Jets coach Rex Ryan (left) and Dolphins LB Channing Crowder spent two days firing barbs at each other. (Associated Press)

Jets coach Rex Ryan — perhaps taking after his outspoken father, Buddy Ryan — has wasted no time adding heat to the already hot AFC East rivalries.

Ryan has taken shots at Patriots coach Bill Belichick and now is in a verbal war with Dolphins LB Channing Crowder. Ryan told reporters Tuesday that he wasn’t even sure who Crowder was:

“All I know is that he’s all tatted up, so I guess I ought to be nervous about him. He’s right about one thing: I am a first-time head coach, but I’ve been around the game all my life. I’m no different than I’ve ever been, just that more people are listening.

“The other thing is I think he’s wrong because I do think you win in June. I think you win with your preparation and all that kind of stuff. If I was younger, I’d probably handle him myself.”

Crowder, as you can imagine, wasn’t impressed with Ryan’s response, he told the Miami Herald:

”Oh, Lord have mercy. What’s wrong with him? Now he’s talking about preparation? We play them twice this year. If he wants to be prepared, shouldn’t he know the starting middle linebackers of his division rival?

”He says he’d take care of me if he was younger? I’d have beat the hell out of that big old joker. Or if he really wants to get retro, my daddy or my uncle could have handled him. Don’t get big. Win with preparation? Start watching some tape and learn who your rival is. Come on now.”

Some other news and notes around the Web this morning:

• Are we entering a golden age of offensive tackles?

• Jets RB Leon Washington is hinting at a holdout.

• Eagles coach Andy Reid is wary of RB Brian Westbrook‘s injury but remains optimistic.

• Ravens TE L.J. Smith wants to prove that he’s not injury-prone.

• WR Terrell Owens says he’s becoming more comfortable in the Bills’ offense.

• The time is now for Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell and 49ers QB Alex Smith to show their stuff.

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