behind the scenes Rex/Pettine

[bitonti]

this is an interesting post from a non-Jets board (jan 8). The guy who posts it claims to be a old man with Schefter type NFL connections but without a professional job in the league or media. take it fwiw, but I thought it was notable.

Mike Pettine saved Rex Ryan's job. The basis of the extension offer to Pettine was that the Jets wanted the Ryan scheme and coaching tree but without the actual Ryan media baggage and legacy to Mark Sanchez. Pettine owes his entire career to Rex Ryan. Pettine could have rested on his laurels, from his family football pedigree and been Eric Taylor 3.0. Instead he flushed out a relatively easy path and tenure to handle game tape for the Ravens for pennies. Low level staff in the NFL make nothing. There's a high school kid who works part time at my godson's comic book store that probably made more this week than Pettine then. Ryan picked him out of the crowd and groomed him.

For rejecting the Jets offer, Woody Johnson promptly drove a knife in Pettine's back. Just like he drove one into Tannebaum's back over the Drew Stanton trade. The one time a year that you are allowed to lie baldface and in the open in the NFL is during draft season. No one is telling the truth or only parts of it, so everyone has to let it go, no harm, no foul. Pettine was a known and planned funnel for Jet's specific misinformation to the press to divert attention away from certain draft prospects they liked by making it seemed like they wanted others. Instead Johnson spun it that Pettine was a rat who turned on Ryan and was selling Ryan out to the press because he wanted his job.

Right now Rex Ryan is an emotional wreck in private. Lots of people internally in the league who know him are worried about Ryan, esp as he is not in the mental state to best defend his interests, and instead of Pettine covering his own good name to the press, which would force Ryan to essentially resign for his dignity and forfeit the rest of his contract, Pettine just stood in front of the bullets.

Despite all his misgivings, and save a few malcontents who would be team cancers anywhere, most players want to play and many coaches want to coach for Rex Ryan. Very few NFL coaches reach players to that that ride or die mentality. Rod Marinelli, who sadly struggled as a head coach, his guys would walk through broken glass and landmines for. Mike Zimmer, after his wife died, his players simply willed themselves as a unit to savage anyone in their path, like they were on a personal crusade. Rex Ryan is one of those guys. So very little is made I believe, of Pete Carroll getting his players, there's a lot of talent in Seattle, but it's not particularly overwhelming, to buy in completely. Very few coaches can truly "coach up" when facing a specific level of talent. It's very hard to do at this level. Forget the media pundits and the feet scandal and his overactive mouth in the past, Ryan is one of those guys.

Ryan is a good coach, in the wrong job now, being held onto for the wrong reasons. It's a lot easier to find a new job than it is to be a good coach at this level. Ryan, long term, is going to be fine, it just won't be in NY and he's going to have to wait a few years to find the right path.

[dbatesman]

Oh, good.

[Ignatius del Sol]

[ ] Schefter-type NFL connections

[ ] fwiw =/= 0

[ ] Guys who don't have head coaching gigs turn down an offer for the big job in the NFL

[x] Kid at the comic shop is the source

[Cyberjet]

when did pettine turn into a rat and try to get rex"s job? I'll take it for what it is - highly unlikely. The normal press would be all over this if this were the case.

[whodeawhodat]

i really dont understand this article. Pettine took bullets for Ryan? I dont see how. He turned down the extension. He got a job from under Ryan so he can prove he has the chops and is not some Ryan lackey.

This fvcking article is harder to follow than the movie inception. I think the bad guy is Johnson or is he not since he decided on killing careers during the draft? Rex is in trouble? Or is he not since he gets more out of players than they are worth? fml...

[JetsFanInDenver]

Its open season for a 6-10 team struggling to find a GM. I am sure by the time its all said and done we will see like 1275467879923345 such articles!

