Rex Ryan On Mark Sanchez: “mark Does Give Us The Best Chance To Win In My Opinion As A Starting Quarterback”

Rex Ryan on Mark Sanchez: “Mark does give us the best chance to win in my opinion as a starting quarterback”

It seems like so long ago when the New York Jets were one of the top teams in the AFC and a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Since their last playoff appearance two years ago, the Jets have gone in reverse. Drama, injuries, poor coaching, poor quarterback play and just bad overall talent have all contributed to quite a collapse for New York. After winning eight games last season, the Jets will need quite a run to get back to that mark this year. In New York a lot of the blame is getting placed on Mark Sanchez. That’s usually the way it works in the NFL. Quarterbacks tend to get the most blame when things are going bad and the most love when things are going good. The struggles of the Jets have led to Tim Tebow calls from many in the Big Apple. The thinking is that it was Tebow who revived a lifeless offense in Denver a season ago so perhaps he deserves one more opportunity to do the same with this abysmal Jets team. However instead of throwing the ball to the likes of Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, he would be tossing it to Stephen Hill, Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates and instead of running with Willis McGahee, he would be handing off to Shonn Greene. With that supporting cast it’s tough to see Tim Tebow or any other quarterback having that much success in New York this season.

Rex Ryan joined ESPN Radio in New York with Michael Kay to talk about what positives he can take from the loss against the Seahawks, on his quarterback situation, whether it is possible for him to believe that his team this year just isn’t very good, if there is a plan for when the Jets will use Tim Tebow, if Mark Sanchez can do anything to lose the starting QB job in New York, if he would ever start Tebow at QB, whether he thinks Tebow being in New York is a distraction to Sanchez and whether he talked to owner Woody Johnson following the team’s loss against the Seahawks.

What positives he can take from the loss against the Seahawks:

“It wasn’t a complete beatdown. Maybe the score indicates that it was but that wasn’t the case. It was obviously a close game up until the fourth quarter and it wasn’t that they were that much better than us, we had opportunities and unfortunately didn’t capitalize. We had the chance to take the lead on the one yard line, then we have the penalty, we have the interception and then the defense forces a three and out and we fumbled the punt. We had opportunities and I think we’re making improvements on this football team but it hasn’t shown on the scoreboard and that’s the most important thing, but again I do see us making some improvements.”

On the QB situation in New York:

“I think when guys are where they are supposed to be and the protection is sound, I think Mark can make the throws. I don’t think there is any doubt. It’s just things that you don’t see like getting separation. Are we getting separation on our routes to get open? Sometimes they are there and sometimes they are not. Are we consistent catching the football? There are lots of things and it’s just not on the quarterback. Some of our protections, the offensive line actually played pretty well this game, did a good job in the running game and I thought our protections for the most part from an offensive line standpoint were good and yet when you look at it we gave up four sacks. Some of it can be on backs pick up or whoever. It wasn’t necessarily on the offensive line so those are things that don’t necessarily show up. Does Mark have to protect the football better? 100 percent the answer is yes. He has to protect the football better. That’s something we will keep drilling in his head and that’s something that he has to, I know he is aware of it, but it has to get better.”

If it’s possible that his team just isn’t very good:

“That’s almost a defeatist attitude if you’re a coach and it’s almost you’re pointing fingers at this or that. I don’t think a coach is worth a darn if that is the case. That doesn’t enter my mind. We have to get better and we know that and we understand you lumping in the three wins or whatever and recognizing that part of our past, I understand you doing that but there’s also another part of our past that knows we can get this thing done and this isn’t the first time this team has ever faced adversity and come out the other end. I believe we will. I believe we can get better. We have to. This team needs a win in the worst way. Ever since I have been here I don’t think there’s another game we need to win more than this one. I recognize that. We all do. I can tell you this, every single person in that locker room is committed to finding a way and I think that gives us a chance.”

If there is a plan for when the Jets use Tim Tebow:

“We want to put him in there in a situation where if we didn’t think that we knew what we were going to get, predictable thing from a defense, we thought we could have a positive case and in that case it was an earned first down, we felt good about where it was and what we were getting and that’s why we put him in. You’re never going to say ‘I’m going to take the starting quarterback out just to run this play.’ No, there are specific things that you look for and that’s what we did.”

If Mark Sanchez can do anything to lose the starting QB job:

“I’m just looking at it from my perspective that Mark does give us the best chance to win in my opinion as a starting quarterback. Does that mean we won’t use Tim Tebow? No. We will use Tim Tebow the way we think will be effective for us.”

If he would ever start Tebow at quarterback:

“I’m never going to say I will never start this player or that player. I’m never going to say that because you never what circumstances are or whatever but I’m not going to do the what-if thing.”

If He Thinks Tim Tebow Being In New York Is A Distraction To Mark Sanchez:

“From day one when we traded for Tim, we’ve been very clear from the beginning what their roles are. Mark Sanchez is our starting quarterback and from day one we were clear on that and we haven’t wavered on that. Tim is a good football player and we’re going to use him. We have and we will continue to use Tim.”

Whether He Has Spoken With Owner Woody Johnson Following The Loss Against The Seahawks:

“We talk. After every game we will talk. (Host: Is he upset?) I think with all of us, we want to win. He hasn’t specifically said that he is upset with this or that but I can tell you this, I know how competitive Woody is and Woody wants to win as much as any of us do and everybody in this organization, there is something we all have in common, we all want to win and we all know it’s going to take work to get it done, there’s no magic formula and if there was we would have already taken it. Whatever it was. Magic words, magic anything but it comes down to hard work, being committed and our team is. We are a football team, that’s what I will say about this group. That’s what I believe gives us the best chance to turn this thing around is that we are totally focused on it, we all want to win and we are a team.”