Antonio Cromartie: 'I'm No. 1A'

Antonio Cromartie bit when a reporter asked if he now considers himself the best cornerback in the NFL in the aftermath of the knee injury suffered by teammate Darrelle Revis. Of course, Cromartie said yes in a published account Friday, but he at least had the good sense to qualify it by recognizing his inconsistency and saying he’s the best when he’s “at the top of my game.”

Jets coach Rex Ryan, who is no stranger to back-page boasting, was amused by Cromartie’s proclamation and even welcomed it as a show of confidence. “I love it,” Ryan said. “I absolutely love it. Now, he’s got to go out and prove it, but I absolutely love it.

“As a corner, you have to have that kind of confidence. For him to say it, No. 1, he’s telling everybody he believes it. That’s a big part of the battle. If you think you’re good enough to go out there and man up against the best in the league, he’ll have that opportunity to prove it. But I’m happy that he feels that way. Does it put a little more pressure on him? Maybe so, but when you’re out there by yourself, I don’t know how much more pressure you can have.”