Steve Serby

Steve Serby

NFL

Rex’s last shot rests in hands of a rookie

Rex Ryan tries to save his job now with the devil he knows rather than the devil he doesn’t know.

Here we are, in the first week of what looms now as another cold, cruel December, and both the head coach of the Jets and the rookie quarterback of the Jets stagger into Last Chance Saloon together, Smith trying one last time to save his bacon, and saving his coach’s bacon at the same time if he somehow does.

Professional football makes strange bedfellows indeed.

Ryan’s decision to stay with Geno Smith at a time when it might do the kid some good to take a breather doesn’t make sense if you’ve watched him wobble around the ring the last three weeks with QB ratings of 10.1, 22.3 and 8.3.

It does, however, make sense in this regard: it makes cents.

It is as much a Moneyball play by Ryan as anything else: the organization has much more of an investment in Smith, its second-round pick, than it does Simms. Rookie general manager John Idzik drafted Smith. Idzik will determine Ryan’s fate. Risky business indeed when you lobby to kick the boss’ quarterback to the curb, even temporarily.

“Looking at the tape, we’re going to [go] with — and I’m going to go with Geno as our quarterback,” Ryan said Monday evening. “I believe in Geno. I think he has the tools to be a good quarterback in this league, and I believe that.”

There is also this: Who Do You Trust? Ryan apparently couldn’t trust the inexperienced Simms any more with this ragtag group of receivers to save his job than he could trust Smith.

It is difficult to be outraged or up in arms over Ryan going back to Smith, even if it reeks of double standard coddling given rookie cornerback Dee Milliner has been benched for hideous play. Until proven otherwise, Ryan is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

Ryan, naturally, labeled it an organizational decision, directly involving Idzik and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

“I’ll look for things, but I see it with my own eyes as well,” Ryan said. “So when you make a decision, it is an organizational decision.”

For his sake, I hope he at least had final say on resisting the temptation to give Smith an emotional timeout.

“His perseverance is impressive to me,” Ryan said. “He’ll bounce back from this … and I’m just waiting for him to have a great game. I don’t think there’s a doubt he has it in him. So we’ll find out soon enough.”

Ryan would not divulge whether he would give Simms his initial first-team reps in practice this week. And Smith would not fret over the possibility of a short leash Sunday against the Raiders.

“No one’s perfect and I know that my coaches don’t expect me to go out there and be perfect,” Smith said.

When asked if he felt pressure to prove to the organization he can be its Quarterback of the Future, Smith said: ‘”No, I don’t feel any pressure. I think I’ve been trying to prove that my entire
time here. Regardless of if it’s Year 1 or Year 5 or 10 years from now, it’s still going to be the same thing because no one’s job is for certain. You got to go out there and produce on the field, and it happens on Sunday, so really that’s all it comes down to.”

What will also happen on Sunday if he doesn’t climb out of this black hole is a flock of boobirds nesting on him at every turn.

“The fans are going to be fans,” Smith said. “We love them, we appreciate their support, but they’re going to be fans. You just got to roll with it and continue to play.”

Simms rolled with it like the good soldier he is. He won’t be anyone’s bench jockey. “I didn’t play myself out of my job, that’s the key,” he said, and smiled.

Asked what his father Phil was pleased with during his relief stint in the second half Sunday, he said: “He was pleased that I didn’t make it worse.”

Ryan better hope the benching will light a fire under Smith.

“If it was a tactic to wake me up or get me going, then it definitely worked,” Smith said.

Smith should give Mornhinweg a list of his favorite plays, including more pass-run options and screens. Smith was asked whether this three-game meltdown has dented his belief or confidence. “Not one bit,” he said.

He was asked if he is certain he can correct these problems after watching the tape. “Yes, I am more than certain,” he said.

He is more more than certain than anyone and everyone else.

“He’s our best shot,” Ryan said.

He’s Ryan’s last shot. The head coach of the Jets and his rookie quarterback, strange bedfellows and Goodfellas both. If Smith doesn’t get off the deck, Deadfellas both.