"Here is the quote, the warning, that epitomizes the bravado and the swagger the Jets will bring into Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday against Philip Rivers and the Chargers. Kerry Rhodes was seated at his locker and someone reminded him that the Chargers have not scored fewer than 20 points in any game this season:

"Yeah, but they haven't faced us yet," Rhodes said.

They haven't faced us yet.

The Jets believe that their No. 1 defense is peaking at the right time.

"Right now we're a great defense," Rhodes said. "If we have to get a big stop to win a game, we can get it done."

Coach Rex Ryan and the Jets subscribe to the age-old football tenet that defense wins championships.

Ryan grew up around the 1985 Bears, whose dominating defense was coached by his father Buddy.

"If they'd win, their defense would dominate, and they'd have a running game," Ryan told The Post. "And that took them to an 18-1 year, win the Super Bowl, all that kind of stuff."