As Far As Rex Ryan Is Concerned, The Fat Lady Has Sung On The Jets 2009 Season

As Far As Rex Ryan Is Concerned, The Fat Lady Has Sung On The Jets 2009 Season

I can only guess that Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan didn’t look at his playoff scenario cheat sheet after the Jets lost to the Falcons on Sunday. New York surrendered a late touchdown to Tony Gonzalez and fell to 7-7 in defeat. Afterwards, head coach Rex Ryan conceded that his Jets were all but out of the fold in both the AFC East and the AFC Wild Card pictures. That’s not exactly the case, though it should come as no real surprise that Ryan was excessively hyperbolic in his remarks. It’s certainly not the first time he’s done so this year. And yes, there’s something to be said for being realistic about the team’s chances, but it’s another to express it to the media.  If the Jets win out and get some help they still can make the dance at 9-7. Sure, it might be a long shot but stranger things have happened and there’s still hope for the taking. Normally coaches are over prepared, spend too much time at camp and watch too much film – what has Rex been doing lately?

The Jets do need a lot of help. They need all the teams in front of them to lose which may sound tough, but is a possibility. The big challenge might be on their plate and not on anyone else’s. They play the undefeated Indianapolis Colts this Sunday. The question is still out there of how long the Colts’ starters will play. Regardless of the myriad scenarios out there that could still help New York sneak in to the playoffs, the bottom line is that if the Jets don’t beat the Colts, year number one of the Rex Ryan era in the Big Apple is all but over.Rex Ryan joined the Michael Kay Show on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York to talk about the post game press conference after the Falcons loss, how they game went for the Jets, and what’s in stake for the Jets this week versus the undefeated Colts

Asked about the post game comments about being out of the playoffs:

“My thing is, I guess it’s a narrow focus, but our thing was we needed to win six games in a row. We thought that would be good enough and anything less then that and we would be out. That was our mindset. When that happened I just thought we were – I thought we were out. People can write anything they want, say anything they want about us, about me, whatever. One thing I take offense to is that we threw the towel in or there is going to be some quitters. If you know anything about me that’s one thing that you can hang your hat on is the fact that there is no quit in me. I had a problem with that, I can take anything else, but I had a problem with that because that isn’t who I am. I just thought that we were out of the playoffs, but if we had zero wins we were going to play Indy and give them everything we got. Now the fact that we are in the playoff hunt , I mean we are actually in a better situation today at this time then we were last week at this time. It is a real possibility still and I don’t know why or how but I am just happy and thankful we do have the opportunity still”

Braylon Edwards called the offense embarrassing at this point asked if he agreed with Edwards:

“Well I definitely don’t think we have an embarrassing offense. I don’t feel that way at all. After a loss and things, you can be critical of things and if you look at it on the surface we had seven points and you don’t win too many games in the NFL We did some good things in that game, you know four drives over 10 plays, and of course we did have the big pass to Braylon. We did some good things; we had 33 plays in out opponent’s territory. We missed three field goals, we would be feeling a lot better about ourselves had we converted those kicks and won the game. Braylon is a great player and I love him, but I disagree with him.”

Asked when he realized there were not out of the playoffs how he addressed that with his team in the locker room:

“I told then I was dead wrong in what I said to the media and all that. They know me, I am going to speak what I think is the truth. So I think they are comfortable with that. When I found out today that that’s not the case at all, I was pleasantly shocked and happy and maybe a little embarrassed. It was more of the fact that I think our single mindness of we need to win or it doesn’t matter, that was our world as a team. Finding out now, it’s like we got a Christmas present early. Now all we have to do is go play Indianapolis, it’s not an easy task but I like the fact that we are still alive and kicking.”