New York Jets Players Compare Todd Bowles to Rex Ryan

Kristian Dyer spoke with a couple of New York Jets players about the difference between Todd Bowles and Rex Ryan as NFL head coach. You can click on the link for the full story, but here is a sampling.

"Todd keeps it brief. He wants us to be men and act like men. He's not a 'rah-rah' guy. He gets his point across and then we go to work. It's different – very different – around here."

The player, who has been a starter with the Jets the past several seasons, paints the picture of a locker room that, over the past year, began to tire of Ryan's routine. It isn't a bashing of their old coach, per se, just that he didn't fit this team anymore.

There was some significant "tuning out" of Ryan last year, the player said, as their old head coach was seen "more like a friend than a coach." That hurt discipline and accountability, something that this player says won't be an issue under Bowles.

Comments like this are pretty standard fare after a coaching change. Around this time of year, you typically hear about how different the new guy is from the old guy, and why he is better. It tends to either be the players' coach who is reminding the team the game is supposed to be fun or the disciplinarian coming in to restore order.

I am inclined to believe this player, though, just based on what we saw on the field. I think coaches do have a shelf life, and at some point the message isn't necessarily heard. Plenty was made during the offseason about comments Jace Amaro made, (Mainly it was Rex Ryan making a big deal out of it.) but we heard indications during last season from veterans like Demario Davis and Nick Mangold that the Jets weren't preparing well.

This was probably a case where a change was in the best interest of all parties.