New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan: A Man of His Word

Rex Ryan is the type of coach that gets the most out of his players. Imagine how good the defense will be when he can bring in the players he wants with another training camp.

He is a man of his word.  Ryan says what he thinks.

From comments like how he won’t kiss Bill Belichick’s rings through his planned Super Bowl parade, Ryan is a sport writer’s dream.

Ryan has made a mostly boring 2009 NFL post season (to this point) fun. He makes playing football fun for his players. He shows faith in his players. He demonstrates loyalty, respect, and pride consistently.

The Jets reflect their head coach as they are proactive, not reactive on the football field. Rex Ryan is big, fat, loud, obnoxious, bold, and confident. He has a calm disposition. He is the anti-Bill Belichick.

And he wins. Winning solves and cures everything.

Because of Rex Ryan, these are not the same old Jets. As a rookie head coach with a rookie starting quarterback, Rex Ryan has earned respect for leading the New York Jets to the AFC Championship Game versus the Indianapolis Colts, in a rematch of Super Bowl III.

For many fans, the New York Jets’ Rex Ryan has become their favorite coach. The following anecdote illustrates how Ryan plays to “win” the game, rather than “not to lose” the game. The Jets were leading 17-14 in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Facing a fourth down and one at the San Diego 30-yard line, Ryan could have either called for a field goal for a potential six-point lead or a very short, pooch punt that might have the backed the Chargers inside their 10 yard line.

The Jets ran the ball off tackle, earned the first down, silenced the home crowd, and walked off the field to start to prepare for the AFC Championship Game against the Colts.

Heavily-favored Indianapolis cannot be too happy this week with a matchup with a loose and confident NY Jets team who has nothing to lose.

After pulling their starters at halftime in their Week 16 meeting with Jets, which helped New York win the game and eventually “back into” the playoffs, many people, including me, feel that the Colts showed disrespect for NFL history by not chasing 16-0 and then 19-0.

A New York Jets victory over these Indianapolis Colts Sunday would be both poetic justice and high irony.