Rex Ryan from a Jets fan POV

[YoloinOhio]

^^^^^^^which means the rest is crap. With the structure we now have in place, I believe Rex will thrive. It's all about the offense at this point....and not just the QB. I like the philosophy being talked about at OBD.

 

Now, make it happen.

 

to JR in Pitt

wrt the loyalty piece and being a players coach I think one part of the hiring decision had to do with the Pegulas thinking it will help attract FAs here. That plus their history of paying for talent probably makes them optimistic that this can become a place FAs want to go... That plus continued strong drafts leads to winning which leads to easier FAs/extensions of good homegrown talent and so on. I think Hughes, for one, has money at the top of his list as a factor but having Rex here instead of Marrone is likely somewhere on the list of "pros" for Buffalo. Edited January 25, 2015 by YoloinOhio

[xsoldier54]

I'm new here, and I'm a Jets fan. I wanted to join this board because I interact with a lot of fans from other AFC East teams on Jetsnation.com and now that Rex is in Buffalo I thought it would be interesting to see how his 2nd shot at running the show goes.

 

So here's my take on Rex, after 6 years of watching just about everything he did from his 1st "take a swipe at one of ours we will take a swipe at 2 of yours" press conference until his last day... a few short weeks ago. Jets fans were very split over Rex. Some diehard types signed on with Rex and never gave up on him. Others supported him when they were winning and started jumping ship somewhere around midway through the 2012 season. These days just about the whole fan base is focused on moving forward.

 

I am not a Rex Ryan fan, I should be very transparent about that. I'm not a Rex basher, but from the day he was signed I asked the question "why did one of the best run organizations in pro sports pass him over for the HC position and go with some unknown special teams coach?" I'm referring to The Ravens choosing Harbaugh over Rex in 2008. This could have caused a mutiny because Rex was so beloved by those players. But Ozzy Newsome felt that a guy, who was with that team for almost a decade at that point, was missing something important. I wondered what that was back in January of 2009.

 

I attended my first Rex Ryan practice in August of 09'. I was truly stunned at the pace and overall atmosphere. It was so casual. Rex walked around socializing with players and coaches, the drills that were being run were sloppy with zero intensity.... I was not panicked, but it seemed like something was missing.

 

I liked that Rex decided to trust his gut and start Sanchez as a rookie. He was asked about the rocky road that may lie ahead by having a rookie starter and Rex gave the best answer I ever heard. He said "with Mark we aren't waiting on a mistake, we are waiting on a play". That quote is Rex Ryan. I was impressed with that approach and it really shows the good Rex brings to the table. He got a lot out of Mark those first two years because he has an optimistic outlook that really motivates everyone around him. I would say he's special in that way.

 

So that's the positive about Rex. He believes, he motivates, and it's not an act. Trust me, this guy is the real deal, what you see is what you get.

 

Now on to the bad Rex. The reason I feel he failed with my Jets is because of one main thing... he is a good department manager.... or in the NFL a coordinator. He does not have the qualities one would want to see in a CEO. A CEO, a high level executive who leads a billion dollar business, has no room in their life for loyalty. A CEO has to be cold, calculated, and always focused on the bottom line.

 

For example, when John Harbaugh was told what happened in the elevator with Ray Rice he was the only one in the room with all of the top Ravens brass who said.... without hesitation, he needs to be cut. It's well known that Harbaugh and Rice had a very close relationship as player and coach. But the CEO mindset made it clear to Harbaugh that behavior like that couldn't be tolerated and I'm sure he was also worried about the backlash from the media. The owner of the Ravens and their legendary GM are pretty high level executives and even they admitted that Harbaugh was the only one who made that call from day 1.

 

Rex does not favor competition, because of his loyalty. Over and over I would see him crown a guy a starter (at any position) and then just let the guy struggle... not just for weeks or months but for multiple seasons. My top 3 examples are Sanchez ( I won't say much about him, he was a disaster from early 2011 to the end of 2012, it's well documented) Eric Smith (safety) and the one and only Bart Scott.

