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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- Mike Pouncey took his turn at firing up the back-and-forth banter between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
The Dolphins center was angered Thursday by comments made by Jets linebacker Aaron Maybin, who told ESPNNewYork.com on Wednesday that New York wants to "knock out" Miami running back Reggie Bush, "but we're out to do it legally."
"I don't even know why Aaron Maybin is talking," Pouncey told reporters in Miami. "He's done nothing in this league to even open his mouth. I don't even want to talk about him. He's a joke.
"I think it's just him just wanting to get his name get said in the NFL. I think that's all it is."
Maybin said he had "no thoughts, no words" in response to Pouncey's comments, and added that he never intended to stir things up with what he said.
"There was no trash talk coming from this side," Maybin said. "Basically, I'll say the same thing I said yesterday: In order for us to beat Miami, we have to stop the run and that means eliminating Reggie Bush. However people wanted to take that out of context, that's fine, but I'm not going to get into it."
Maybin insisted he wasn't offended by what was said by Pouncey, including the center taking a shot at the linebacker's limited playing time by saying he would have to be "on punt team to say something" on the field to him.
"Trash talk, it's all for the newspapers," Maybin said. "I didn't have any of that for you yesterday. I don't have any today."
The Jets (3-4) and Dolphins (3-3) play at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The testiness started Wednesday when Jets coach Rex Ryan said he thought Bush should apologize for his comments that Darrelle Revis getting hurt the last time the teams played was karma. Bush took exception to Ryan saying before that game on Sept. 23 that the Jets were going to put "hot sauce" on him. The running back ended up injuring his left knee in the game, although it wasn't serious -- but his production has tailed off since he was hurt.
Ryan clarified after the game that he used "hot sauce" as a term to mean the Jets would put a lot of attention on Bush, not try to injure him.
"I apologized for my comment," Ryan said Wednesday. "I expect him to do the same."
Bush said he didn't buy Ryan's apology, and added that it was the Jets who caused the friction in the first place.
Jets safety LaRon Landry was told of Bush's comments, and said he didn't want to add to a war of words -- but then added to it all. Landry was involved in the play in which Bush was injured.
"I'm grateful for another opportunity to play this guy, and he will remember that hit," Landry said Wednesday. "Every time he sees me, he will remember that hit. If I'm in the box or I'm coming downhill, whatever, he will remember that hit. I don't worry about what those guys say."
Pouncey heard those comments, too, but gave Landry a pass.
"I respect LaRon Landry," he said. "He's a great football player. He's going to make a lot of plays. He plays hard. I can understand it from him. But Aaron Maybin? It makes no sense."
Several Dolphins players, including Kevin Burnett, Anthony Fasano and Sean Smith preferred to brush off all the trash talk, while others said it's just a part of an always-heated rivalry.
"We'll protect our own guy," defensive tackle Randy Starks said. "It's a brotherhood in here, so if something happens, you can expect some retaliation."
Starks added that the Jets have always been the kind of team that does a lot of yapping.
"If that's what they want to do, go ahead and do that," he said. "We'll do our talking on the field and we'll see what's going to happen on Sunday."
