Why New York's Recent Lineup Changes Will Preserve Ryan's Job with Jets

There’s no one breathing a bigger sigh of relief than Rex Ryan after the New York Jets snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ryan is finally pushing the right buttons to preserve his job for another season. Leading up to the Steelers game there was speculation he may not make it through the bye week, per ESPN New York reporter Rich Cimini.

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When a struggling team reaches the bye week, especially later in the season, there is often speculation about potential quarterback and coaching changes. The New York Jets (1-8) are on the verge of their bye week, and rumors are swirling about Rex Ryan getting fired if they get blown out Sunday by the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Ryan's job is safe -- for now. 

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The Jets' head coach will remain unscathed through this season thanks to Jaiquawn Jarrett, Michael Vick, Percy Harvin and Marcus Williams. Three of these players weren’t on the Jets' active roster to begin the season—and Vick was considered a glorified backup to potential franchise quarterback Geno Smith.

Roster turnover and an acquisition have benefited Ryan in the past few weeks.

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Harvin became the first Jets receiver to accumulate 100 receiving yards this season in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs' No. 1-ranked pass defense. Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill were the last receivers to reach the 100-yard mark within the same game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3 of the 2013 season, per Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Harvin’s production has established his position as the Jets' No. 1 receiver and most dynamic offensive skill player with his ability to return kicks. In effect, he has directly uplifted two phases of the game within three weeks.

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Smith has been the backup for Vick since a horrendous start in Week 8 against the Bills. Vick has run the offense so much better than Smith that analysts are questioning why the switch wasn’t made sooner.

ESPN New York reporter Ian O’Connor suggests Vick is a better option than Smith but isn't the option at quarterback for Gang Green.

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No matter how much fun it might be to imagine otherwise, Michael Vick probably would not have led these New York Jets to the playoffs. Chances are, the most prolific rushing quarterback of all time would not have escaped enough crumbling pockets to spare his team from the NFL no-man's land that is a 7-9 or 8-8 record.

Vick is 34, after all. He hasn't taken a team to the postseason since 2010, and he hasn't won a playoff game in 10 years.

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It’s obvious Vick is the better quarterback right now, but Gang Green had no choice but to start Smith immediately. He started all 16 games last year and ended on a strong note. The Jets were in search of their franchise quarterback. For that reason, it made sense to allow the former second-round draft pick to maintain or lose his starting position this season.

Going forward, Ryan vehemently declared Smith to be the guy under center week after week despite struggles on offense. However, if Ryan wants to hold on to his job, he'll continue to start Vick and delay Smith's inevitable return.

After Steelers cornerback Brice McCain witnessed the "Michael Vick Experience," hitting the ground after losing his ankles, Ryan cannot help but ride the veteran signal-caller's legs and strong arm as far as he can take this revamped offense. 

Throughout the season, pass coverage has been the Jets' primary flaw. Defensive backs have been shuffled all over the field to mask the shortage of talent in man-coverage situations. It started with the Antonio Allen project, moving him from safety to cornerback due to Dee Milliner’s injuries. After being shredded week after week by quarterback-receiver tandems, Allen and Phillip Adams were benched—giving reserve players an opportunity.

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Marcus Williams, who was signed from the practice squad, played two solid games against the Chiefs and Steelers. He hasn’t surrendered a touchdown in coverage and allows the lowest quarterback rating when targeted among Jets cornerbacks who have taken at least 50 snaps.

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Jarrett started in his first game against the Steelers last week and defined the term ball hawk. He forced just as many turnovers in one game as the Jets had done all season leading up to Week 10. Two interceptions, a sack and fumble recovery should uphold his spot within the starting lineup over Calvin Pryor in the short term.

According to Cimini, Pryor missed multiple meetings this season, which might have provoked the switch at safety—a notion Coach Ryan chose not to confirm or deny. Instead, he highlighted the need to promote a deserving talent.

If Pryor missed multiple meetings, his poor pass coverage didn’t help his cause to stay on the field. Ryan was quick to point out how well Jarrett played in a reserve role, but he was barely noticeable prior to the Steelers game. It’s more about what Pryor wasn’t doing on and off the field that led to Jarrett’s opportunity.

The cause for Ryan’s decision can be disputed, but kudos to him for making the decision to start a player who tilted last week’s game in the Jets' favor. Jarrett was all over the field, forcing turnovers to stymie a streaking offense.

Between Ryan’s recent on-the-field personnel decisions and general manager John Idzik’s trade for Harvin, the Jets’ six-year coach will see another year in Florham Park.

A 2-8 record isn’t something to be proud of, but the Jets are a resilient team. Every week, despite the constant bashing of their general manager and head coach, the players continue to give their all, and until Ryan loses the locker room he’s there to stay.

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics are provided by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

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