 

If you don't really follow the Jets you may not even know who Smith is. He was out starter for 3 years under Rex, and he was horrendous. He was a big hitter....and that was it. He missed tackles all over the field (week in and week out) and he couldnt cover the slowest tight end in the NFL. But he was a Rex guy, and he started like 40 plus games under Rex.

 

Scott was the #1 guy Rex targeted when he left the Ravens. Rex and our GM were actually parked in front of Bart's house in Maryland on the night free agency started in 2009. The clock struck midnight and they rang his bell. That's how much Rex needed him. He was pure, hot garbage. He was given a ridiculous contract and never came near beating out David Harris for the starting ILB spot. Not only did he miss tackles in the most glorious fashion each week but he also drew the most idiotic penalties that cost us games.

 

But, he was a big talker and Rex truly loved this guy. So he drained our salary cap and was a waste of space on our team for 4 years. This is how loyalty can hinder you as a CEO.

 

What I saw with Rex as our coach (even in 2009 & 2010 when we had success) was a few definitive characteristics.

 

Inexplicable presnap penalties and general confusion. The 12 men on the field thing happened at least 80% of the games Rex coached over his 6 years.

 

We saw the defense give up huge plays at key moments routinely, even when they would dominate 80% of the snaps. Giving up long drives before half time was common.

 

Offensively, turn overs... That's it, turn overs and horrible red zone effeciency. Remember we had 3 different OC's, 2 different highly drafted QB's and 2 different GM's. And the offense always seemed to have the same issues.

 

Stubborn play calling and overall defensive system. Rex doesn't contour anything to the talent on the team. I also never saw any halftime adjustments. If we started out struggling running the ball. In the 2nd half, we ran the ball more. If we were getting beat with long passes because of aggressive blitzing, in the second half we kept bring 6 and 7 guys on the pass rush.

 

Delusional praising of players. Just look at some of the post game pressers in 2014 alone. We'd lose by 20+ points and he would talk about how Richardson played just as hard in the 1st quarter as he did in the 4th. He may have registerd 2 tackles, zero sacks, zero passes batted down, and we gave up 100+ yards on the ground... But Rex wants to praise our defenses effort.

 

Finally was the lack of accountability. You may have followed Geno Smiths nightmare season in 2014. You all had an underachiever of your own in Buffalo. But your situation was handled properly. When the season was still up for grabs you benched your #1 draft pick from the previous year. He wasn't getting it done so you went with the vet. Rex's approach with a young QB is what I call the "ride it to the wheels come off" method. He drove Geno into the ground, while letting a savvy seasoned vet sit on the bench and watch. He waited until 1-7 to pull the guy with the 2nd worst QBR in the league. He also did nothing when Geno flipped off the fans in our stadium after being heckled for a horrendous loss, and did nothing when he skipped a team meeting the night before a game.

 

When the Seahwaks signed Mat Flynn as a free agent years back they gave him pretty decent money. I think he was getting 8 to 10 million that first year. They also drafted a 3rd rounder who was undersized and getting paid about $450,000. The underdog won the completion fair and square, and they are about to win their 2nd championship in 2 years ...and Flynn is a distance memory.

 

Rex would have NEVER started Wilson. Even if Flynn went out and threw 20 INt's. That's a fact.

 

Obviously as a a Jets fan I don't want to see the Bills or any other AFC team have success. But I honestly don't wish your team negativity with Rex. I hope he does hit the reset button and learn from the past. But keep in mind some of my observations after 6 years with him. If you see this same stuff happening it may be a red flag. So far I like the energy he's brought to Buffalo but I am pretty shocked with some of the offensive coaches he has brought with him from my Jets. Guys who have terrible track records. It feels like vintage Rex, but let's see the results before judging his decisions.

