New York Jets: All Aboard! The Rex Ryan Bandwagon Is Coming To Town

Count me in.

You say obnoxious, pompous, attention-loving prick.

I say inspiring, confident, fun-loving mentor.

But whether you love him or hate him, you can’t deny the fact that New York Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan has a knack for garnering attention. Sometimes it has worked in his favor, other times not so much.

The latter manifested itself Sunday night on the heels of the Jets’ 24-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their AFC Championship bout. Critics and naysayers alike celebrated, enjoying a laugh at Ryan’s expense as his preseason “Soon-to-be Super Bowl Champs” proclamation burned down in flames.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

In his first two seasons with the Jets, Ryan has shown that he can talk the talk. But by leading the Jets to the AFC Championship game in both seasons, he’s proven he can walk the walk as well.

And while many are quick to point out that the Jets lost both games, they seem to overlook the difficulty of accomplishing such a feat.

Put it this way: Only six other current head coaches have reached a Conference Championship game at least twice in their careers—Bill Belichick, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin, Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid. With seven Super Bowl rings among them, Ryan finds himself in elite company only two seasons into his head coaching career.

But it’s not all about what Ryan has done, it’s also about how he’s done it.

In their two playoff runs, the Jets have accumulated four victories on the road. Only three other teams in NFL history have completed a similar run over a two-year span. In comparison, neither Tom Brady nor Peyton Manning have yet to win four playoff road games in their entire careers.

During Ryan’s tenure, the Jets’ offense has stepped up to the challenge time and time again. However, it’s been their defense that triggered the team’s transformation from pretender to contender.

In the year before Ryan’s arrival, the Jets finished 2008 ranked 16th in total defense, allowing averages of 329.4 yards and 22.3 points per game. The following year, the Jets made a stunning leap up to No. 1 in total defense, allowing averages of 253.2 yards and 14.8 points per game. This season has been no different, as the Jets finished as the league’s third-best defense.

Then there’s Ryan’s firm belief that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

After the San Diego Chargers parted ways with LaDainian Tomlinson, deeming him “washed up,” Ryan welcomed him with open arms. Tomlinson rewarded Ryan’s faith by teaming up with fellow running back Shonn Greene and providing the Jets with a formidable one-two punch in the backfield. The two combined for 1,680 yards and eight touchdowns.

However, Ryan wasn’t satisfied yet. Next on the list: Erasing Tomlinson’s reputation of underperforming come playoff time.

In eight career playoff games, Tomlinson has struggled, tallying only three touchdowns while rushing for more than 40 yards only once. But this season, under Ryan’s guidance, Tomlinson found the endzone three times, while rushing for more than 40 yards twice in just three games. Most notably, Tomlinson scored the Jets only two touchdowns in a thrilling 17-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

“I never questioned if I could [still play],” Tomlinson said. “[Coach Ryan] believed in me and worked hard with me. I think a lot of my play was to prove him right and to let everybody know I still had it.”

But while Ryan’s on-field actions are well documented, it’s what he does behind the scenes—particularly inside the locker room—that has reaped the most benefits.

After beating the Colts on the road, the Jets were faced with an even more daunting task: Beating the New England Patriots and their 9-1 home playoff record. Instead of succumbing to the Patriots and their postseason mystique, he pointed out their vulnerabilities. In one of his best motivational tactics yet, Ryan showed his team game film of the Patriots last two playoff games, both losses.

The Jets got the message loud and clear, as they sent their AFC East rivals packing with their third-straight postseason loss, by the score of 28-21.

As the Jets backflipped in jubilation, an entire nation looked on in disbelief. Nobody gave them a chance. Nobody except Rex Ryan.

It’s that belief in his team, no matter what, that has Ryan a favorite in the locker room.

“It’s great to play for him because he always has your back,” said safety James Ihedigbo. “He lets you be your own man. He treats us like grown men. He allows us to speak as long as you’re not jeopardizing the well-being of the team.”

But don’t mistake Ihedigbo’s praises as biased. Even safety Kenny Phillips agrees, and he plays for the Jets’ cross-town rivals the New York Giants.

“I would love to play for a guy like Rex,” said Phillips. “He goes to bat for his players. He’ll take the blame, he allows you to be you. He’s not asking you to hide. If you’re a guy who likes to talk, go out and talk, as long as you back it up. His guys are playing for him and I’d love to be a part of that.”

With their backs pinned against the wall, down 24-0 to the Steelers at halftime, the Jets could have easily thrown in the towel and succumbed to defeat. But that wouldn’t fit the billing of a Rex Ryan-coached team. So on they fought, displaying the never-say-die attitude instilled in them by Ryan, scoring 19 unanswered points before time finally cut their comeback short.

Even when the final whistle blew, stopping the Jets one game short of their preseason goals, Ryan showed no signs of letting up in his post-game interview.

“Our goal for next year, I got news for you,” said a defiant Ryan. “It won’t change. It’ll never change. We’re gonna chase that Super Bowl. We’re gonna chase it until we get it, and then we’ll chase it after that again.”

So go ahead, get your laughs in while you still can.

But when all’s said and done, and Ryan’s lifting up that Lombardi trophy, you’ll just be left with a foot in your mouth—one that even Ryan himself couldn’t stand to admire.