NFL

Time for Ryan to stop lyin’

With the playoffs weeks removed from reality, the Jets still have time to deliver their beleaguered fans a proper Christmas gift, and no last-minute mall shopping is required.

The Jets can stuff their fans’ stockings with the truth or they should simply stuff it. They can stop with the lies that have been mounting on top of lies like coal in a miscreant’s stocking.

This begins with coach Rex Ryan and includes the central figures to this season’s collapse — general manager Mike Tannenbaum, Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. The four of them should share a bowl of holiday eggnog spiked with sodium pentothal.

A good dose of truth serum might set them all free and give the fans what they’ve been starving for as this team that Ryan before the season deemed “the best’’ he has ever coached has spiraled to the indignity of being 6-9 and out of the playoffs for a second consecutive year: answers.

The most prevalent purveyor of the non-truths has been Ryan — ironic considering since the day he was hired he sold himself as a coach who’s completely transparent with nothing to hide.

Ryan has been hiding truths so often in recent weeks as the season has unraveled it has to be difficult for him to keep track what he has said and hasn’t said, and that has to be tiring.

Like in that “Seinfeld’’ episode, the Bravado Ryan has become the Bizarro Ryan.

When he elevated third-string quarterback Greg McElroy to start over Sanchez and Tebow, Ryan refused to give one tangible reason why McElroy was his choice, hiding behind a repetitive series of “coach’s decision’’ default answers and sounding like a parent stonewalling his child with: “Because I said so.’’

After Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Chargers, Ryan went from simply not telling the truth about the McElroy choice to flat-out fibbing when asked why Jeremy Kerley took Wildcat snaps instead of Tebow.

Knowing about Tebow’s initial refusal to take part in the Wildcat once he was passed over as the starter was the reason, Ryan told reporters the use of Kerley was his choice and it was installed as a surprise tactic for the Chargers.

Ugh.

Why protect Tebow, a player who openly defied your orders as a head coach? Guilt for screwing him over all season? Maybe.

“I’ve been transparent,’’ Ryan insisted yesterday on a conference call when asked about his change in tact with the truth. “I’m about as open as any coach. I don’t try to hide things.’’

Examine the things Ryan has said and make the judgment for yourself about how forthcoming he has been. Ask yourself if your questions have been answered.

Ryan’s openness used to be one of his virtues as a head coach, one that separated him from the rest of the cookie-cutter coaches around the league who run 4.4s in the 40 from telling the truth. He used to deal with the truth head-on like a bully in a back-alley brawland now has turned into this meek guy running and hiding to cover his derriere.

So for Christmas, maybe Ryan can sit at the head of the table at this holiday pow-wow over the punch bowl of eggnog and state everything he has been holding back, and maybe that will liberate everyone around him to follow.

Maybe Sanchez, who’s been so PC with his answers all season he should move to Capitol Hill, will reveal how confused and ticked off he was when the team traded for Tebow. Maybe he’ll say what he really feels about Tebow and how his presence sabotaged his season. While he’s at it, Sanchez can ask Tannenbaum why he so badly neglected the offensive skill positions, leaving him with no one to throw the ball to.

Maybe Tannenbaum, who has been scarce with any public comments for weeks, will explain how he has allowed the roster to deteriorate the last two seasons. Has he been hamstrung by the owner’s financial constraints or has he simply made poor decisions?

Maybe Tebow, who has charmed every reporter around his locker with his disarming smile and a “God bless’’ while constantly concealing what was really on his mind, will address how deceived he has been by the team, which has ignored him all season. He can remind Ryan how badly he schooled the Jets defense a year ago in Denver, essentially ending their playoff hopes.

It should be interesting to see how Tebow explains the story of the last week’s events tomorrow, when he’s next available to reporters. The truth would be a good way to start. It would be a nice Christmas present to the Jets fans, the only people who’ve been more duped by the team than Tebow.