[bitonti]

[x] Kid at the comic shop is the source

it's funny and he writes in a crazy fashion but the guy makes interesting posts about every NFL team not just the Jets.

my interpretation of that post is the Jets wanted to fire Rex but keep Rex's D. That was probably baked into the extension they offered. Pettine said no to that and the organization i.e. woody turned on him. He's with the Bills now because he wouldn't push Rex under the bus.

[JustInFudge]

i really dont understand this article. Pettine took bullets for Ryan? I dont see how. He turned down the extension. He got a job from under Ryan so he can prove he has the chops and is not some Ryan lackey.

This fvcking article is harder to follow than the movie inception. I think the bad guy is Johnson or is he not since he decided on killing careers during the draft? Rex is in trouble? Or is he not since he gets more out of players than they are worth? fml...

No cohesion to the story. Very confused. That said, I'm outraged.

[Matt39]

What's this gentleman's name Bit?

[whodeawhodat]

it's funny and he writes in a crazy fashion but the guy makes interesting posts about every NFL team not just the Jets.

my interpretation of that post is the Jets wanted to fire Rex but keep Rex's D. That was probably baked into the extension they offered. Pettine said no to that and the organization i.e. woody turned on him. He's with the Bills now because he wouldn't push Rex under the bus.

I think Pettine said no to the extension for selfish reasons. Money or recognition or both. I dont blame him but I dont think he is a hero jumping in front of bullets for Rex. Just my $0.02

[bitonti]

What's this gentleman's name Bit?

goes by GordonGekko on TFG board. Click on "find my content" he's got interesting blurbs about Marrone, the Panthers, KC etc.

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?showuser=24957

[slats]

When we first heard Pettine turned down the extension, I suggested that he might've been waiting to learn Rex's fate before he signed so that he wouldn't be stuck in the job after Rex was fired. But this article takes it a step further, that they would've fired Rex if they had Pettine under contract, and that Woody presumably wouldn't extend him once he refused to go along with the plan.

And Pettine isn't telling the story, because if it were to become public Rex would resign in disgrace?

And this has Rex -what?- suicidal?

If the Jets truly refused to resign Pettine as some form of punishment, it's idiotic.

And Tannenbaum was fired for trading Stanton? That's kinda like convicting Al Capone for tax evasion.

[Bleedin Green]

So, allegedly the Jets had already decided prior to the season that they wanted to fire Rex and subsequently promote Pettine to HC? After Pettine declined, followed by the Jets having their worst season under Rex yet, that somehow changed Woody from wanting to fire Rex to then forcing him onto whoever is the new GM? That's quite the interesting theory.

[bitonti]

And Pettine isn't telling the story, because if it were to become public Rex would resign in disgrace?

And this has Rex -what?- suicidal?

just to be clear Im not saying this guy GG is 100% accurate. But the fact remains Pettine was the DC of the Jets and is now the DC of the Bills, because he never got another contract. He wasn't fired, he was just let go and the question of "why" is a good one.

these are certain aspects of the story that are probably hyperbole. He never said Rex was suicidal. I also think the drew stanton comment falls in that category. but the basic premise seems sound.

the timing of the extension offer to Pettine is key. The contract wasn't offered prior to the season and it wasn't offered on December 25th. Somewhere along the way (probably after the Revis/Holmes injuries) it became clear this would be a lost year. The extension was offered to Pettine who refused it based on loyalty to Rex. Pettine was jettisoned because his loyalty to rex was greater than his loyalty to his employer.

[T0mShane]

What's interesting about this is that the Pettine-as-mole assault was a consciously planted tidbit, coordinated for maximum release. Francesa spent an entire show screaming about it and he gets all his info from owners these days--not that he talks to Woody, but somebody at that level obviously put that in Francesa's ear.

[Scott Dierking]

This is all very far flung.

If one of us posted this here, we would be grilling that person.

[Ignatius del Sol]

it's funny and he writes in a crazy fashion but the guy makes interesting posts about every NFL team not just the Jets.

