Bleacher Report - New York Jets

Has Kerry Rhodes Gone "Hollywood?"

Chris Cipriano — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:59:28 -0500

Kerry Rhodes broke out in 2006, his second year in the league, becoming one of the stars of the Jet’s defense. He was a big pay machine recording five sacks, four interceptions, and three forced fumbles. He was deserving of the Pro Bowl, but missed out due to his relative unknown status outside of New York.

He followed up that season with a nice 2007 year as he gained recognition around the league. Renowned NFL writer, Peter King, ranked Rhodes 29th on his list of the top 500 players in the league.

Rhodes then inked a nice contract extension in the off season from Jets, totaling five years and $33.5 million, with $20 million guaranteed. It was on par with Bob Sanders' deal.

However, since signing his extension before the 2008 season, Rhodes has only recorded one sack and two interceptions compared to the seven sacks and nine interceptions he had in the ‘06 and ‘07 campaigns. And this season he has not recorded any sacks or interceptions.

This is coming to the guy who was suppose to be the Jet’s version of Ed Reed in Rex Ryan’s defense.

Rhodes’ has earned the nickname “Hollywood” over his career and appropriately so. He has appeared in two movies and has done a lot of modeling work. He has also joined Twitter and frequently tweets, updating his page numerous times per day.

Perhaps Rhodes has let his ego get in the way of his play. Maybe he prefers the movie screen and runway over the football field. He signed his big money deal and now may not be putting in the same kind of effort as before. While I’m just speculating, and may be way off, there are connections.

Watching the game on Sunday I barely even noticed he was on the field. The one time I did see him was when he allowed a Marcedes Lewis reception on a crucial third down down on the Jaguars game-winning drive.

Whatever Rhodes’ problem may be, he needs to start picking up his play. He is one of the most talented players on the Jets' team and needs to play like it before the ship sets sail on the Jets' playoff hopes.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

The Jets' Rex Ryan Cries, but He's Still a Good NFL Coach

Colin Linneweber — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:28:39 -0500

The New York Jets were defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-22 Sunday at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.

The floundering Jets (4-5) have lost five of their last six games and the odds that Gang Green will now qualify for the playoffs are slimmer than Kate Moss.

The Jets soared to a perfect 3-0 record through the first three games of the season mainly because their defense was performing at a truly dominating level.

Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan was deservedly credited for the prowess the Jets displayed on defense.

Ryan, 46, who played defensive end at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, devised chaotic blitz packages that flustered the opposition into mercy and his “Mad Scientist” nickname seemed to be appropriate.

Unfortunately for Ryan, although the Jets have continued to play solid defensively, his beloved unit has only executed sporadically during their recent swoon.

In the aftermath of this past weekend’s debacle in East Rutherford, Ryan fired his defensive-line coach, Kerry Locklin.

At first glance, skeptics would presume that Locklin was utilized as a scapegoat for the Jets recent crashes on the gridiron.

However, according to sources in the know, Locklin, who was an assistant coach with Ryan at Morehead State in the early-1990’s, had been badmouthing the “Mad Scientist” behind his back like a yellow weasel.

“There were some disagreements, let’s put it that way,” Ryan admitted. “There were some issues, some personal issues that are behind this.”

On Monday, Ryan’s recent trials and tribulations overwhelmed him and the beloved coach cried during an impassioned speech he gave to his squad.

Jets All-Pro safety Kerry Rhodes said it was “like seeing your dad cry. You never think you’ll see that. To know that he takes it that much to heart, us losing and us trying to be a winner, it makes you want to keep going.”

Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery concurred with Rhodes.

“Everything he (Ryan) says, you feel it, you feel it inside. When you see those emotions pouring out, it becomes part of you. I was about to get emotional myself.”

Ryan’s father, legendary defensive mind Buddy, said that his son’s passion is what makes him a legitimate NFL coach.

“He’s always been an emotional guy. That’s why he’s a good coach,” said Buddy Ryan. “There have been some good ones that were like that. (Dick) Vermeil cried everyday and he was a good coach.”

On the flipside, many critics have bashed Ryan for weeping and they now view the Jets leader of men as something of a vulva for wailing like a woman watching Beaches .

Ryan conceded that he needs to improve as a coach and he acknowledged that he is an atypical football general.

“I understand that there are some things that I really need to look to improve,” said Ryan, with a box of tissues purposefully placed by his side for all the media to see. “If I don’t fit the stereotype of coach speak, so be it. I’m going to always be myself.”

Ryan even mentioned that he was considering calling renowned football coach and family friend Bill Parcells for advice to improve his work on the sidelines.

“It’s not like Bill Belichick’s gonna talk to me,” Ryan said sarcastically. “Parcells may. I may put a call out to him. I know a lot of guys in this business.”

The Jets face Belichick and the New England Patriots (6-3) Sunday afternoon in a pivotal AFC East matchup at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

The Patriots lost a heartbreaker to the Colts 35-34 last Sunday in Indianapolis and Belichick has been chastised for the gamble he made on fourth down in his own territory that essentially cost his team the game.

“If I would have made that decision and it wouldn’t have worked, I’d be hanging from the Empire State Building,” said Ryan.

The Jets and their playoff lives are currently in deep peril.

Still, if they can somehow manage to trump the Patriots in New England this weekend their season will be instantly revitalized.

