DETROIT — Jets coach Rex Ryan gave a bit of a stunning answer when asked how he would evaluate rookie quarterback Geno Smith’s performance Friday night.
“I had my own issues on the other side of the ball, so I really never focused a whole lot when he was in there,” Ryan said. “We’ll see it on tape. You guys probably saw more plays than I did.”
Huh?
Ryan has taken over the defense, but how is it possible he was not even paying attention while Smith was playing? That leads to the question of how Ryan is going to manage the game while focusing on the defense. Will he be able to manage timeouts, challenges and the clock?
Ryan also said he did not see Mark Sanchez’s interception, just Ziggy Ansah running into the end zone.
This could be Ryan’s solution to his team’s offensive problems: don’t watch.
* The Jets’ starting offensive line had two holding penalties and a false start. Overall, the Jets had 11 penalties.
“We have to eliminate those penalties,” Ryan said. “Some of them were false starts but most of them were holding and big ones. Clearly, from a technique standpoint we have to make sure we’re straight on that.”
The line also struggled to open holes in the running game. In the first half, when the starters saw most of the action, the Jets rushed for just 10 yards. Starting running back Bilal Powell had nine rushes for 14 yards.
“We were all right,” guard Willie Colon, who had a holding and a false-start penalty, said. “We were spotty. You can’t have penalties. I can’t have two penalties. I kind of lost my cool out there. That hurts the line. It kills drives.”
The Jets are extremely thin at running back and played this game without Chris Ivory (hamstring), Mike Goodson (still not in camp) and Joe McKnight (concussion). The Jets also lost another back, John Griffin, who has had a nice training camp, but injured his leg in the second half. Ryan said it is a fracture, meaning he’s likely finished for the season.
* Ryan praised WR Ben Obomanu (4 catches, 59 yards) and safety Jaiquawn Jarrett. Ryan said Jarrett will start next week.
* LB Garrett McIntyre suffered a knee injury, as did OT Dennis Landolt. … In addition to Ivory and McKnight, WR Santonio Holmes (foot), FB Lex Hilliard (undisclosed), LB Josh Mauga (back), C Dalton Freeman (ankle), G Brian Winters (ankle) and WR Titus Ryan (hamstring) did not play.