It's not funny, crazy, interesting, or true. Do guys who aren't either already head coaches somewhere or retired turn down NFL head coaching jobs? Are you suggesting that this is something that ever actually happens? I mean, I could say that the Jets are going to be fine because next week Brady is going to get in over his head with some kind of political intrigue and shoot himself on the field, and that would be more plausible than your ludicrous claptrap because at least it happened one time in a movie.

[#27TheDominator]

So, allegedly the Jets had already decided prior to the season that they wanted to fire Rex and subsequently promote Pettine to HC? After Pettine declined, followed by the Jets having their worst season under Rex yet, that somehow changed Woody from wanting to fire Rex to then forcing him onto whoever is the new GM? That's quite the interesting theory.

We did something like that once before. Remind me how that turned out again.

[SouthernJet]

[bitonti]

It's not funny, crazy, interesting, or true.

more plausible than your ludicrous claptrap

hey man it might be crazy and false but it's interesting. Im just trying to shed some light on the Pettine/Rex situation. I'm not seeing alot of alternative theories from the peanut gallery. Too busy crying that Rex isn't fired or whatever. Something happened for Pettine to be let go, right?

[Scott Dierking]

Something happened for Pettine to be let go, right?

He wanted to make a go of it on his own, without Rex?

[NJ]

Couple parts of it are confusing like why Woody would till Tanny over Drew Stanton ... but I don't know that the guy couldn't be semi legit.

[Integrity28]

Seems legit.

[bitonti]

What's interesting about this is that the Pettine-as-mole assault was a consciously planted tidbit, coordinated for maximum release. Francesa spent an entire show screaming about it and he gets all his info from owners these days--not that he talks to Woody, but somebody at that level obviously put that in Francesa's ear.

and then there's this... why was Pettine exposed as a mole after he left... it seemed somewhat petty, especially if he was their mole on purpose.

[Lupz27]

hey man it might be crazy and false but it's interesting. Im just trying to shed some light on the Pettine/Rex situation. I'm not seeing alot of alternative theories from the peanut gallery. Too busy crying that Rex isn't fired or whatever. Something happened for Pettine to be let go, right?

http://m.nydailynews.com/1.962086#bmb=1

If people go back, and read this article it could add some credibility to the idea that Petitne took Rex's bullet.

Rex Ryan, Mike Pettine and Dennis Thurman - three 'nuts' - are the brains behind the NY Jets defense BY MANISH MEHTA

http://www.nydailyne...ehind_the_.html

Just before midnight, Rex Ryan grabbed a plastic spoon and reached for a jar of peanut butter inside the Jets coaches' offices.

He twisted. He tapped. He shook. He stared. He twisted again. Darn thing wouldn't open.

Ryan had never before encountered such a stubborn lid.

He didn't notice the iPhone pointed at him from a few feet away, preserving the moment on video forever. He also didn't notice the bald man with a goatee nearby suppressing his laughter.

"We super-glued the lid," defensive coordinator Mike Pettine says proudly.

In the manic, pressure-filled world of the NFL, Ryan has flourished thanks to a pair of friends that share his passion for football and fun.

Ryan, Pettine and defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman, the architects of a defensive system that helped the Ravens remain among the league's elite for years, return to Baltimore Sunday night. The trio hopes to bounce back from the Jets' early-season defensive struggles that included giving up 234 rushing yards to the Raiders last week.

They're "brothers from a different mother," Pettine says, three different personalities that routinely cross the line with each other. Nothing is out of bounds.

"Rex has an emotional side and sometimes gets a little out of control," safety Jim Leonhard says. "Pettine and D.T. are able to kind of balance him out."

Although Ryan grabs the headlines, he sticks to one core belief: It's not his defense. It's their defense.

"We're all very competitive people," Thurman says. "In all ways, we're perfectionists."

So, they pore over the finite details, each breaking down the three levels of the defense, debating and discussing ways to best attack opposing offenses.

They've preserved their sanity through the years with levity. Not even the boss is immune.