“This is the same football team that we beat in Week 2, so we know we can beat them,” Ryan said in reference to the Jets 16-9 victory over the Patriots in September. “I know everybody said they’re going to be mad and they’re going to be ready to get after it, and they’re going to try to whip us and all that. Guess what? We’re going to try to whip them – again.”

The Jets have suffered excruciating losses this season and it is feasible that they are a far better team than their subpar record indicates.

New England is a solid team and they will in all probability make the playoffs.

Nevertheless, the Patriots are also flawed and they can be handled once more by the Jets.

“I believe I will be a champion here,” Ryan reiterated Wednesday to members of the Associated Press.

The Jets are not going to capture the Vince Lombardi Trophy this coming February.

Regardless, the Jets can still be a playoff team and Sunday is yet another chance for Ryan and his squad to validate their Big Apple-sized mouths.

Hopefully, Brock Lesnar is not the next Bo Jackson

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8781/hopefully-brock-lesnar-is-not-the.html

Randall Cunningham Should Fly Like An Eagle To Canton

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8754/randall-cunningham-should-fly-like.html

Floyd Mayweather is a Coward if he Doesn't Fight Manny Pacquiao

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8770/floyd-mayweather-is-a-coward-if-he.html

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Jets in Crisis: Ryan and Sanchez Unravel

Leslie Monteiro — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:57:49 -0500

Losing causes people to do stupid things. New York York Jets head coach Rex Ryan and quarterback Mark Sanchez have demonstrated that in recent days, as the Jets are in crisis mode, having lost five of their last six games.

On Monday, Ryan cried in a team meeting. Soon after, he fired one of his coaches and release a backup cornerback.

Meanwhile, Sanchez was immature by setting up his own press conference and attempting to avoid questions after the Jets' frustrating loss on Sunday.

These actions are evidence of the turmoil the Jets are in. These sorts of actions are never good, especially with several weeks to go until the regular season is over.

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum should be very concerned with the way Ryan is approaching his team's slump. While everyone thinks the rookie head coach is showing his passion, his recent actions send the wrong message to his players, that he is frustrated with what is going on.

Players look for coaches to lead, to stand tall and direct them when the team is in a slump. They expect solutions out of Ryan, but so far, he hasn't been able to provide many answers.

When a coach starts losing it, players tune him out. Ryan must make sure he doesn't lose his player.

It's okay to cry in a spontaneous fashion, but if Ryan keeps doing it, well then this is nothing more than grandstanding, and that seems to be the case with what we have here.

Great coaches offer encouragement. When asked about the questionable coaching decision of Bill Belichick against the Colts last weekend, Junior Seau mentioned yesterday on SportsNet New York's Daily News Live that Bill Belichick expects his players to have a short memory about both good and bad times.

Ryan would have been better off discussing how this is an opportunity for the Jets to get back in the division race with a win against the Patriots. He should have preached about the importance of the game on Sunday.

The Jets head coach screwed up by firing defensive line coach Kerry Locklin and cutting Ahman Carroll. He made these moves in an attempt to cover himself and showed that he is doing something about the losing.

Making these moves will not make this team any better and it won't send a message to his players. These players are not smart enough to execute or perform certain plays. They can't seem to finish so it's ridiculous to blame them.

As for Mark Sanchez, one wonders what exactly was he thinking when he held that bizarre press conference after the game. He rambled incoherently when he talked about what took place in the game, and then he got testy with some of the questions that reporters asked of him.

That's not how a quarterback should be behaving, and it's a good bet Ryan and Tannenbaum talked to Sanchez about it.

Sanchez has shown flashes of greatness on the field, but being a quarterback is more than just showing up on Sundays.

He needs to be a proper spokesman to his team and he needs to be held accountable when things go bad, not shy away or act like a fool. Answering questions when he has a bad game is part of his job.

This is not the first time he acted like a child. He cried and pouted in an awful performance against the Bills.

Sanchez will learn as he grows into the job, but it's certainly something the Jets don't want to see in a time like this.

Obviously, both the rookie coach and the rookie quarterback were going to have some rocky times in their first year, but that doesn't get them off the hook.

They should not have been so naive to think that a great start would be a steppingstone to a great season. A rookie quarterback experiences rough times during the course of the year, and as confident as Sanchez is, he had to know this was going to happen eventually.

What will make both Ryan and Sanchez successful is how they get out of this situation.

They can start by winning. That's always a tonic to these problems.

Also, they need to just accept responsibility and move on rather than let the losses get the best of them.

It will take experience for that to happen.

One can only hope these two learn something from their mistakes.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Harris New Signal Caller On New York Jets Defence

David Wyatt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:27:46 -0500

Dan Leberfeld wrote today that with Jim Leonhard on the sideline, David Harris will be the man in the middle with the wired helmet relaying the plays from the sideline.

"Florham Park - With safety Jim Leonhard not likely to play this Sunday because of a broken right thumb, the Jets need to assign the helmet with the defensive signals (from the sidelines), and it looks like inside linebacker David Harris will get the wired helmet."

David Harris is considered a mild mannered, big hitter with self confidence minus the outspoken trash talking. Some thought that the duty may well be given to Kerry Rhodes , but it seems Rex has chosen the most consistent performer on the Jets defence.

I have no problems with this, not sure how much of a leader Harris is, but if he is the guy with the clearest understanding of the play-book then it's the best move. A play caller has to have a calm head, and be able to relay commands clearly and effectively in time where some may well lose his head. Not pointing at anyone in particular.

