Jets-Giants rivalry game has been turned up a notch

Andre Williams has been put on notice.

The Giants rookie running back caught the Jets' attention Wednesday when he claimed the Giants are the "real New York team." And Rex Ryan's crew plans to send a message of their own on the field Friday night when the teams meet at MetLife Stadium.

"We'll answer his remarks [Friday night]," Willie Colon said after the Jets' walk-through practice at Hofstra.

Forget the preseason. This is personal.

Emotions always run high during the annual "MetLife Bowl," but the heated rivalry between the in-stadium rivals was turned up a notch by the unlikeliest of people.

Williams has since backtracked on Twitter, saying "sometimes things get taken outta context." But the damage has been done.

Asked if he was surprised Williams would set off the latest war of words, Colon replied: "Like I said, we'll answer all his remarks [Friday night]."

And the Jets right guard doesn't feel compelled to reply to Williams directly. "That's why I got 'Snacks' and I got a top defense to have that conversation with him."

Williams, a Boston College product, also caught the attention of Ryan, who took a shot at the Giants running back. "The last time I saw him, he was getting smoked by Clemson," said the Jets coach, whose youngest son, Seth, is a walk-on receiver for the Tigers.

Quarterback Geno Smith will play the first half and into the third quarter and will be relieved by Michael Vick. There will be a change in the Jets' secondary, however.

Ryan announced that rookie safety Calvin Pryor and cornerback Darrin Walls will start. It will be Pryor's first NFL start. Ryan said Ellis Lankster played well last week against the Bengals, but he'd like to see other players get an opportunity.

"And don't be surprised if you see other guys get shots in the first half just so we get a good look at them," he said.

Asked about Pryor, who has recovered from a concussion he suffered last month, Ryan said: "You know he's ready for it. You saw the game as well as I have and we've seen practices. It was more a matter of time . . . We'll rotate guys in there but certainly Calvin's a guy that we're excited about seeing play with the ones."

For the second straight week, the Jets will be playing for pride in the preseason. They committed 12 penalties, including six personal fouls, against the Bengals Saturday, as they tried to avenge a 49-9 loss in Cincinnati last year. That added motivation fueled their on-field fights with the Bengals, but Ryan doesn't expect that same level of chippiness Friday night.

"It's going to be a physical game," the coach said. "That's what we want. Believe me, [when] the Giants and Jets play, there's extra energy in it and there's all that. It's a physical game. It's not chippy, it's physical, and I think that's what the fans can look forward to on both sides."

Colon, however, disagreed.

"We're a chippy team by nature," he said. "I think the bottom line is, any time we step on the field, we take every game seriously. So we're going to play to compete and win, and we're going to play our brand of football."

And while both teams may share MetLife Stadium, there's only one true owner, Colon said.

"At the end of the day, that's our house. And we consider it our house," he said. "And there's only one way to solve it: You beat them."