CORTLAND — Rex Ryan is betting on himself.
The Jets head coach came out swinging Monday, defending his defense and saying it will be fine no matter who is at cornerback, one day after watching two of his top three corners suffer serious injuries.
“This is going to work,” a defiant Ryan said. “We just don’t necessarily know how yet. But this defense, one thing we know for a fact, that this defense will be an outstanding defense.”
Ryan’s résumé as a defensive coach is tough to question. He has led the No. 1 defense in the NFL twice, once with the Jets and once as the Ravens defensive coordinator. Defense runs through his veins, taught to him by his legendary father, Buddy Ryan. Since he took over as head coach in 2009, the Jets have had the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, averaging 198.4 yards per game.
The 2014 season will be Ryan’s biggest defensive challenge.
During practice Monday, the Jets moved safety Antonio Allen to cornerback and had Ellis Lankster starting opposite him. Dee Milliner may miss the opener with what the Jets believe is a high left ankle sprain. Rookie Dexter McDougle is done for the season after tearing his ACL on Sunday. Dimitri Patterson, who is projected to start opposite Milliner, has three injuries that kept him out of practice and has a history of durability issues.
Can Ryan pull a cornerback out of his hat?
Ryan went into full spin cycle Monday, pumping up Allen’s ability and saying, “to me, it’s not a panic situation.”
But Ryan has to know this defense is in trouble. His system is predicated on having great cornerbacks. At the moment, he doesn’t even have a good one.
In 2013, the Jets were 22nd in pass defense, allowing the most passing yards by a Jets team since 1986. General manager John Idzik addressed that problem by crossing his fingers and hoping for the best. The Jets never attempted a reunion with Darrelle Revis, struck out on Vontae Davis, let Antonio Cromartie walk, and let Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie sign with the Giants.
Ryan defended his boss Monday, saying the Jets will be fine as long as he is calling the defense.
“I never said I had to have the best corner in football. That’s not it,” Ryan said. “My defenses work, period. I don’t care what it is. We take what we have and then we work around it. We work to the strength of our players. It’s always players over system. We’ve been around enough that it will work out.”
The truth is Ryan desperately wanted Revis back with the Jets this season, but Idzik and owner Woody Johnson did not want any part of bringing him back. The Jets stood idly by as the rival Patriots took Revis right out from under them after the Buccaneers cut him loose. They could have used some of that $21 million left in salary cap space to bring Revis back. He’s making $12 million in New England this year. Instead, they signed Patterson, who is on his seventh team in 10 years.
Ryan’s case that he does not need elite cornerbacks does not really hold up when you look at his defenses through the years. Ryan took over as defensive coordinator in Baltimore in 2005. Since then, these have been his primary starting cornerbacks with the Ravens and Jets: Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Fabian Washington, Corey Ivy, Revis, Lito Sheppard, Cromartie, Kyle Wilson and Milliner. Of those nine players, only Ivy and Rolle were not first-round picks, and Rolle was taken in the second round by the Titans.
It’s not as if Ryan has been coaching the no-name defense. Ryan also ignores that his defenses have gotten progressively worse with the Jets, going from No. 1 in the league in 2009 to 11th last year.
Ryan scoffed at the idea the Jets’ cornerback situation is dire. He’s gambling on his ability to scheme something up. It’s a bet he can’t lose.