I understand your frustration as a Jets fan. Much of what happened in NY was due to a meddling front office and not Rex's doing. I know you wanted your team to win the SB and I understand that, but he took a team with inferior talent to two straight AFC championship games. To me, that spells good coaching, period. After that, there were all sorts of moves made by the FO and Rex tried to be a team player and play with the hand he was dealt. It didn't work out, but he was not solely to blame. I for one welcome his confidence and infectious attitude. He is the first real football coach we have had in Buffalo in quite some time. Sorry he didn't get your team to the SB, but if he even gets ours to the playoffs, that will spell success in Buffalo for a franchise that hasn't been there in way too long. I believe he is perfectly capable of doing so. Is he perfect? Hell no. Find me a coach that is. He has his flaws, like any other man or coach, but there is enough ability there to satisfy me. Time will tell if he will be the guy to lead us to the playoffs, but I am confident at this point until he proves me wrong. Go Bills.

[billykaykay]

The following is copied & pasted from an email from a Jets fan.

Rex has no conception of game management particularly on the offensive side. One other problem... his defenses can hold a team down for two quarters but in the last 2 minutes of a half give up a hell of a lot of points. It got so there was a string of games, in which the Jets were close or ahead, at the end of the first half gave up crucial, momentum changing scores after playing "bend don't break" defense. His guys forget the don't break part.

 

[YoloinOhio]

 

The following is copied & pasted from an email from a Jets fan.

Rex has no conception of game management particularly on the offensive side. One other problem... his defenses can hold a team down for two quarters but in the last 2 minutes of a half give up a hell of a lot of points. It got so there was a string of games, in which the Jets were close or ahead, at the end of the first half gave up crucial, momentum changing scores after playing "bend don't break" defense. His guys forget the don't break part.

 

having to play a converted LB at corner and the rest backup quality at best will do that

[billykaykay]

having to play a converted LB at corner and the rest backup quality at best will do that

Although I posted my brother's email, I personally like the hire & feel that Rex will be a success in Bflo.

[YoloinOhio]

Although I posted my brother's email, I personally like the hire & feel that Rex will be a success in Bflo.

i hope so, I really don't know because am only used to non-success but this is a new era. But I can't get over that secondary Idzik fielded with all that cap space. And I know they had injuries but he never signed anyone to suitably replace them and it happened early in the season. Both Revis and Cro wanted to come back and he didn't bother despite having the money. If I were Rex I would be livid.

[Direhard Fan]

15 seasons with no playoffs. Who can get too up or too down about our new leader. Time will tell. A new owner with no football experience is tough to gauge in wisdom. Kim has none either. Hope Doug had a big say in the choice. Rex sure talks the talk. Time will tell.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Direhard Fan

[DirtDart]

I'm new here, and I'm a Jets fan. I wanted to join this board because I interact with a lot of fans from other AFC East teams on Jetsnation.com and now that Rex is in Buffalo I thought it would be interesting to see how his 2nd shot at running the show goes.

So here's my take on Rex, after 6 years of watching just about everything he did from his 1st "take a swipe at one of ours we will take a swipe at 2 of yours" press conference until his last day... a few short weeks ago. Jets fans were very split over Rex. Some diehard types signed on with Rex and never gave up on him. Others supported him when they were winning and started jumping ship somewhere around midway through the 2012 season. These days just about the whole fan base is focused on moving forward.

I am not a Rex Ryan fan, I should be very transparent about that. I'm not a Rex basher, but from the day he was signed I asked the question "why did one of the best run organizations in pro sports pass him over for the HC position and go with some unknown special teams coach?" I'm referring to The Ravens choosing Harbaugh over Rex in 2008. This could have caused a mutiny because Rex was so beloved by those players. But Ozzy Newsome felt that a guy, who was with that team for almost a decade at that point, was missing something important. I wondered what that was back in January of 2009.