I did read that Eric Smith had taken the helmet in practise this week, but the team decided that Harris was the better option. I have to say that I would have been a little puzzled if Smith was selected ahead of a more "regular" member on the defence. He needs to concentrate on starting and adapting his game as such.

I think the same goes for Kerry Rhodes, always been a big Kerry fan, but he has not been the play-maker that many expected this year. He is not a weakness by any means, but for a man who talks as much as he does, he needs to back it up, and so far his play hasn't warranted his inflated ego.

I thought Scott might have gotten the nod, he is more of a vocal leader, a good communicator, but perhaps with his trash talking on the field Ryan didn't want to add any more responsibility to Bart, like Sean Avery with the Rangers, let him do what he does best, and that's play hard, and get up peoples noses.

Marques Douglas also had some positive things to say about the way the defensive line has practised this week after a little shake-up:

"I think today was our best day out there," defensive end Marques Douglas said. "[The] communication was excellent, we worked as a group [and] our tempo was great."

When asked if he was surprised at the shakeup, Douglas replied, "It’s kind of something you don’t think about, because we as players are supposed to play, and the coaches and GM [Mike Tannenbaum] make that decision."

Communication between the defensive players has been a problem, causing the Jets to burn precious time outs because they did not have the correct players on the field, hopefully with the new shake-up, we can save these time outs for when they will be needed.

I don't expect the Jets to win this weekend, which of course means that they will. It would be too easy on Jets fans for our play-off hope to end this early, we have to have it dashed at the last minute, because we are the New York Jets, and that is what we do.

*Edit- just because people nearly always ask me this, I spell defence this way because I'm British, and that's how we spell it*

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Was Pete Carroll Right?: Should Mark Sanchez Have Stayed at USC?

Bryan Toporek — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:34:05 -0500

Three weeks into the season, Mark Sanchez had his New York Jets out to a surprising 3-0 start. The draft’s fifth overall selection last spring was earning ridiculous nicknames like “Sanchize” and was the toast of the town.

The former USC quarterback was also quickly becoming the "Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco unflappable rookie QB" story of the year in the NFL.

Then the wheels came off.

Now, nine weeks into this NFL season, the Jets having lost five of their last six and standing at 4-5, the thought of Sanchez being the "Sanchize" might have Jets fans feeling queasy.

Sanchez's rough demise these past few weeks sent me back to January, where USC coach Pete Carroll delivered some...not so kind words regarding Sanchez's decision to declare for the NFL draft. (Check out the video here .)

Let's just take a snippet of Carroll's comments:

"The facts are so strong against this decision,” Carroll said. “After analyzing all the information, the truth is there—he should’ve stayed for another year.”

Yikes. That's harsh. But he didn't end there.

"One more year of running a team is almost priceless, so he lost the chance to fully prepare himself and become the very best he could be before going to the NFL," Carroll continued.

Okay. Clearly Sanchez's decision to enter the draft agreed with Carroll's stomach as much as week-old Chinese food.

At the time, Carroll caught a great deal of flak in the media for his comments. Media pundits ripped him for tearing down a former player, for airing his dirty laundry with Sanchez in the public, and for possibly putting USC's interests ahead of Sanchez's.

But now, with the Jets on life support in the AFC East and the USC Trojans facing the bitter reality of likely not winning the Pac-10 for the first time in eight seasons, is it too soon to ask whether both Carroll and Sanchez were in the wrong?

During Sanchez's 3-0 start, he completed 49 of 83 passes for 606 yards (59.0 percent completion), four touchdowns, and two picks, with a passer rating of 89.0 (and a rushing touchdown to boot).

In the six games since, Sanchez has completed 81 of 161 passes for 1,049 yards (50.3 percent completion), five touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, with a passer rating of 64.9 (and two rushing touchdowns, along with two fumbles).

ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook loves citing this statistic about passer rating, and it's too good not to share in this situation: "If every attempt by a quarterback falls to the ground incomplete, his rating is 39.6."

These stats place Sanchez somewhere between a Ryan/Flacco-esque rookie savior and a JaMarcus Russell-esque franchise train wreck.

So was Carroll right all along? Would an extra year at USC have prepared Sanchez for this midseason swoon?

Well, yes and no. In the first three games, Sanchez came out firing and proved that he belonged in the NFL—defensive coordinators have simply had more time to pore over tapes of the rookie and break down his weaknesses in the past few games.

It's also extremely hard to say that Carroll had only his player's best intentions in mind, looking at what has become of the once-proud USC dynasty this season in college football. While Sanchez certainly couldn't fix the defense (55 points to Stanford ?), Carroll knew that Sanchez did provide USC their best chance at a national title shot.

Without Sanchez, the Trojans likely won't even be playing for the Rose Bowl.

NFL fans must remember that Ryan and Flacco were outliers for rookie quarterbacks. Typically, rookie quarterbacks need an adjustment period to learn the speed of the NFL game, and that adjustment period sometimes even takes years.

Flacco and Ryan being able to step into their offenses on opening day last season and lead their teams into the playoffs was nothing short of remarkable, and Sanchez should not be held to those expectations.

The Jets have a promising core this year and next, with Sanchez at QB, the trio of Thomas Jones, Leon Washington (when he returns from surgery next season), and Shonn Greene in the backfield, receivers Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery out wide, and tight end Dustin Keller manning the middle of the field.

