If the rookie stumbles of Geno Smith and the popgun nature of an offense seemingly stuck in quicksand, devoid of identity and playmakers, screams Marty Bawl to general manager John Idzik, then Rex Ryan is likely the ex-coach of the Jets.
If Idzik decides extenuating circumstances have contributed mightily to another rank offense, to a third straight season out of the playoffs, if he believes Marty Mornhinweg can be Smith’s quarterback whisperer and mitigate the need for an offensive-minded head coach to ignite the Jets into the current NFL space age, then Ryan should stay on the job in 2014.
David Garrard, who has seen plenty over his 12 NFL years, was asked if the front office has any trepidation about staying with Ryan because he is a defensive coach. Does Mornhinweg allay those fears?
“I would think so, just because he doesn’t have to worry about that side of the ball, Rex can always continue to just do his thing on the defensive side,” Garrard told The Post. “I think [Mornhinweg’s] a great coordinator, and it would be great to keep this nucleus together with this [West Coast] system that he has, because I know it would be even better in years to come.”
Mornhinweg has struggled trying to tiptoe between handcuffing a mistake-prone Smith with a predictable, conservative game plan and developing him at the proper rate. Only after he advised Smith before the Raiders game to let his instincts and legs take over did Smith stop playing so much like a robot. Idzik will have final say on whether Smith’s pronounced growing pains have been too painful to bear.
“I’m even more certain now than I was earlier that he could be a really good one,” Mornhinweg said.
Garrard sees the Smith-Mornhinweg relationship as a good one. “Marty’s not afraid to get on somebody, not afraid to get on Geno, or whatever quarterback, he’s had a lot of great quarterbacks over his time, so he’s seen it all,” Garrard said, “and he knows when to jump on a guy and when to feel him out, see where his head was at, and maybe not jump on him. He has good understanding of when to unleash a little bit of anger and when to pull back.”
Asked if a young quarterback would be in good hands with Mornhinweg, Garrard said: “Oh, absolutely.”
Mornhinweg, described by players as extremely detailed, twice has presided over No. 1 offenses.
“He knows how to help quarterbacks see the field, and really get the ball out of their hands,” Garrard said. “He’s given me a lot of tips that I didn’t have before. “
Ryan is all-in on Mornhinweg. “His résumé speaks for itself,” Ryan said. “It shows that it’s not just a one-trick pony. With Marty, you get a guy that can run the football, knows how to run the football, knows how to set people up … good in the red zone …. you just look at everything. You can check that box.
“I think we have the right guy.”
Mornhinweg has a pass-happy reputation — see Nick Foles 2012 — but undoubtedly at Ryan’s urging, took the air out of Smith’s giveaway game and began playing not to lose.
“He’s a great offensive coordinator — not just a good one, he’s a great one,” Jeremy Kerley said.
Willie Colon likes how Mornhinweg has nurtured Smith. “He demands a lot of Geno but he gets it,” Colon said. “He plays a nurturing but tough father role, and I think he does a great job with it.”
It’s mystifying, however, as to why Mornhinweg has not gotten tight end Kellen Winslow involved nearly enough of late. Even Mornhinweg concedes the ultra-confident former Brown deserves more playing time. Asked why he hasn’t played more, Mornhinweg said: “He should’ve. It’s just that simple.”
Mornhinweg was asked if he’s happy with the job he’s done overall this year. “Oh, now you want me to evaluate myself. I don’t go there,” he said. “I’ll do that at the end of the season. I’ve had a blast doing this thing now. I’ve enjoyed the players, I’ve learned a lot from our players. Wish we were a little bit better. We’ve bounced back so many times, I’m proud of the guys that way.”
Any true evaluation of Mornhinweg must weigh whether Smith’s progress was hindered by the worst skill position cast of characters in the league.
Asked if this were more of a challenge than he anticipated, Mornhinweg said: “Well, that’s one reason I came here. I look forward to challenges. It’s a challenge every week in this league.”
Asked if he ever has had a revolving door of skill position players due to injury as much as the 2013 Jets, he said: “Probably not quite this many. That’s part of what we do. Shoot, that last ballgame, doggone it, I thought we played pretty well for the most part with just a few exceptions, so I thought some of the fellows made some good strides even though we didn’t win the doggone thing. You put everything in it to win the game. So, that part is uncomfortable. But it’s rewarding in other ways there as well.”
He is Ryan’s third offensive coordinator in three years. The question is whether he has provided enough hope with Smith and this ragtag offense for Idzik not to hire his first head coach.