New York Jets: Why It's the Perfect Time to Panic

Well the 2011 NFL season is over for the New York Jets, and it didn't end with a Super Bowl win, as promised by Head Coach Rex Ryan.

It's safe to say that the 2011 season for the New York Jets was an absolute disaster.  

Mark Sanchez played more like a below-average back-up, than the quarterback he has been in the playoffs the past two years. He only threw for 3,747 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions on a completion percentage of 56.7 percent.

The Plaxico Burress experiment wasn't as productive as many had hoped. He accounted for eight touchdowns, but produced zero 100-plus-yard receiving games. Burress never re-discovered his ability to scorch defenses down the field. 

It has also been reported that Jets' captain, Wide Receiver Santonio Holmes, was benched in the final two minutes of the regular season finale because he supposedly "quit" on the team.  

The worst part about Holmes "quitting" isn't that Holmes gave up; it's that the coaching staff actually believed that at some point he deserved the honor of being named Captain. This brings me to my next point.

The most alarming aspect of the Jets' season, and the substantiated reason for panic in New York, is the lack of discipline, leadership and maturity that exists within the coaching staff, which inevitably finds its way into the locker room.

Whether you love or hate Rex Ryan's laid back and comical head coaching style, the fact is he lacks the maturity that 31 other NFL head coaches have.  

There is no doubt that Ryan loves the game of football. He has a great defensive mind. He is an effective teacher of the game, at least defensively speaking.

However, all of that doesn't matter because Rex Ryan doesn't command the respect that other coaches do. And he only has himself to blame.

Here is a quote that accurately displays Rex Ryan's humanistic and social perspective when it comes to being the Jets' head coach:

 "I want my players to know who I am, just like I want to know who they are. I want there to be that connection as people. That's valuable when it comes to figuring out how to motivate somebody. It's valuable because I want that guy to fight for me, just like I want to fight for him."

That perspective is admirable and there isn't anything innately wrong with it, but what Ryan doesn't seem to realize is that being a head coach in the NFL is about demanding respect, commanding excellence and connecting to players on a professional level. 

When I listen to Rex Ryan's press conferences or interviews I get the feeling that Ryan just wants to be "one of the guys" within the Jets' locker room. That isn't what the Jets need.

They need a head coach who is going to hold players to a certain level of excellence and demand the best out of the talent that he has.

Rex Ryan has the guts to make silly and unfounded predictions, but he doesn't have the guts to call out his "franchise" quarterback, in Mark Sanchez, especially when his inadequate play was the main reason why the Jets missed the playoffs.

Rex Ryan needs to realize the importance of challenging the players on his roster, because if he doesn't the Jets will be a habitually average team for the next couple of years.

One of the main reasons why it's time to panic in New York is because the Jets' front office doesn't realize that Rex Ryan is the problem, as evidenced by their plans to revamp the offensive coaching staff, instead of replacing the head coach.  

Again, I don't think Ryan is a bad coach, I just think he lacks a level of professionalism and maturity that the Jets' players desperately need.    

The disaster known as the Jets' 2011 season will be repeated in 2012 if the Jets stick with Mark Sanchez as their franchise quarterback and Rex Ryan as their head coach.

Unfortunately, all signs are pointing towards Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez being the foundation for the Jets' future. And that my friends are the reasons why it's the perfect time to panic in the Big Apple.