Understand that the Jets threw Sanchez to the metaphorical NFL lions (Bill Belichick in his second game? Really?) and accept that these next seven games will likely feature an NFL rookie going through the typical growing pains that most rookies confront.

Regardless of how the Sanchez situation turns out, Jets fans could have it worse. They could be former Jets head coach Eric Mangini and the Cleveland Browns.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

You're Fired: Rex Ryan Must Be Canned If Jets' Stumble Continues

Michael Cohen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:36:30 -0500

"Another one bites the dust! Another one gone! Another one gone! Another one bites the dust!"

So goes the 2009 season for the New York Jets.

Correction: So go 41 years of nothing but mediocrity and misery in the long, tortured history of the NFL's version of the Chicago Cubs.

There is not much to say after the Jets allowed the Jacksonville Jaguars to walk into Giants Stadium and slap them silly, 24-22. Sure, the Jets held a 22-21 lead, but did anyone really feel that the Jets were going to hold on and win? Really?

Mark Sanchez played 60 minutes of totally stupid football, throwing two interceptions that killed the Jets' momentum early and often.

Braylon Edwards fumbled away a 41-yard reception and dropped an easy two-point conversion.

Dustin Keller dropped a couple of huge passes that could have set the Jets up nicely in field position.

And the defense had no answer for David Garrard, Maurice Jones-Drew, and the Jaguars' usually feckless offense.

Add that to the fact that Rex Ryan, the king of boastful proclamations of change and better tomorrows, wasted away all three of his timeouts in the second half. This in turn permitted Jacksonville to put together a brilliant game-winning drive that culminated in Jones-Drew unselfishly taking a knee at the one-yard line, enabling the Jaguars to run the clock on any potential Jets comeback.

As if Sanchez were going to pull a John Elway-like miracle in the final seconds.

Ever since Ryan joined the Jets, he has put his team on a pedestal as one of the best football teams in the NFL.

He has talked, and talked, and talked about how nobody would score on "his" defense.

He talked, and talked, and talked about how "his" team would find a way to make it to the playoffs this season, even with a rookie quarterback.

When Ryan's Rebels got off to a fast 3-0 start that was highlighted by a 24-7 smackdown of the Houston Texans and an emotionally charged 16-9 victory over the New England Patriots, the expectations for the Jets from the outside matched those of its coach.

The Jets could become the best; they could be a championship contender...today.

They made it into every expert's top 10 list. People talked about how refreshing it was to see a team that could talk the talk and walk the walk. Fans dreamed that Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez, and company would finally, eventually, deliver that coveted second Super Bowl trophy to Florham Park, New Jersey.

That may still happen...one day...one year...maybe.

Maybe before we all "shuffle off this mortal coil."

But the fact remains that for the past six weeks we have seen this team turn from trash-talking winners into a bunch of blabber-mouthed losers.

When the Jets lost in Miami on a Monday night, Ryan's excuse for not using his timeouts as the Dolphins drove to the game-winning score was that he never thought the wildcat (an offense that Ryan's chatty linebacker Bart Scott called a "gimmick" offense) would score on "his" defense. They scored, easily, and the Dolphins won the game.

Problem is that Ryan forgot that the Jets are not the Baltimore Ravens. Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs are not going to walk through that door to make Rex Ryan look like a genius anytime soon, but the coach still wants to believe that his philosophy will make the Jets D into something special.

So far, it hasn't.

This past week the Jaguars ransacked that so-called great defense for over 300 yards of offense, including 123 rushing yards by Jones-Drew.

Ryan's on-field failures include not reeling in Sanchez. He should have benched his young star in the Buffalo game when he went off on a five-interception tailspin. He should have sat him down in that game to teach him the lesson that it is a privilege to start in this game, not a right.

A coach is supposed to have a feel for a game; when his quarterback doesn't have it, take him out and put someone else in who can win the damn game.

He should have never allowed Sanchez to childishly eat a hot dog on the sideline between series in Oakland, and he should never have allowed the quarterback to come across as a pissed-off college student when he told the media to talk to his hand after the Jaguar game.

Usually the great coaches ride their young QB, especially if they don't get it. Bill Parcells was famous for yelling and chasing after Phil Simms back in the day when Simms was a young and rising star; Parcells taught him how to be a professional.

Clearly, Ryan isn't getting through to his young star.

Ryan is also responsible for not insisting his special teams coach, Mike Westoff, not kick-off to Ted Ginn Jr. a second time, shortly after the speedy kick returner burned his team for a 100-yard kick return in the second Miami game.

He is also to blame for not realizing that he had 12 men on the field at several points in the Jacksonville game, prompting the team to waste timeouts.

Finally, Ryan is to blame for giving the team a midterm vacation during the team's bye week, a week that could have been used to iron things out and move his team back on track after they had lost four of their previous five.

Because of that extra week off away from any football activity whatsoever, Ryan's "invincible" defense looked rusty in the first half of the Jags game, as Jacksonville scored 21 points before anyone could say "boo." Usually, a coach gives his players a couple of days off during a bye...not seven!

If the buck stops with Bill Belichick this week for his team's failure to execute a 4th-and-2 on the 28-yard line, then the buck has to certainly stop with Ryan when his team fails to match his lofty expectations.

