CORTLAND — Rex Ryan is starting to figure out honesty isn’t always the best policy, especially when it makes you look clueless about the most important decision to be made before the Jets’ regular-season opener.
Ryan spent much of yesterday defending himself after admitting he didn’t see much of the performances by quarterbacks Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez during Friday night’s preseason loss to the Lions.
Often criticized for spending too much time with his defense and not enough with the offense, Ryan said he “caught the tail end” of the interception thrown by Sanchez that was returned for a touchdown on the Jets’ first series, and didn’t see much of Smith’s performance because the coach was busy making defensive adjustments.
“I saw him,” Ryan said yesterday of Smith’s outing. “Did I see every single snap he took? No. Not live.”
Normally, a head coach not seeing every play his team runs in a preseason game is no big deal. That’s what the tape is for. But it’s a big deal with the Jets because this was the first live action for Smith, the second-round pick from West Virginia, and Sanchez, trying to keep his hold on the starting job. It’s also a big deal because Ryan is often viewed a defensive-minded head coach detached from his offense, now being coached by offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. That’s why Ryan admitting he didn’t see much of the quarterbacks Friday night raised eyebrows and became news.
Ryan seemed puzzled at the reaction to his admission.
“I promise you that every coach, there’s no difference,” he said. “I guess I need to be tactful and say, ‘We’ll watch the tape.’ From now on, that’s all I’m going to say.”
Truth is, coaches don’t always see everything that happens on the field. But perception can become reality, and the perception is Ryan may not have the loudest voice when it comes to naming the starting quarterback and will have very little to do with the offense this season, having hired Mornhinweg. Both might be true, but it hurts Ryan’s standing as the head coach if it’s perceived he has little input or interest in the offense.
Ryan moved yesterday to dispel that notion.
“I see every play,” he said, referring to his review of game footage. “I see every special-team play, every offensive play, every defensive play. I see every one of them.
“I guess I shouldn’t have told the truth. The truth was, ‘Did I see the interception?’ No. I heard the interception and looked up and saw the young man running with the football and said, ‘Oh, shoot,’ or, ‘Oh, something.’ ”
Every little thing can turn into a big thing with the Jets, especially when a coach is under as much pressure as Ryan. First, general manager John Idzik made headlines earlier in training camp by saying naming the starting quarterback will be an organizational decision after Ryan initially said he would have the final say. Now, the head coach is being viewed as uninterested in the offense. It’s not a good combination for an organization trying to operate in a more unified fashion.
As if to emphasize how much tape he watches, Ryan brought in a television and some videotape to his press conference yesterday for a quick session of Football 101 with the media.
He showed a couple of plays against the Lions, specifically highlighting the work of tight end Jeff Cumberland, who caught a TD pass from Sanchez.
“We need him to be a complete tight end and that’s what he’s becoming,” Ryan said.
The coach then showed some clips of the defense to brag about the way his unit pursued the football.
“It’s a big thing we talked about the first day of camp,” Ryan said.
Interestingly, Ryan didn’t focus on any clips of his quarterbacks. Deciding who will start at that position could set the franchise up for the next decade. Ryan needs to let everyone know he’s paying attention.