Tag: Rex Ryan (Page 10 of 23)

      Are Jets players starting to turn on Rex Ryan?

      December 13, 2010 /
      EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 12: Head coach of the New York Jets, Rex Ryan looks on from the sideline against the Miami Dolphins at New Meadowlands Stadium on December 12, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

      After losing their last two games in rather embarrassing fashion (and in two different forms of embarrassment, no less), frustrations are starting to boil over for the Jets.

      According to ESPN writer Tim Graham and New York Post reporter Mark Cannizarro, several Jets’ defensive players weren’t happy with the way Rex Ryan summed up their performance in a 10-6 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. To everyone but Ryan, the Jets’ defense played pretty well.

      “According to Rex, we played [expletive],” Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis told New York Post reporter Mark Cannizzaro. “He said we weren’t good enough. I guess we needed a shutout. I guess that’s what he was talking about.”

      The criticism did not sit well with the defensive players, likely explaining why most of them bolted from the locker room before reporters were allowed in. Linebacker Bart Scott, the so-called leader of the group, had someone bring him his clothes from his locker.

      “It’s frustrating to hear that because we played a solid game,” Ellis said. “I guess he just expects so much out of the defense that there should have been zero points on the board, not 10.”

      If I were a Jets’ defensive player, I’d be ticked off too. As I wrote in my “I’m Just Saying” column this week, watching Mark Sanchez try to run the Jets’ offense was like watching a drunk try to start a car with his house keys. He was awful, as was the entire offense.

      What more could the defense do? They came up with three huge turnovers and their offense turned them into a measly three points. And considering the Jets turned the ball over twice themselves, the defense should be lauded for only holding Miami to 10 points because it could have been worse.

      That said, I see what Ryan is trying to do. He’s not going to divide the locker room by scolding the offense and applauding the defense. He didn’t do that last year when Sanchez was running around the field like a monkey trying to hump a football and he’s not going to do it this year either. He holds his defensive players to a different standard and if players like Ellis don’t like it, then that’s their problem. Besides, one team, one collective loss.

      But again, I don’t blame Ellis and Co. for having a “WTF?” moment. There is plenty of blame to go around for the way the Jets played on Sunday, but little to none of it should be pinned on the defense. I’m sure Ryan will eventually pull some of his leaders to the side and rally the troops. After all, they’re still 9-4 and they don’t have any time to feel sorry for themselves with a trip to Pittsburgh coming up on Sunday.

      External Sports, NFL

      I thought the Jets and Patriots were supposed to be equals?

      December 7, 2010 /
      FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Tom Brady of the New England Patriots reacts after BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

      I guess I didn’t realize how much Jim Leonhard meant to the Jets.

      Apparently he’s worth about 45 points.

      If the Patriots were trying to make a statement on Monday night in their 45-3 lambasting of the Jets, then statement effectively made. There wasn’t much doubt about who the better team was and I won’t insult the Patriots by saying something like, “the Jets just weren’t prepared.”

      They probably were prepared. And they promptly got their asses handed to them by a team that nobody in the AFC wants to face in Foxboro come postseason time.

      What had to be most concerning to Rex Ryan was that his defense didn’t have the faintest idea of how to stop Tom Brady and New England’s offense. The Jets probably expect Mark Sanchez to look completely useless from time to time (even though he’s been good for most of the season), but I’m willing to bet that one of his defenses never looked like that before. It was like watching Brady and Co. work against the scout team on Wednesday – not a Monday night showdown between two of the best teams in the AFC. I know New York had some injuries on that side of the ball and that Leonhard is a key piece to their defense, but he’s not the difference between the Jets holding opponents to 17.0 points per game and 45 PPG.

      The Patriots still have a lot of issues defensively and the MNF broadcast team pointed out several times during the game that New England struggles on third down offensively. But if last night was any indication, Belichick is starting to iron those issues out. And if the Pats are peaking at the right time, then look out.

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 12 COY power rankings

      December 5, 2010 /

      The coach of the year carousel continues to spin each week in this crazy NFL season….

      1. Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs—Bonus points if he runs up the score today against the Chiefs at home.

      2. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams—Yes, they are just 5-6 but that is good for a tie of first place in the NFC West. Say it out loud—the Rams could be playoff bound.

      3. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles—Temporary setback against the Bears last week but in the driver’s seat for the NFC East crown.

      4. Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons—Tough win at home against the Packers keeps Smitty in the hunt.

      5. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears—That mid-season swoon seemed to be an aberration rather than the rule, and Lovie has this bunch believing.

      6. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Bucs—Lost big to Pittsburgh and Baltimore, which knocks Raheem down from the top.

      7. (tie) Bill Belichick, New England Patriots and Rex Ryan, New York Jets—We’re going to leave these two tied until after they face each other on Monday night.

      8. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers—If Stevie Johnson hangs on to that OT pass, we’re probably knocking Tomlin off this list, fair or not.

      9. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens—He knows this is the Ravens’ favorite time of year and expects to win in December.

      10. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants—Holding his team together through injuries, some mental lapses on the field and a tough schedule.

      External Sports, NFL

      T.G.I. Friday’s NFL Weekend Preview – Week 13

      December 3, 2010 /

      “This series is brought to you by T.G.I. Friday’s, where every Sunday means Food, Fun & Football! Hut, hut, hut!”

      The Scores Report has teamed up with T.G.I Friday’s to promote the action in Week 13 of the NFL. Here’s a look at Sunday’s top games.