To make matters even more interesting, a story leaked out to the New York Post late last night that Ryan was seen crying in the Jets locker room on Monday morning.

"He didn't bash us at all; he was just very emotional...he was crying," right tackle Damien Woody told the Post. "Rex believes in our team so much, I can't even put it into words, and it would be a shame if we didn't capitalize on our opportunity.

"He was talking about the situation—this upcoming game with New England and how we're still there; how we still have a pulse," Woody said. "He said it's all about us, that nobody believes in us and that we are the only ones who believe we can get things done.

"He said, 'I believe in you; I believe you get can get this thing done,' and that's when he really got emotional."

Two things come to mind:

1) It is good to see a coach who believes in his team.

2) That being said, there is no reason for Ryan to pull this Dick Vermeil moment in the locker room. Vermeil used to pull those stunts in Philadelphia, and it didn't exactly win him any fans. Ryan has to get hold of himself; losses happen in the NFL, and bad coaching decisions happen, too.

Think Belichick was crying and sucking his thumb like a baby in the Patriots' locker room after the Colts game? Think any coach who is working with a struggling unit breaks into tears in front of his team?

I find it hard to believe.

Sure, coaching an NFL franchise is a pressure job, and there are a lot of hours and stress involved, but coaches suck it up and take the heat. They set an example for the franchise by pushing them to fight through the struggles, and if a player can't handle the heat, then they are asked to leave the field. Crying makes Ryan look weak.

How are players supposed to react to that?

Then there is another story from the Post that Ryan would seek counsel from many coaches in the NFL, including Dolphins GM Bill Parcells?!?! What? Parcells is going to help out a division rival? Please, give me a break. Why should the man steering a division rival that went out to become the Jets' "daddy" this season help Ryan and his Jets?

It makes no sense. Division rivals do not help each other; they don't talk to each other about strategy; they don't advise each other. If Parcells ever returns a phone call from Rex Ryan, it might sound like this:

"Rex? This is Bill Parcells returning your call. The only advice I can give you is to do your best and wish you good luck. By the way, who's your daddy?"

In spite of all the zaniness that has surrounded the Jets this month, this much is clear: They are at a crossroads in their season and, perhaps, at a crossroads in Ryan's head coaching career.

With a pool of experienced, winning head coaches on the market, Rex Ryan better get this team back to .500 and finish strongly, or it could be over before it ever started.

Of the Jets' final seven games, only two look winnable: at Buffalo on Dec. 2 and at Tampa Bay on Dec. 12. Outside of that, the Jets play at New England (6-3), Carolina (4-5), Atlanta (5-4), at Indianapolis (9-0), and Cincinnati (7-2). That is a combined 31-14 record for those five Jet opponents.

With their inconsistent style of play of late, the Jets could conceivably find themselves at 6-10 by season end. To many people, that would seem about what you can expect from a team with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback.

However, when a majority of the fans feel that this Jets team could win 10 games and compete for a playoff spot; when the owner boastfully guarantees playoffs before the Jaguars game; when players talk a big game all season long; and when Coach Ryan talks the talk about this year's version of the Jets from day one of mini-camp until today...6-10, 5-11, or, dare I say, 4-12 would be considered a colossal failure.

Let me ask the fans on the site: If you were the owner of a team that got off to a 3-0 start and sat and watched the team go 1-12 the rest of the way, does that head coach deserve a second chance? Even if he is a rookie? Especially when Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, and maybe Jeff Fisher are all out there waiting for the phone to ring?

For years the Jets have gone the route of hiring the rookie coach in the hope that he would turn out to be the next great one. Walt Michaels, Bruce Coslett, Pete Carroll, Herman Edwards, and Eric Mangini were all rookie head coaches when the Jets hired them, and all failed.

Coslett was average with the Jets and went on to an average stint in Cincinnati.

Carroll was fired after one 6-10 season in 1994 and went on to a few more average years in New England before becoming a football god at the collegiate level at USC.

Edwards was successful at the Jets, taking them to the playoffs three out of five years, but his erratic coaching decisions did him in. Subsequently, he was a disaster in Kansas City, while Mangini went from Mangenius to dope in a New York minute.

There is nothing wrong with going after a coach with experience. The times this franchise went after experienced head coaches, they were the better for it. Weeb Ewbank was an established winner when he came to the Jets and took the team to its lone Super Bowl title. Parcells took two different teams to the Super Bowl in his career and almost took the Jets to one in 1998.

If Woody Johnson cares about winning, if Woody Johnson cares about selling out those 2010 tickets that have been advertised online and on television all month, then Woody Johnson is going to want to put a winner on the field.

Heading into 2010 with a big-mouthed coach, and even bigger-mouthed players like Bart Scott, who predicted big things and started 3-0 only to finish 6-10 or 5-11, is not going to put fans in the seats.

Today's NFL is predicated on winning right away. That is why Jim Zorn is on the chopping block in Washington after a year and a half. That is why Mangini might be fired after one season in Cleveland. As Vince Lombardi once said, "winning isn't everything...it is the only thing."

Many times in this city have first-year coaches been fired. The Jets have fired coaches after one year; the Yankees have fired managers after a year or two. The Giants have done it, too. Everyone has done it.

Don't think for a minute that if the Jets' season continues to spiral out of control it can't happen to Rex Ryan.

