The offensive line was the key to why those first two seasons had successful running games. Not to mention Tony Richardson retiring. Not to say that those backs had nothing to do with it, but the blocking scheme and personnel both changed too much for that success to continue.
OMG. First off if the OP wants to make a case against Rex the points used totally missed the mark. That aside, many seem to place the Blame for the last 40+ years of Jet ineptitude on Rex. What a joke. People are of the opinion that Rex is a bad coach because his win/loss record has diminished over the last 3 years. The expectation is that if we won 11 one year we should continue to maintain that. Let me offer you this. With the personnel we have and above all the lousy QB play not a coach in hell could do better, not Cowher nor BB. With Sanchez at the helm we were lucky to win that many games. Put Sanchez on the Pats and Brady with the Jets during Rex's tenure and we would have had at least one ring if not 2 in 3 years. The only negative on Rex will br his inability to once and for all get us a LEADER on the offense that can win games and not loose them on bone head plays.
No one put the last 45 years on Rex. We can however put the last 2 on Rex. I dunno about you, but I'm not the kind of Jet Fan that rates 8-8 a "winning season". I also don't count AFCCG appearances as wins either. I refuse to settle for mediocrity or less than the best. Put Brady on the Jets last year and we'd be lucky to make the playoffs with Tony Sparano as OC who btw was Rex's boy when he was hired. Remember the Flintstone offense aka: ground and pound? Rex Ryan owns all of that. Lock, stock and barrel. Rex's Jet teams have been trending downwards for the last several seasons due to bad personnel decisions. Lets not forget, Rex was totally involved in those decisions too with Tannenbaum. Point being, lets not ignore Rex's coaching issues (implosion anyone?) because he lost back to back AFCCG's. You can love Rex all you want but that doesn't change that his record, while great compared to Kotite, really isn't all that great and certainly doesn't merit a long term extension just yet.
I just find it bizarre that people are blaming Rex for virtually everything without even considering the obvious factors for this team failing the past couple years. There is a reason why Rex is still here and Mr.T was shown the door. If you look at the absurd contracts and the all in mentality that has transpired for several years now, it really should be no surprise that this team has been so bad. I mean, when your GM allows Wayne Hunter to be your best option at RT and gives Sanchez a ton of money after a below average season of QB play (which has put our cap restrictions at an all time high, which prevents us from replenishing aging players with youth, among other horrible contracts as well. IE: Bart Scott) it kinda hurts the team a lota bit. Just look at the 09' and 10' rosters compared to the 11' and 12'. It's night and day. Our talent level was fucking awful and I'm shocked we didn't have the number one pick in the draft. Rex did more last year then I could have ever thought possible and that was even before Revis and Holmes went down.
He did more than expected considering the talent level on the team. I do not view 8-8 as a losing season because its not. You have no clue how much Rex was really involved with who came and who left. He is here to be a HC and coach his team. If 'Mr.T allowed Rex to make those type of decisions then Mr.T should have been fired way before he was, you can't blame Rex for that any way you slice it.
I disagree, but this is fair. My questions for the anti-Rex crowd are, are you willing to throw away what have been perennial top 10 defenses, and for who?
In my opinion too many Jet fans have demanded a miracle worker at head coach..unwilling to be patient & take their lumps while a program is established. Fact is..unless you have that once in a decade type roster & a high profile head coach who's been there before..those guys don't really exist on the NFL level. Head coaches like Tom Coughline,Mike Tomlin & even Bill Bellichick...those guys aren't magicians. They're just competent football minds that have ample support from the front office & ownership to have a long term vision & execute on it. It's hard to build something sustained when your team is always changing long term plans & philosophies. This is overwhelmingly true w/ the Jets..who's biggest problem has been lack of identity. Now Rex may not be perfect & he's made his fair share of mistakes. But he's also a solid football mind w/ a reasonable planned path for success. Solid physical defense w/ complimentary special teams & offense. We're finally starting to see a roster that reflects that vision. It's not gonna blossom overnight...slowly but surely. Now maybe it takes a few more knocks on the playoff doors.Maybe we have a couple more free agency/draft busts. maybe a few of Rex's hand picked coaches don't work out.That happens. But if a solid plan is put together & w/ reasonable modifications made along the way..something sustained can be accomplished. That's what this franchise needs more than anything.
So last season's fiasco was due to injuries? Kool aid anyone? Why is he not a decent head coach? Well he knows nothing about offense or special teams and is focused only on defense. And his draft inputs have been very ragged to say the least. The team is in a downward spiral under him after he initially had success with players he did not draft in 2009 and 2010.
Your points are lost on people who are used to justifying losing and think that if you say anything negative you are a troll.
Not that I liked Sparano, but I HATE arguments like this. There is no basis in reality, just half-educated speculation. I could easily say that you can put Peyton Manning in place of 2009 Sanchez and the Jets go 13-3 in the regular season and lose in the second round of the playoffs. I can easily say that you put Jeff Garcia in place of Kordell Stewart every year Stewart started and the Steelers are owning another dynasty. I can easily say that you keep Curtis Martin on the Patriots all of those years he played with the Jets and New England never drafts Brady. It's a bunch of speculative fantasy that cannot be proven. Totally weak argument, C.
Umm...did you see the injury report at the end of last season? Did you see the names the Jets were forced to play at the skill positions? Those guys weren't handpicked draft picks...they were simply able bodies from off the streets. Since when is Rex the Gm responsible for making draft picks? Seems to me like you just want a scapegoat for your frustration of how last season ended.
Do you really think last year's defense was any good? Too many points allowed, too many instances of not stopping a nose bleed as Barf Scott would say, too many times of not stopping the run, too many third down and long conversions and not getting off the field. Rex is living off a reputation not performance. He drafts all of these defensive lineman and yet we fail to improve.
Every team has injuries.. Jets were lucky and had few in 2009 and 2010. Good coaches can actually make the next guy up work. Not the Jets under Rex.
Players like Mark Sanchez, Santonio Holmes, Shonn Greene, Braylon Edwards, etc...? Or are you talking about the defense that was ranked 20th, 18th, and 16th before he immediately brought it to #1 overall?
