Step Back From The Ledge
In times like these, I like to take solace in the lyrics to one of my favorite 90s classics from Third Eye Blind called Jumper…with a minor tweak. My version would go, “I wish you would step back from that ledge, Jets fans…” The rest would obviously be a work in progress.
The point I’m trying to make is that Jets fans need to get down from that ledge. It’s not all bad. It could definitely be worse. You could be rooting for the Chiefs or the Jaguars. Sure you have plenty of reasons to be depressed. You’re two years removed from a Super Bowl contending team and a top 10 defense. Your general manager has done nothing to improve the team in any area and your division keeps getting more and more difficult. Your starting running back averages less than 4 yards per carry and your backup quarterback is your last hope. Frankly, I’m fairly certain your team is run by Omar Minaya in disguise. I get it.
The easy thing to do is dump all over the coaching staff and front office and I’m here to tell you that would only be half right. How can you blame Rex Ryan for this mess? Sure he’s not an offensive guy but he’s working with limited tools. This is the same guy that made stars out of guys like Chris McAllister and Peter Boulware. Rex Ryan made a promise to return to the ground and pound style that made them a success in 2009. Apparently Mike Tannenbaum still thinks its 2008-09 because he hired a coach that made the wildcat offense successful four years ago. And on top of that, he traded for a quarterback that was only successful running a wildcat/option style offense because he had a good offensive line and an even better defense.
The common argument here is that Rex Ryan is winning with Eric Mangini’s players and to a certain extent, it’s true. A lot of the guys on the offensive and defensive lines are Mangini guys. And Rex has done a better job with them than Mangini did. And if you’re going to be cooking a meal, don’t you want to be the one to pick the ingredients?
At the end of the day, Rex Ryan may not survive this off season. With names like Cowher, Gruden, Saban and Kelly out there, replacing Rex might happen. But if he turns out to be the head coach in 2013, he’ll be auditioning for another coaching job. He’ll likely be a lame duck coach in a rebuilding year with an average quarterback, terrible offensive line, an aging defense and a general manager with no real clue how to build a team.
So Jets fans, it’s not all that bad.
Just step back from that ledge, my friends.
You could cut ties with all the lies,
That you’ve been living in,
And if you do not want to see your team again, I would understand.