Even if he is learning on the job.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Sunday Was No Fluke: Rex Ryan Defenses Don't Finish Football Games

David Geller — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:54:13 -0500

During Monday’s press conference, Rex Ryan explained that his defenses normally finish games and that he is not used to the type of performance the defense has been guilty of in the fourth quarter this season.

Like many of his promises heading into 2009, this statement is empty and erroneous.

For the past decade, the Ravens defense has been the most consistent in the NFL. Following a mediocre season in 2007, they stormed back into relevancy in 2008, carrying a rookie quarterback and rookie coach to an 11-5 record and within a game of a Super Bowl birth.

Although dominant through three quarters, the defense rarely got a chance to display finishing ability late in games. Of the eleven victories, only one was by seven points or less, which was an opening day victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, of the five losses, only two were via blowout. The other three were by a combined ten points.

Their first loss of the season came on the road in a Monday night clash against Pittsburgh. All 106 players that participated had to leave everything on the line to help his respective team attain victory. Through regulation, the game remain tied and overtime became necessary to determine a winner.

On the Steelers' first drive in extra time, the Ravens defense was unable to hand the ball back to Joe Flacco and the rest of their offense. Thanks in large part to a 24-yard catch and run by Mewelde Moore; Jeff Reed was in position to boot a 46-yard kick to ensure a Steelers victory.

This ending proved to not be a fluke for the Ravens, but the initial stage of a disturbing trend for the highly esteemed Ravens defense.

One week later, the Ravens entered the fourth quarter with a 10-3 lead at home over the undefeated Tennessee Titans. Kerry Collins had proven to be a reliable game manager at that point in the season, but made it evident through four games and three quarters he would not be able to carry his team to victory.

That is, until the fourth quarter began.

Following an early fourth quarter field goal, the Titans gained possession of the ball down by four with 6:07 left in the game. With 80 yards to go against a defense that conjured memories of the Super Bowl meeting Collins had with the Ravens in 2000, this was the time for the Ravens to put a stamp on a bounce-back victory over a very tough opponent.

Eleven plays later, those thoughts quickly dissipated, as did the Ravens' lead. An 11-yard touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler with less than three minutes left in the game thwarted any hopes of a statement game in the first week of October. Highlighted by three third-down conversions, the mighty Ravens defense looked startlingly average as Collins meticulously drove the ball down the field.

Following those losses, the Ravens defense went on a tear. Of course, an argument could be made that the only two good offenses they played in that stretch were the two that blasted the Ravens for 61 combined points (Colts and Giants).

Nonetheless, the Ravens were 9-4 heading into a December 14rh showdown against the 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers in their house. The game undoubtedly lived up to its billing for football fans nationwide. But the ending likely crushed the enthusiasm for anyone associated with the Ravens.

Carrying a 9-3 lead into the fourth quarter, the Ravens appeared to be in full control of the game. The pass rush was in Ben Roethlisberger’s face all game and the Steelers had minimal success running the ball.

With 3:36 left, the Ravens were clinging on to a 9-6 lead. After a Mewelde Moore fair catch at the eight, the Steelers appeared to be hard-pressed to tie the game, much less win it. But win it is exactly what they did.

It seemed improbable throughout the game, but the Steelers managed to do it. Including a spike late in the drive, Roethlisberger was 7/11 for 88 yards and capped off the drive with a third-down touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 43 seconds left. On the road. With the division on the line.

Great defenses come up big in those spots. Rex Ryan has not been shy to admit that. I’m just not sure if he’s unaware of his previous failures, or if he thinks he could simply carry the reputation of the decade’s most dominant defense to New York to mask his recent issues.

Of course, he would be let off easy if I stopped with that disastrous fall to Pittsburgh. One week later, the Ravens thrashed the Cowboys for three quarters and appeared to have the game well in hand. But on two separate occasions, the Ravens held a nine-point lead when Tony Romo walked onto the field. And both times, he walked off the field following a drive that lasted less than three game time minutes and culminated in a touchdown.

We never got to see what Romo would have done down by two because both times he drove the length of the field, the Ravens running backs bailed out the defense with two inconceivable 80-yard touchdown runs. Based off of history, it probably would not have ended well for Baltimore.

Like a politician, Rex Ryan came to New York with a bunch of declarations. He said he saw some of Terrell Suggs in Vernon Gholston. He said that Kerry Rhodes shared similar characteristics as all-universe safety Ed Reed.

Lastly, he said that he would bring the same mindset to New York that he instilled in Baltimore.

Based off of the Jets' four last-minute losses, Rex at least came through on one promise.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

New York Jets Continue To Struggle and Feel the Effects of a Rookie Quarterback

Luis Alvarez — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:20:14 -0500

To say the New York Jets are a sub-par team is just not true. In talent, they have the weapons, but as a whole, they are playing like a third place team.

Dwight Lowery got beat several times in the game yesterday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Lito Sheppard wasn't much better. On the other hand Jim Leonhard made some big time secondary plays, which included being able to read the pass play on the Jaguars' last drive.

Only problem was that as he tried to get S Kerry Rhodes' attention, it was too late, and Jags quarterback David Garrard hit TE Marcedes Lewis on a 33-yard passing play, basically ending the game.

But the defense is not the biggest problem, it has to be the decision making of quarterback Mark Sanchez. There are times when Sanchez looks like a veteran, and other times when he makes terrible calls on the field. There were about four different occasions where the Jaguars should have picked him off but he got lucky.

