NFL Playoff Picture: Overrated Jets Must Fire Rex Ryan After Giants Loss

The New York Jets must fire head coach Rex Ryan after this season because he is clearly unable to get his team to perform at a Super Bowl level.

The Jets were destroyed by the New York Giants during the second half in their Christmas Eve matchup, and with the loss Ryan's team fell to 8-7, one game behind the Cincinnati Bengals for the final AFC wild card playoff spot with one week to go.

Not only has Ryan been unable to develop Mark Sanchez into a quality NFL quarterback, his defense, which has been the strength of the team over the past two seasons, has been a bit disappointing this season.

The Jets have allowed 22.5 points a game this season, which ranks 21st in the league, and New York has given up at least 30 points five times this season. Last year the Jets gave up more than 30 points just twice.

However, the defense isn't the problem for the Jets, it's Ryan's inability to get his team going offensively this season.

Again, Sanchez has not progressed to the level he should be at this point in his career. His completion percentage is under 57 percent and he has thrown for less than 200 yards in eight of the Jets' 15 games this season.

Ryan cannot find a way to help Mark Sanchez become a quarterback capable of leading a team to a Super Bowl. Ryan's decision to give Sanchez the keys to the offense in the beginning of the season was a poor one and it may cost the Jets a shot at the playoffs.

Further, the Jets didn't have a 100-yard rusher until Week 7, and by that time they had lost three times already.

Fast forward to the present, and the Jets are struggling at a time they usually begin to hit their stride. Over the past two seasons the Jets have done really well in the later part of the season, and have won several regular season games in December to make the playoffs.

This season the Jets went 2-2 for December and the last two losses were to teams they are fully capable of beating.

The Jets are headed in the wrong direction at the most critical time of the year, and with his smack talk during the week leading up to the Giants clash, Ryan now looks stupid after his team was beaten soundly against their cross-town rivals.

New York needs a head coaching change for any hopes at a Super Bowl. Rex Ryan is not capable of taking this team to the next level and his immature trash talk in the media makes him look bad compared to his respectful peers who win without such talk, such as Bill Belichick.

Rex Ryan needs to go if the Jets want to win a Super Bowl anytime soon.