I attended my first Rex Ryan practice in August of 09'. I was truly stunned at the pace and overall atmosphere. It was so casual. Rex walked around socializing with players and coaches, the drills that were being run were sloppy with zero intensity.... I was not panicked, but it seemed like something was missing.

I liked that Rex decided to trust his gut and start Sanchez as a rookie. He was asked about the rocky road that may lie ahead by having a rookie starter and Rex gave the best answer I ever heard. He said "with Mark we aren't waiting on a mistake, we are waiting on a play". That quote is Rex Ryan. I was impressed with that approach and it really shows the good Rex brings to the table. He got a lot out of Mark those first two years because he has an optimistic outlook that really motivates everyone around him. I would say he's special in that way.

So that's the positive about Rex. He believes, he motivates, and it's not an act. Trust me, this guy is the real deal, what you see is what you get.

Now on to the bad Rex. The reason I feel he failed with my Jets is because of one main thing... he is a good department manager.... or in the NFL a coordinator. He does not have the qualities one would want to see in a CEO. A CEO, a high level executive who leads a billion dollar business, has no room in their life for loyalty. A CEO has to be cold, calculated, and always focused on the bottom line.

For example, when John Harbaugh was told what happened in the elevator with Ray Rice he was the only one in the room with all of the top Ravens brass who said.... without hesitation, he needs to be cut. It's well known that Harbaugh and Rice had a very close relationship as player and coach. But the CEO mindset made it clear to Harbaugh that behavior like that couldn't be tolerated and I'm sure he was also worried about the backlash from the media. The owner of the Ravens and their legendary GM are pretty high level executives and even they admitted that Harbaugh was the only one who made that call from day 1.

Rex does not favor competition, because of his loyalty. Over and over I would see him crown a guy a starter (at any position) and then just let the guy struggle... not just for weeks or months but for multiple seasons. My top 3 examples are Sanchez ( I won't say much about him, he was a disaster from early 2011 to the end of 2012, it's well documented) Eric Smith (safety) and the one and only Bart Scott.

If you don't really follow the Jets you may not even know who Smith is. He was out starter for 3 years under Rex, and he was horrendous. He was a big hitter....and that was it. He missed tackles all over the field (week in and week out) and he couldnt cover the slowest tight end in the NFL. But he was a Rex guy, and he started like 40 plus games under Rex.

Scott was the #1 guy Rex targeted when he left the Ravens. Rex and our GM were actually parked in front of Bart's house in Maryland on the night free agency started in 2009. The clock struck midnight and they rang his bell. That's how much Rex needed him. He was pure, hot garbage. He was given a ridiculous contract and never came near beating out David Harris for the starting ILB spot. Not only did he miss tackles in the most glorious fashion each week but he also drew the most idiotic penalties that cost us games.

But, he was a big talker and Rex truly loved this guy. So he drained our salary cap and was a waste of space on our team for 4 years. This is how loyalty can hinder you as a CEO.

What I saw with Rex as our coach (even in 2009 & 2010 when we had success) was a few definitive characteristics.

Inexplicable presnap penalties and general confusion. The 12 men on the field thing happened at least 80% of the games Rex coached over his 6 years.

We saw the defense give up huge plays at key moments routinely, even when they would dominate 80% of the snaps. Giving up long drives before half time was common.

Offensively, turn overs... That's it, turn overs and horrible red zone effeciency. Remember we had 3 different OC's, 2 different highly drafted QB's and 2 different GM's. And the offense always seemed to have the same issues.

Stubborn play calling and overall defensive system. Rex doesn't contour anything to the talent on the team. I also never saw any halftime adjustments. If we started out struggling running the ball. In the 2nd half, we ran the ball more. If we were getting beat with long passes because of aggressive blitzing, in the second half we kept bring 6 and 7 guys on the pass rush.

