INDIANAPOLIS — The Jets are an organization famous for a guarantee, but don’t plan on hearing any new ones anytime soon.
Jets coach Rex Ryan called the Super Bowl guarantee he made last year a “huge mistake” and said he won’t do it again.
A year ago at the NFL Scouting Combine, Ryan guaranteed the Jets would win the Super Bowl. Instead, they went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. Ryan returned to the combine yesterday a bit humbled and sounding nothing like Joe Namath.
“Looking back, obviously it was a huge mistake to make that guarantee,” he said. “At the time we were coming off two championship games, I really thought it would be a thing that would actually motivate our team, you know to really talk about the Super Bowl, to focus on the Super Bowl. But in hindsight I think it put undue pressure on our team and we kind of lost focus and really we lost focus on what we do best.
“So, it’s obviously a big mistake. When I go back and I look at it I think it contributed to the season we had.”
Ryan said he has spent plenty of time thinking about what he could have done better last season. As he reflected on what went wrong, Ryan realized that his bravado put too much pressure on the Jets.
“I don’t think I wanted to admit it until after the season,” he said. “When you really start looking at yourself and how you can improve and things … we’ve said the one positive that came out of the season is we’re going to learn from our mistakes. For me not to admit that was a mistake would be ridiculous because it was a mistake.”
This is a huge change in Ryan’s philosophy. He spent his first three seasons with the Jets speaking his mind and providing plenty of bravado. He says he is not changing his belief in his team, just what he says publicly.
“You can always write that I believe our team will win,” Ryan said. “There’s no question. I’ve never gone into a game and didn’t think we’ll win. But I might not use that [guarantee] thing again.”
The Jets 2011 season ended with wide receiver Santonio Holmes and quarterback Mark Sanchez fighting and Holmes getting benched in Miami. That was followed with several weeks of players talking on and off the record about the toxicity of the Jets’ locker room.
Ryan stressed the Jets will be a close-knit team in 2012. He repeatedly emphasized the word “team.” He said they will plan on doing team-building activities but did not get specific. He also wants the Jets to have more fun this year. He believes the pressure he placed on them last year took away some of the fun.
“ I think my comment hurt us, I don’t think there is any doubt,” he said. “It put pressure on guys that, quite honestly, never needed to be. And I’ll say this about our team: We’re going to have as much fun as any team in it. Because that’s how we do business. And I was challenged by even one of our players, like, ‘Rex, you never had as much fun as you did the first two years.’ And you know what, I put the pressure on myself, there’s no doubt. But I try to put it on myself to take it off our team. I don’t think I accomplished that this season.”
So who does Ryan think will be in the Super Bowl next year?
“I have no idea,” he said. “I have something I believe will happen, but I’m not going to share it with you.”