Rex Ryan Defends His Talk

Lets not make like one average season out of three makes us an unsuccessful team. And the reason those teams don’t do it is because their coaches have different personalities. Talking a lot of smack and winning have nothing to do with each other. If Rex didn’t make any predictions and talked up his players, we’d still have finished 8-8. The fact is, this is a team with a few stars on it, and a whole lotta average after that. Who cares what anyone else thinks of the Jets, all that matters is that they see what’s wrong and they try and fix it so Rex can predict a Superbowl next year and win it.

This is a personality difference. I also don’t see the Browns, Colts, Vikings, Rams, Bus or Redskins popping crap every week. There are just as many losing teams keeping their lips zipped as there are winning teams. And “class” in most respects is in the eye of the beholder. I like Ryan’s attitude. I’m not offended by it. I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

Frankly, given the NFL’s current reputation as the “No Fun League” I’m happy about this. I’m tired of “classy” and downright BORING organizations. I like Ryan. I loved Al Davis before he became utterly insane. I even like the Lions now. I could really do without the whole league becoming a carbon copy of the fucking Patriots.

I also don’t mind Ryan’s predictions and I think the media makes more of it than there is to make of it. If you begin your season with anything other than Superbowl or bust—with the exception of teams who know they’re going to need to build for a bit—you’re a fool.

My only complaint with Ryan is that I think he believes in his own men a little too much. Things like making Holmes a captain—while I see what he was getting at—and starting Eric Smith are bad ideas. I hope he resolves them sooner rather than later though.

If we were 14-2 right now, no one would care what Ryan was saying. When you have a frustrating season, things like Ryan’s talk becomes something to gripe about but it’s ultimately meaningless. I’m far more worried about our offense, safeties and outside linebacker than I am about whether Rex Ryan is giving a bunch of high paid professional athletes bulletin board material. At the same time, if we were 14-2 Wayne Hunter would still be a huge concern. (Kind of like I’m sure even at 15-1, Green Bay is concerned with their secondary.)

And that is what constitutes a real problem versus meaningless drivel.

The last few weeks have proven if you provide bulletin board material, you will suffer from it. Skins did it to Giants, Giants did it to us. Its not just the effect on games, its the fact that our organization looks retarded when you got a guy crying about the SB every year and now he misses the playoffs following a terrible season.

But what he says to the media, and what he says in practice are two different things. Nobody here or in the media is with the Jets 24 hours a day, they don’t know what Ryan says to the players in private, and I’m sure he’s not congratulating them after this season. What he says on camera is part showmanship. I truly believe, that Rex believes his guys are the best, and that this team can win every game they play, what’s the point in going out there if you don’t think you can win? But at the same time, I highly doubt he’s letting these guys slide when he gets the team alone, he certainly didn’t seem the type to do that in Hard Knocks.

And to your (or Lombardi’s) point here:

The more a coach talks — even if it’s the mindless prattle that Ryan has built his reputation on — the more it removes the burden of responsibility for actual improvement from the players, and you can’t win that way.

If the players really think that they don’t have to improve their game because of Ryan’s talk, then they wouldn’t be professional athletes. Some are primma donna’s, no doubt, but most of these guys have been competing their entire lives and live for the game and work their asses off everyday to improve. What Lombardi wrote is pure conjecture, he doesn’t know how this team is coached when the press isn’t there and the cameras are off.

He had a bit of that Good Ol’ Boy persona. I wouldn’t be surprised if he influenced Rex a bit.

I don’t think they come out flat. They come out not as a well-coached team. That comes from internal organization, internal communication, and the way that practices are run. And it comes from the actual make up of the team itself, the vets that know how to work and bring the best out of other teammates.

What hits the headlines I think is WAY overrated.

The Jets played a lot better in the playoffs than they did in the regualar season in Rex’s time as head coach.

When they played better in the playoffs they had internal player leadership that simply is not there this year.

And the defense at least has played a lot better than the sum of its parts.

This defense played GREAT for about 80% of the plays. Unfortunately it broke down and gave up very long drives that killed games (after the O let them down) in about 5% of the plays, and these were the most important plays of the year. In fact, this defense in the past years ALSO had this same problem, closing games down.

And regarding his ability to hold players accountable, we can’t really know what he does in private

Is there anyone who would think that Rex is anything like Parcels in private? Is there anyone who actually fears/respects Rex, as well as loving him?

It’s hard to brag and talk when you have no faith in your offense. I still get nervous when Sanchez drops back to pass. I can’t imagine people on staff aren’t worried too.