Delusional praising of players. Just look at some of the post game pressers in 2014 alone. We'd lose by 20+ points and he would talk about how Richardson played just as hard in the 1st quarter as he did in the 4th. He may have registerd 2 tackles, zero sacks, zero passes batted down, and we gave up 100+ yards on the ground... But Rex wants to praise our defenses effort.

Finally was the lack of accountability. You may have followed Geno Smiths nightmare season in 2014. You all had an underachiever of your own in Buffalo. But your situation was handled properly. When the season was still up for grabs you benched your #1 draft pick from the previous year. He wasn't getting it done so you went with the vet. Rex's approach with a young QB is what I call the "ride it to the wheels come off" method. He drove Geno into the ground, while letting a savvy seasoned vet sit on the bench and watch. He waited until 1-7 to pull the guy with the 2nd worst QBR in the league. He also did nothing when Geno flipped off the fans in our stadium after being heckled for a horrendous loss, and did nothing when he skipped a team meeting the night before a game.

When the Seahwaks signed Mat Flynn as a free agent years back they gave him pretty decent money. I think he was getting 8 to 10 million that first year. They also drafted a 3rd rounder who was undersized and getting paid about $450,000. The underdog won the completion fair and square, and they are about to win their 2nd championship in 2 years ...and Flynn is a distance memory.

Rex would have NEVER started Wilson. Even if Flynn went out and threw 20 INt's. That's a fact.

Obviously as a a Jets fan I don't want to see the Bills or any other AFC team have success. But I honestly don't wish your team negativity with Rex. I hope he does hit the reset button and learn from the past. But keep in mind some of my observations after 6 years with him. If you see this same stuff happening it may be a red flag. So far I like the energy he's brought to Buffalo but I am pretty shocked with some of the offensive coaches he has brought with him from my Jets. Guys who have terrible track records. It feels like vintage Rex, but let's see the results before judging his decisions.

I praise you Jets fans for coming to our board with substance, and good debate. I for one feel better with Rex at the helm than Marone. Edited January 25, 2015 by DirtDart

[Johnny Hammersticks]

As praise you Jets fans for coming to our board with substance, and good debate. I for one feel better with Rex at the helm than Marone.

I'm intrigued by your "handle," DirtDart? Seems like a euphemism for something very dark and dirty. Pun intended. lol

[hondo in seattle]

Lol! Very true.

 

And yes, thanks to the OP for such a good post.

 

Rex's defenses are great with regard to yardage, but check out points allowed the last couple of seasons. That's not all the defense's fault - bad offenses contribute a lot to that -- but the numbers aren't great. Pettine's D last year was good, but they did give up a lot of points too. This sort of D can be suffocating, but it can give up big plays. Thankfully, though, the Bills have good cornerbacks -- which is the key to this defense working. Rex didn't have that the last couple of seasons in NY.

Then again, look at the players Tannebaum and Idzik acquired for him. You can't blame a poker player for the hand he's dealt, just how he plays it.

[Beef Jerky]

Then again, look at the players Tannebaum and Idzik acquired for him. You can't blame a poker player for the hand he's dealt, just how he plays it.

 

Rex was dealt Uno cards for a poker game. Idzik picked 3 WRs last year and all three are busts... In the best WR draft he got the three busts.

[YoloinOhio]

Then again, look at the players Tannebaum and Idzik acquired for him. You can't blame a poker player for the hand he's dealt, just how he plays it.

idzik could have signed him as a FA and kept all the picks. Revis wanted to go back to the Jets. Idzik blew him off.

[Mango]

Not that I disagree with your overall post, but....

 

1) best run organizations in the NFL? Big market and exposure doesn't mean well run. You had Mangini and Herm before Rex. The GM position there has been garbage for a while. Groh is the only coach under Johnson (I didnt include Parcells because his last year was 99, and Woody bought the team in 99). 15 years 5 coaches, all losing records overall. The Bills have been hot garbage for about the same period, and nobody is calling us well run over that time. Infact the current FO is probably the most supported so far, and there are still people who think its a mess.

