Rex Ryan boasts he can still motivate a team after Texans star Joe Mixons bye week clap-back

Rex Ryan put a cigar in his mouth when he should’ve been eating crow.The ESPN analyst and could-be second-term Jets head coach apparently lit a fire under the Texans by saying last week that the Chargers had a “bye week” by facing the Texans in the AFC wild-card round.Final score: Texans 32, Chargers 12.The Texans taunted Ryan while smoking cigars in their locker room — as seen in social media videos — which gave Ryan a chance to have the last word Sunday during ESPN’s “NFL Countdown.”“I can still motivate a team with the best of them, and things like that,” Ryan quipped, picking up his own cigar.

“My goodness.Who had a worse day: Me or Justin Herbert? It’s probably right there.”Herbert threw four interceptions, including a pick-six, for the Chargers.“You’ve got to tip your hat to them,” Ryan said of the Texans.

“Because that team played their absolute asses off.Look, if you guys were going to play like that, I would’ve taken you to win the Super Bowl.

I’m seeing, going into it, [Texans] are 1-5 against playoff teams and all that.Sorry, Houston.”It was cigar-toting running back Joe Mixon who delivered the punchline against Ryan.“Smokin’ on that Rex Ryan bye-week pack,” Mixon said in a video.The AFC South champion and fourth-seeded Texans either will visit the top-seeded Chiefs or third-seeded Ravens in next week’s Divisional playoffs.

The opponent will be determined by Sunday’s Broncos-Bills winner.Ryan’s apology didn’t last long.“I’m not picking you next week, either,” Ryan declared.“Or maybe I will.”The Jets are not scheduled to face the Texans until 2027, so it could be a while before Ryan has to face the music even if he is hired as the Jets head coach.

He interviewed for the job last week and one top candidate is off the board as Mike Vrabel landed with the Patriots — and quickly was trash-talked by Ryan....