Maybe Rex Ryan just needs to slow down.
The job status of the Jets coach is going to be debated non-stop until a puff of smoke comes from Woody Johnson’s office to let us know whether Ryan is back for 2014 or sending out his résumé. Ryan has become a victim of raised expectations, largely from his own doing.
This year has been a microcosm of Ryan’s time with the Jets. They entered the season with low expectations. People predicted a 3-13 or 4-12 season (guilty). ESPN picked them as the worst team in the NFL. But then they won five of their first nine games, including wins over the Patriots and Saints, and suddenly everyone was talking playoffs.
We all know what has happened since. The Jets have lost four of their past five and officially were eliminated from playoff contention when the Ravens won on a 61-yard field goal Monday night.
Ryan’s performance this season can be viewed two ways: By winning six games this season, he got more out of his team than most expected and deserves to be back; or, by stumbling down the stretch and missing the playoffs for a third straight year, he failed and should be replaced.
The debate about Ryan’s job status would be different had the Jets started 1-4 then went 5-4 to get to this point. It would feel like the team was trending upward instead of fading.
This season mirrors Ryan’s time with the Jets. When he arrived, no one expected him to have immediate success with a rookie quarterback despite his Rose Garden predictions. He guided the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games and talk of the first Super Bowl since 1969 did not seem so silly.
We also all know what has happened since. The Jets went 8-8 in 2011, 6-10 in 2012 and are on their way to another non-winning season this year.
This again can be viewed two different ways: The Jets have been to five conference championship games in franchise history, and Ryan is the only coach who made it to two of them, meaning he deserves some slack; or, the Jets were on the brink of the Super Bowl and now they feel miles and miles away, and Ryan bears the blame for that and should be fired.
You can again make the argument the perception of Ryan would be different had he gone 8-8 and 6-10 in those first two seasons then made two AFC title games. There would be no pressure on him this season.
Ryan said Monday he does not feel like the Jets are no longer on the track to the Super Bowl. But it certainly feels like that playoff win over the Patriots in January 2011 was a long, long time ago.
“I kind of disagree with you,” Ryan said, when asked if he ever wonders what went wrong after the 2010 season. “I think that this team is on the right path. It might not be reflective in our record right now. I understand that, but I believe this team is going in the right direction.”
That’s a hard argument to make, even for Rex.
The downhill slide since 2010 is the strongest argument for firing Ryan. The talent on the team has deteriorated, and that should not be an excuse for Ryan because he’s had a hand in picking these players. He has not figured out how to coach his defense and not neglect the offense. He is on his second quarterback and third offensive coordinator, and still it feels like the Jets are lost offensively. Only the dismal Jaguars have scored fewer points than the Jets’ 246 this season.
If Ryan is fired, I think he will land another head coaching job someday. If he gets off to a slow start there, that might not be such a bad thing.
‘O’ no-go at start of 2nd halves
It looks like Rex Ryan needs to work on his halftime speeches.
The Jets have been terrible when they have received the kickoff to start the third quarter this season. It has happened eight times and here are the gory stats: Four three-and-outs, six punts, one interception returned for a touchdown and one field goal.
That is eight drives for three points.
So what is the point of deferring when you win the coin toss? The Jets have deferred in seven of those situations in order to receive the second-half kickoff. The Falcons won the coin toss and elected to receive when they played.
It stands to reason that your best offensive series should be at the beginning of each half, when the coaching staff has had time to devise a plan and communicate it with the offense. Not with the Jets.
Some of these drives have been downright ugly. Against the Falcons, the Jets lost 2 yards and went three-and out. Against the Steelers they lost 1 yard and went three-and-out. Against the Bengals, Geno Smith threw a pick-six on the first play. They gained 4 yards against the Dolphins before going three-and-out. On Sunday, they lost 6 yards before (say it with me now) a three-and-out against the Panthers.
Ryan won’t be confused with Knute Rockne anytime soon.