He is a much better quarterback than that, and because he's a rookie he will definitely get better.

The problem is that New York often doesn't have the patience to wait for the future, even though he is our future quarterback.

We have to remind fans to give him a break once in a while and instead of booing him, which could possibly get in his head Vince Young style, we should encourage him and let him work on being a better decision maker.

Rex Ryan, as great as it is to see him fist pumping and showing his emotions on the sidelines, has to tone down the talking off the field.

At the beginning of the season it looked like the Jets were feeding off of his comments and banter, but lately it all sounds tired. And after losing to the Dolphins twice, it makes his minor "feud" with Miami LB Channing Crowder look irrelevant.

Eventually New York fans will also get tired, especially if their team has a record under .500 after starting the season 3-0.

Now Sanchez has to go to Foxborough to face the Patriots, who would love nothing more than to take out their Sunday night frustrations on his Jets.

Follow that with a trip to Indy to face the colts in week 16, and hosting the resurrected Bengals who hopefully will have clinched by then and sit most of their guys in week 17.

The Jets aren't out of it mathematically, nor realistically, but Sanchez will have the opportunity to at least end the season on a good note, even if the Jets won't play deep into the cold weather of January.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Jets: Anger, Frustration, and a Look Ahead.

schuyler cornwell — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:35:06 -0500

Yesterday's 24-22 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars was heart-wrenching, soul-crushing Jets' football at it's best. It's difficult to fathom the collapse of the 2009 season with yesterday's defeat still lingering like the effects of a concussion on Monday morning.

Instead of standing at 5-4 with a chance to play for the division lead this weekend, the New York Jets are 4-5 and fans are wondering how a promising season morphed into head-shaking disappointment.

Four of the Jets losses this season have come by a combined fourteen points—that's 3.5 points per game. Two of those games were decided on the final kick, the other two on the final drives.

As a Jets fan, it hurts and makes you wonder what could have been, but the sobering conclusion that they still lost forces everything except frustration from your mind. In an attempt to ease your dismay and my own, there are some goals that the Jets can shoot for that will make the rest of the season a success, well for me anyway.

1. First and foremost, beat the Patriots this Sunday. If there is anything that can salvage this season, it's the promise of future division titles and defeating the Pats does that. Not to mention, it will be three straight against our division rivals, a season sweep and it's worth a smile on the face of every Jet fan.

2. If they can pull off a victory in Foxboro, it's essential that the Jets beat Buffalo and pull their division record to a respectable 3-3. That way, at the very least, we have a .500 record somewhere.

3. This next one is pretty straight forward, finish the season with a winning record. The last time the Jets had back-to-back seasons with a winning record was 2001 and 2002. It will be tough to eke out five more wins this season, but 9-7 is still possible, right?

4. I absolutely have to see Gholston get a sack this season, if he doesn't, than we're looking at the biggest bust in Jets history. Can anyone argue that he's not, when guys like Lam Jones and Blair Thomas actually showed up on the stat sheet?

5. They need to go out and find a way to win a game instead of inventing ways to lose them. The Jets haven't proven they can win a close one yet this season and it makes me wonder if they have the right mental makeup.

6. If for nothing else except peace of mind, I want to see Sanchez get 20 touchdown passes and have less than 20 interceptions. If he can get his passer rating above 75 than that's the icing on the cake.

All and all, I have to find some bright spots, because I'm tired of begging, pleading, and hoping for a win every week. I'm tired of being starved for victories and looking for anyone to pull me out of this abysmal place of football hell called Jets fandom.

I'm sure most of you will still call this season an epic failure, but I'm ready to start the season over and watch as though this Sunday is Week One. The 2010 season is too far away and it's the only way I can continue to root for the Jets this year without ruining my weekends with frustration.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Jets Offer No Defense

Leslie Monteiro — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:33:49 -0500

Rex Ryan vowed that his style of defense would make the Jets dangerous.

For the first two games, his unit made the Jets coach a genius by attacking the quarterback at will and stopping the other team's run, but since then, it's been a different story.

The wide receivers torched the Jets secondary, while the runningbacks run with no resistance, as a result of Kris Jenkins being out for the entire season.

Teams figured out Ryan's defensive schemes in October, and that's why the Jets are in a freefall.

The defense struggled for most of the game, but they received an opportunity to make amends by trying to protect a slim 22-21 lead against the Jaguars with couple of minutes to go in regulation.

It didn't happen. David Garrard threw deep couple of times, and Maurice Jones-Drew ran for many yards to put the Jaguars in Jets territory.

By then, the Jaguars milked the clock for Josh Scobee to kick the field goal that would get them out of Giants Stadium with a victory, and that's how the game ended with fans booing the home team.

This was a frustrating loss on so many levels.

For one thing, the home team lost to a team they had no business losing. The Jaguars are a mediocre team at best.

Second of all, the Gang Green wasted a good scoring drive by Mark Sanchez late in the fourth quarter and a great game plan by beleaguered Jets offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer.

Finally, they relegated themselves further behind in the AFC East and the AFC Wild Card race, and with the schedule getting tougher next month.

This is a game the Jets will rue along with the losses to the Dolphins and the Bills, if they miss the playoffs.

Maybe it's time to realize these guys are not good defensive players as they think they are. The Jets could use a playmaker on defense, but they don't have one, and it showed in the Jaguars' final drive of the game.