"We don't take ourselves too seriously," Ryan says. "Pettine's mean. I'm not mean. When he cuts somebody, he'll cut to the bone. I'm like, 'Oh Pett, did you have to go there?' He'll find something that can needle a guy and, oh yeah, he'll get 'em."

Or maybe…

"They're all nuts," Leonhard says. "They're crazy."

* * *

Thurman boarded a plane at 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon two years ago at Baltimore Washington International Airport, hoping to get back into the league. He spent the 2008 season at home "sitting on my ass getting paychecks" after new Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh let him go with one year left on his contract. Now, Jon Gruden was targeting him to be Tampa's defensive backs coach.

Ryan, who had forged a connection with Thurman in six seasons together in Baltimore, knew that his days with the Ravens were likely coming to an end, too. The defensive coordinator was in the mix for two head coaching jobs and wanted to bring Thurman aboard.

The Ravens, meanwhile, were preparing for the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh two days later. So, Ryan asked Thurman for a favor before he went to Florida: "Don't sign anything."

"I made him that promise," says Thurman, who helped assemble the Ravens' defensive system after Ryan was promoted from line coach to coordinator in 2005.

Ryan, Thurman and Pettine discussed favorable fronts and coverages. They carried over 20%-30% of former defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's system. Ryan added elements from his previous stops in the league, including concepts used by his father, Buddy. They copied schemes from other teams and added original ideas.

Thurman used his experiences as a safety and cornerback in the league for nine years to help shape the overall defensive philosophy. The former Cowboys and Cardinals defensive back was a de facto player-coach, a cerebral athlete who understood cutting-edge principles.

He played during the rise of Bill Walsh's 49ers dynasty, absorbing the subtleties of an offensive attack that consistently put defenses on their heels. He shared this vision with Ryan: Play an attacking style on defense like Walsh did on offense.

"We wanted it to be a defense that dictates to the offense," Thurman says. "You have to be willing to take a few more risks than conventional defenses."

Thurman believed his success in Baltimore would give him the inside track for the Buccaneers' gig. He was unaware that his career path had forever changed while he was still in the air.

When he landed in Tampa just past 4 p.m., his cell phone was filled with eight voicemails and text messages.

Gruden had been fired.

Thurman walked into the Tampa Airport Marriott, where a message was waiting for him at the front desk. Buccaneers' defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who was scheduled to pick Thurman up for dinner, was in negotiations to be the next head coach. So, he went to his room and flew back to Baltimore the next morning, unemployed.

Ryan's words stuck in his head. Thurman always wondered if the system that he helped construct in Baltimore would travel. Could the Ryan-Pettine-Thurman defense succeed somewhere else?

It was Jan. 16, 2009.

Three days later, he would find out.

* * *

The A/V geek at North Penn High School in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia was miserable. He was fixing printers and overhead projectors by day and crafting a high school playbook with more than 100 formations in his basement at night.

Pettine, the son of a legendary high school football coach, had carved out his own niche as one of the more successful coaches in the area in the late 1990s, but he desperately wanted something more.

He called Matt Cavanaugh, a friend who had coached with him at the University of Pittsburgh before eventually becoming the Ravens' offensive coordinator.

Baltimore head coach Brian Billick wanted a third video assistant to tape special teams practices and help him convert playbook drawings into PC files. Pettine took a 50% pay cut and accepted a job that paid $30,000 a year. He cashed out his 401(k) retirement savings to supplement his income for his family.

He took the gamble of a lifetime with no promise that he'd ever coach in the NFL.

"We'll see how that pans out, but don't become a pain in the ass for me," Billick told Pettine.

"I understood where he wanted to go," Billick says now. "Mike just made himself invaluable. There was nothing that he wouldn't do. Rex kept tapping into the resource. So, their relationship grew."

Ryan, the defensive line coach at the time, quickly realized that Pettine was destined for bigger things.

"The more I was around him, I was like, 'Wow, we need this guy to be coaching, not doing this other stuff,'" Ryan says.

