got to do a better job," Pouha said Wednesday. "It needs to improve. Period. No questions.
"We take it personal," he continued. "That's what we get paid for. That's what we take pride in. That's our contribution to the defensive scheme and our contribution to the team as a whole. When we feel like the weak link in the chain, you do take it personal."