 

2) the Ravens thing. Bisciotti has said that he normally takes a back seat for those decisions. But got a personal recommendation from Hoodie himself, so stepped in and pushed the hire. Not sure if Rex was the front runner prior to that. May not have been, which would make your point valid.

 

3) I thought Bart Scott played a lot a pretty high level for a while. I don't know what the contract was, or his weekly production since I don't watch a ton of you guys, but every time I did Bart looked like a good player.

 

4) you did overachieve on D this year considering talent at corner in relation to the system. Which proves a prior point of yours. I took those comments as finger pointing at terrible offensive production rather than blind optimism of the how well they played.

 

5) your QB situation was much worse than ours. Geno has some better games than EJ, but EJ has yet to lay a single clunker that is anything similar to what Geno has done at times. Also Vick is garbage.

 

I hope you're wrong about personel usage and adjustments. It will absolutely be in the back of my head through the season.

[SF Bills Fan]

Good post- good insight. I see some of Marv Levy with Rex. Great motivator and the players loved him. He ran "Camp Marv" in Fredonia. It was real loose. The difference is that Marv had Jim Kelly who ran the offense. There was also string keadership up top with Polian. Whakey is no Polian. Marv was the glue that kept it all together. He kept egos in check. There were lots of big egos on that team. They bickered and it cost the team early in until they unified. I don't see egos on this team. They are unified and Rex will

help in that area and only bring them more together. But, this team has no leader like Kelly. This will be an interesting year.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

 

I agree. There are ways to counteract that loyalty. For example, it sounds like Roman will be running the entire offense. I wouldn't expect Rex to veto Roman based on "loyalty" to players.

 

But in NY, Rex either hired OCs with horrible judgement or horrible loyalty (which he failed to override/control), OR, Rex overrode his OC to keep Sanchez/Smith etc because of loyalty?

[YoloinOhio]

 

But in NY, Rex either hired OCs with horrible judgement or horribl loyalty (which he failed to override/control), OR, Rex overrode his OC to keep Sanchez/Smith etc because of loyalty?

from what I could tell, Rex liked Sanchez but never was on board with Geno.

[kota]

Good luck with your Rookie HC. I am happy to have Rex and hope that in a new situation he will correct any issues he may have.

 

The one thing you failed to account for in the entire post is the GM of the Jets. You are on your 3rd GM in 3 years. Not sure if that is Rex's issue and its pretty easy to show that the Jets haven't drafted well or gotten good value out of Free Agency. Not sure if that is Rex's fault.

[norton20]

Thanks for the detailed post. It gives me a lot to ponder about Ryan. I clearly don't follow the Jets like you do . From long range it looked to me like your defense was never the same after Kris Jenkins, who was a monster, got hurt. The Gholston pick was a diaster and after Mangold and Ferguson were drafted, they never adequately addressed the OL. Losing both Reevis and Cromartie without adequate replacements was just bad personnel work by your GM. From here it looked like major personnel problems compounded by bad QB play. Poor wideouts too.

 

I am hoping Roman can fit the scheme to his players and keep Ryan working only with the D. Lord knows the Bills have lots of good D personnel for Ryan to scheme with.

Edited January 25, 2015 by norton20

[DirtDart]

I'm intrigued by your "handle," DirtDart? Seems like a euphemism for something very dark and dirty. Pun intended. lol

Former Army Paratrooper is all.....Dirt Dart is a term of endearment:)

Edited January 25, 2015 by DirtDart

[air2mud82]

OP, I come here daily but seldom log on/post. Had to today though to tell you thank you for your well-thought out / informative post. I'm sure by the nature of being a Jets fan you're going to get some a'hole responses, I don't have time to read the follow-on posts right now, but it is posts like this that keep the spirit alive and keep me coming back.

 

I appreciate the insight from you and here's hoping for two Bills well-earned victories over your boys this year!

 

Cheers brother!