      The Top-5 Games of Week 13:

      1. Jets (9-2) @ Patriots (9-2), 8:30PM ET, Monday
      Besides Panthers-Seahawks on a Sunday evening, does it get any better than Jets-Patriots on Monday Night Football? Rex Ryan vs. Bill Belichick. Tom Brady vs. Darrelle Revis. Mark Sanchez vs. Mark Sanchez. It’s outstanding football! The winner of this game will own sole possession of first place in the AFC East and if the Jets win, they’ll essentially have a two-game lead over New England by virtue of a tiebreaker (they would have won both games in the series this year). If last year is any indication, the Patriots could roll on Monday night. They lost to the Jets earlier in the season (Week 2 in fact, the same week they lost to gang green this year) and then stomped them 31-14 in Foxboro later in the year. Can Ryan figure out a way to beat Belichick on his home turf?

      2. Steelers (8-3) @ Ravens (8-3), 8:20PM ET, Sunday
      The two primetime games are outstanding this week. Just like in the Jets-Pats matchup, the winner of this game will have sole possession of first place in the division. And just like the Jets, if the Ravens win they’ll have a two-game lead over the Steelers because they would have beaten Pittsburgh twice this season. Of course, that win came during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension and even though he suffered an ankle injury last Sunday in a win over the Bills, Baltimore has had issues with Big Ben in the past. Roethlisberger has missed four games against the Ravens due to injury or suspension since entering the league, and the Steelers have lost all four games. But when he starts, they’re 7-2 against Baltimore. Can the Ravens get the best of Big Ben this year?

      3. Falcons (9-2) @ Bucs (7-4), 4:15PM ET, Sunday
      The Bucs have earned respect around the league for hanging with teams like the Falcons and Ravens over the past month. But if they truly consider themselves a playoff contender, then they need to do more than just gain teams’ respect. They’re lacking that signature win this year – one in which they beat a playoff contender (or at least beat a team with a winning record). Their seven wins have come against the Bengals, Rams, Cardinals, Panthers and 49ers. Not exactly a murderous row of opponents. But they have an opportunity this Sunday to beat a team that has struggled against them in the past. The Falcons own the top record in the NFC but Tampa Bay has always proven to be a difficult place for them to win, which dates back to the Michael Vick era. Win, and the Bucs will keep their playoff hopes very much alive. Lose, and maybe reality will start to set in for this team that they’re still a year away from competing for the postseason.

      4. Redskins (5-6) @ Giants (7-4), 1:00PM ET, Sunday
      The pressure is on the Giants after the Eagles beat the Texans on Thursday night. If New York loses this weekend, then it’ll be a full game behind Philadelphia in the NFC East and the Eagles already own the tiebreaker between the two teams (although they do play again in three weeks). This is a game that the Giants should win, but they’ve had issues with Donovan McNabb-led teams in the past. When McNabb was with the Eagles, he beat the Giants 11 out of 18 times, including once in the playoffs. That doesn’t mean his success will carry over now that he’s with the Redskins, but the Giants are well aware of what he’s done to them in the past. New York has been a careless team for most of the season and now would be a great time to start protecting the football more. They’re averaging –0.6 turnovers per game, which ranks them 26th in the league. If Tom Coughlin’s team can’t figure out a way to stop turning the ball over, then they may cough up an opportunity to go to the playoffs.

      5. Cowboys (3-8) @ Colts (6-5), 4:15PM ET, Sunday
      Everyone wants to know what’s wrong with Peyton Manning. Is his poor play of late a direct result of the injuries that the Colts have or are his skills as a passer declining? He still owns a 90.8 QB rating this season, but he’s thrown seven interceptions the past two games. Granted, those numbers are a little misleading. In the Colts’ loss to the Chargers last Sunday night, Eric Weddle should have been flagged for pass interference on one interception and another pick came at the tail end of the game when Manning was just trying to make a play by heaving one to the end zone. Still, even if you subtract those two interceptions he would still have five INTs in two games. That’s a very Brett Favre-like ratio. On the other side, the Cowboys are playing remarkably better under Jason Garrett than Wade Phillips. This isn’t the same team that was blown out by the Packers on Sunday Night Football a couple weeks back, even though Tony Romo is still nursing a shoulder injury. This is a game Manning and the Colts need to win so they can avoid dropping to 6-6 on the year. (Can you imagine the Colts at .500 this late in the season? Yeesh.)

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 11.1 COY power rankings

      November 28, 2010 /

      Are the Bucs for real? Who knows, but their coach sure is.

      1. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Bucs—Despite how well the Falcons and Saints are playing, the Bucs are making a case for three teams to come out of the NFC South for the playoffs.

      2. Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs—If he can hold off the Chargers, he’ll stay here. But that’s a big IF.

      3. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles—Raise your hand if you picked the Eagles to win the NFC East. That’s what I thought.

      4. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams—One game out of first, and it’s almost December. Yeah, the NFC West is kind of a joke, but still.

      5. Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons—The current top seed in the NFC. I wonder what Bobby Petrino is doing these days.

      6. (tie) Bill Belichick, New England Patriots and Rex Ryan, New York Jets—The mad scientist is probably watching film of the Jets all holiday weekend to get a jump; but don’t think Rex isn’t doing the same.

      7. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears—He’ll stay here if his team beats Green Bay again (January 2 at Lambeau).

      8. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars—They’re what? Leading the AFC South after Week 11?

      9. Tom Cable, Oakland Raiders—Hard to believe this guy was so close to losing his job a year ago, and look at him now.

      10. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers—Things were bleak in Pittsburgh after a crappy end to 2009 and not having Big Ben for four games to start 2010. But now they are 7-3 and one of the better teams in the AFC.

      External Sports, NFL

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