The NFL has told multiple teams the trash talk and bravado that surfaced this past week was expected to stay off the field.

As a result, players' controversial comments could be taken into account in evaluating any potential disciplinary action that results from illegal hits or other banned physical acts in this weekend's playoff games.

League spokesman Greg Aiello on Saturday confirmed the communication from Ray Anderson, the NFL's executive vice president for football operations, to the clubs.

There was no indication whether Anderson, the league's chief disciplinarian, specifically named any players.

Since October, the NFL has ratcheted up its enforcement of hits to defenseless players with a series of fines -- and the threat of suspension. No suspensions have been handed out, but the recent rash of trash talk before playoff games prompted Anderson to further emphasize the need to respect the game and opponents.

The latest salvo came Friday from Jets linebacker Bart Scott in reaction to Wes Welker's apparent tongue-in-cheek references to feet and toes as he spoke to the media Thursday.

The Patriots receiver is widely thought to have been poking fun at Rex Ryan over videos of the Jets coach's wife that surfaced on the Internet.

But Scott wasn't laughing.

"I'll tell you what," Scott told Newsday Friday. "Be very careful what you say about our coach. His [Welker's] days in a uniform will be numbered. Put it like that."

Scott's heated comments came three days after Antonio Cromartie unleashed a profanity-laced tirade against Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, though the Jets cornerback since has said he didn't intend it as trash talk.

"I just spoke on how I felt about somebody -- that's not trash-talking to me," Cromartie said Friday. "If you feel a certain way about somebody, then that's how you feel. I don't really care if they take it as trash talk, if they put it on the bulletin board for them to see when they walk out of the locker room. I really don't care."

The Jets face the Patriots Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.