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I like Rex Ryan. I think he is a fantastic coach. However he is a terrible head coach. If I was picking one coach in the NFL to lead my defense, Rex Ryan would be right up there, with the likes of Dan Quinn. However if I had to select a head coach to lead my time, Rex Ryan would be propping up the list of candidates.
Following the game against the Patriots yesterday, Rex Ryan boasted:
"We're always the team that gives (Brady) the greatest challenge, whether he admits it or not," Ryan said. "We play different than most teams in the league."
It's hard to argue with that. Brady had under 200 yards and had as many touchdowns as he did interceptions (1). However Rex will always see things from a defensive perspective. He has never mastered the art of the challenge, the art of offensive game-planning and the art of clock management. He called a timeout before we attempted a kick, that we missed. We should have allowed the Patriots to score so we could get the ball back, that message wasn't relayed to our safeties who tackled Bolden with under 2 minutes remaining.
However this game was just a reminder of the faults Rex Ryan has always possessed. You may love this coach and think he was handed a raw deal by John Idzik. He wasn't given the cornerbacks to succeed, he wasn't given the quarterback to succeed and he wasn't given the wide receivers to put points on the board. The players play hard for him, the players like him and we never quit. You can say all these things, but that's not what makes a good head coach.
Being aware of the game as a whole is what makes a good head coach. Adapting your game plan to counter what the opposing team is giving you, makes a good head coach. Masking your lack of talent by playing good fundamental football, is what makes you a good head coach.Rex Ryan hasn't evolved as a head coach, he's still the defensive mastermind who has no concept of clock management or offensive strategy that we saw in 2009.
Rex Ryan will have a lot of success in this league, if he moves back to coaching on the defensive side of the football. I would be very surprised to see him have success as a head coach. In the end the last home game was a perfect send off, close, but not quite there.