"Former Jets safety Kerry Rhodes, often criticized for his soft play, delivered his most jarring hit in a long time Tuesday - and it was directed at his old team.

Rhodes blasted the Jets' coaches for not featuring him in the defense, suggesting they gave preferential treatment to former Ravens who were signed by Rex Ryan. He also accused the Jets of a smear campaign, claiming they spread falsehoods about his commitment to football.

"To hear that stuff kind of bothers me, but I never let it be known until now," Rhodes said yesterday in an interview with Michael Kay on 1050 ESPN New York.

Rhodes, who lost his starting job for two weeks after failing to make a single big play in the first 10 games, said he didn't get a chance to thrive because the schemes were designed for the ex-Ravens. He was alluding to Jim Leonhard and Bart Scott.

"The 'D' coordinator and the rest of the staff didn't feel like I was the focal point, or one of the focal points, of the defense," said Rhodes, who was traded to the Cards for two draft picks. "It was more like, 'Okay, we brought in our guys and our guys know the system, so we're going to let them run things and you guys just learn and fill in with them.'"