For all the talking Bart Scott does, he never gets to the quarterback.

Kerry Rhodes mentioned how he was going to be the next Ed Reed under Ryan's guidance, but he is not having a good season so far.

Vernon Gholston is a bust along with Lito Sheppard.

Jenkins is the Jets' best player on defense yet he is gone for the year.

Shaun Ellis underwhelms more often than not.

It's no wonder why fans groaned when the Jaguars took the field with the final minutes ticking at the game. They expected something bad to happen.

This defense lost its swagger after a fluke start.

Tom Brady expressed his frustration at Giants Stadium when the Patriots faced the Jets, but now, he looks forward to getting his revenge next week with him being at 96 percent now after looking out of sorts in September.

This is not a good thing for the Jets with the Patriots chomping at the bit of running up the score after being embarrassed by their division foe.

For all the criticism the offense gets at times, the defense gets off easy often from their head coach. They don't play smart by committing penalties on a consistent basis, and they struggle to tackle, at times.

It's hard to believe it's going to get better anytime soon especially after performing bad week after week.

At some point, it becomes a trend, and the trend is this defense does not scare anyone right now.

Seems they lost their way in New Orleans, and it has not come back since.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Ryan's Rhetoric Grows Stale

Leslie Monteiro — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:32:31 -0500

When the Jets introduced Rex Ryan to everyone for the very first time, Ryan talked of his team hanging out with President Barack Obama. He meant the Jets would win a championship when he mentioned Obama's name.

It was cute when he said it. Ryan played it smart when he talked about what he expects out of himself and his team as the new coach of the Jets.

Before training camp, he talked about how he wasn't interested in kissing Bill Belichick's rings in a drive-time show. It sounded good, since he made an impression to his players and his superiors.

One would think Ryan would stop once everyone got the point but, even once the season started, he kept talking. He called up Jets season-ticket holders to get them fired up in the team's home opener.

His approach worked when the Jets played well enough to beat the Patriots. But then the team struggled with a 3-0 start.

Now, if they don't run off some victories this month, they are in danger of letting this season get away from them.

Ryan tried to create a spark, by calling on Jets fans to get loud and create a hostile environment when the Jaguars come to town tomorrow afternoon.

At some point though, Ryan needs to realize that being chatty wears out on the fans.

Sportswriters love it, because their editors get eye-opening quotes to sell their newspapers, but fans demand that he and his team do their talking on the field, not on the podium.

Great coaches use their best speeches in the locker room for their players' attention, not for the publics'. Bill Parcells loved to speak his mind, but he knew when to quiet down.This is where Ryan needs to improve.

Ryan's act has become tiresome, especially with the team's current losses. Motivational words are great if the team is mainly winning. But when a team is losing, no one wants to hear the words, they want to see the action.

He should save his exciting words during a win or loss for the postgame. By talking almost everyday about what his team is going to do and how he believes in them, it becomes nothing more than hot air.

Sometimes, it's better if a team remains quiet and disinterested. When all is said and done, every team will approach the Jets as a game that they want to win badly.

The Dolphins will always treat their games against the Jets like the Super Bowl as long as Ryan continues to coach the Gang Green this way. Bet on the Patriots to do the same.

Ryan's team does not need that, especially when their difficult-to-win games.

Ryan shouldn't be telling fans how to react. New Yorkers know when to cheer and boo without the encouragement of the scoreboard. The Jets head coach should focus on getting his team ready to play and put them in a position to win on Sundays.

If he does that, fans will be fired up. It's that simple.

Ryan is no better than Eric Mangini, Al Groh and Herman Edwards. Maybe a little more humility and a little less talk would help the Jets win.

But maybe a losing season can make Ryan realize his act is not working. If that's the case, he may be better off.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Missed Opportunity: Jets and Chiefs Absent on Turkey Day

schuyler cornwell — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:35:02 -0500

Thanksgiving is drawing closer, carrying with it fond memories of turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, and football. From the backyard games between families to the Cowboys and Lions on TV, we all have our own traditions. The NFL, though, missed the opportunity to celebrate the beginning of the Thanksgiving Classic.

In a year where the NFL is commemorating 50 years of AFL football and force feeding us throwback jerseys of the sixties, the original AFL teams are missing. The New York Titans (Jets) and The Dallas Texans (Chiefs), played the first Thanksgiving game for the AFL.

The Titans won the game 41-35. In fact, the New York Titans played in the first three Thanksgiving games for the AFL, winning all three. It's odd that while the NFL is celebrating the AFL, the third game on Thanksgiving will be the Giants vs. the Broncos.

The Broncos are one of the original eight of the AFL, but the Giants are an NFL team. It lacks the feel of a classic Thanksgiving game.

They did get the other two games right, the Lions vs. the Packers and the Cowboys vs. the Raiders. The latter will be the AFL "Legacy game." Not a bad choice, considering the Cowboys play every Thanksgiving and the Raiders played four times on turkey day in the sixties.

Still, a game between the New York Titans and the Dallas Texans captures the essence of the AFL and it's storied beginning. They could have made a big spectacle and brought out some of the original players, like Don Maynard (10 receptions for 179 yards and one TD in that first game) or Abner Haynes (11 rushes for 157 yards and two TDs) to honor their contributions.

I don't know how scheduling is done, but missing out on a game like this feels wrong and leaves the fan of the AFL wanting.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com