Even before the Ravens were officially set to travel to New England for an AFC Championship rematch next Sunday, linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo couldn’t help but stir the pot against the Patriots.
Using Twitter, the veteran was critical of the Patriots’ hurry-up offense that includes quick snaps and a no-huddle approach.
“In a sport that is predicated on mano y mano, ‘let’s hurry-up n snap it’ = b-tcha–ness,” the linebacker tweeted.
An active participant on his verified Twitter account, Ayanbadejo began taking shots at the New England offense during the Patriots’ 41-28 victory over the Houston Texans in Sunday’s divisional playoff. The Ravens will travel to Gillette Stadium to face New England in a postseason game for the third time in four years.
“New England does some suspect stuff on offense,” wrote Ayanbadejo, a three-time Pro Bowl special-teams player. “Can’t really respect it. Comparable to a cheap shot [before] a fight.
“… the hurry snap offense catch [them before] they set up,” the 36-year-old continued. “It’s a gimmick … Their offense is good enough to be successful without that.”
Poking the bear that beat the Ravens in last year’s conference championship appears unwise for a group that was praised for the quiet confidence it exuded last week despite numerous critics giving them little chance of beating the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos. It’s also worth noting Ayanbadejo didn’t play any defensive snaps and was on the field as part of the coverage units that allowed two return scores in Saturday’s 38-35 double-overtime win at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Ayanbadejo also criticized the Patriots’ infamous “SpyGate” scandal and handling of their roster.
“You know the same organization that did spygate and cut a guy the day [before] the Super Bowl,” said Ayanbadejo, referencing wide receiver Tiquan Underwood, who was released the day before last year’s Super Bowl.
The Patriots are unlikely to respond to Ayanbadejo’s comments publicly — at least head coach Bill Belichick won’t — but you can bet Ayanbadejo has already provided some bulletin-board material for the team regarded as the clear favorite in next Sunday’s AFC title game.