Pettine became the assistant defensive line coach in 2003 before being promoted to outside linebackers two years later. Pettine, Ryan and Thurman showed solidarity when they were offered contract extensions after the Ravens led the league in scoring defense and total defense in 2006.

"We were either all going to sign them or nobody was going to sign them," Ryan says. "It was a pact that we were going to stay or go together."

By the time Ryan accepted his first head coaching job on Jan. 19, 2009, he had already come to an agreement with Ravens' general manager Ozzie Newsome and Harbaugh. He could take only one member of the Baltimore coaching staff with him. Pettine was headed to New York.

Then, Ryan called the man who had just flown back from Tampa.

* * *

General manager Mike Tannenbaum used to leave the Jets' facility on Tuesday nights with a knot in his stomach. "What are we doing here?" he'd think when the gameplan for the upcoming week was still up in the air.

By Wednesday morning, Tannenbaum was greeted by a grease board filled with coverages and schemes in Pettine's office.

"It's like 'A Beautiful Mind,'" Tannenbaum says, shaking his head.

Although Pettine, who has taken over as the primary play caller, has kept the Tuesday all-nighters to a minimum, the coaches still formulate ideas in unorthodox fashion: Maybe walking around the building. Or brainstorming in the sauna.

"When people are as brilliant and talented as they are, you just let them do their thing and stay out of the way," Tannenbaum says.

Pettine begins his weekly preparation by watching the sack tape on Mondays, studying pass rushes that have stumped the upcoming opponent. He'll analyze trends in four-game increments and consult with senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach Bob Sutton before discussing the plan with Ryan.

Thurman will study red-zone, goal-line and down-by-down passing tendencies. Ryan and Pettine will consult Thurman for the best base coverage schemes: Should Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie shadow specific receivers or simply play the left and right side of the field?

When Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant got off to a hot start in the season opener, Thurman recommended to Ryan and Pettine that Revis be moved over to shadow him for the rest of the game.

On gamedays, Thurman always stands to the right of Ryan, one of the head coach's superstitions, on the sideline. Ryan relies on Thurman's knowledge of an opponent's likely route combinations in certain situations to determine the best coverage on a given play.

"They're not always going to run the route that you anticipate, but you rely on the human factor," Thurman says. "People become creatures of habit and like to do certain things in certain situations, especially if they'd had success doing it in the past. Your preparation has to be thorough during the week. Because the information that you give Mike and Rex is crucial."

Pettine sometimes communicates with Ryan from the coaches' booth in a slightly different way:

F--- you, Rex!

Oh, shut the f--- up, Pett!

"We've called each other every name in the book, but it never lingers," Pettine says. "There's going to be disagreements. Nobody wants a bobble head, somebody that always says, 'Oh, that's a good call.'"

Ryan fosters "casual conversations" with Pettine about upcoming calls: Hey, Pett, what are you thinking here? Have your third-down call ready.

"He has a great feel for it," says Pettine, who shared play-calling duties midway through last season after Ryan made all the calls in his first year. "If he felt that I was trending the wrong way on how I was calling it, then he'd speak up."

Their formula with the Jets has worked. Gang Green led the league in total defense, pass defense and scoring defense in 2009. Last season, Ryan's team finished third in total defense and rush defense.

Although Ryan believes it's only a matter of time before Pettine and Thurman have head coaching opportunities, he's not ready to break up "The Three Musketeers" just yet.

"Just let us win a Super Bowl or two first," Ryan says. "And then come get them."

[Scott Dierking]

and then there's this... why was Pettine exposed as a mole after he left... it seemed somewhat petty, especially if he was their mole on purpose.

Spy vs spy has nothing on the Jets

[Maxman]

[ ] Schefter-type NFL connections

[ ] fwiw =/= 0

[ ] Guys who don't have head coaching gigs turn down an offer for the big job in the NFL

[x] Kid at the comic shop is the source

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maxman]

i really dont understand this article. Pettine took bullets for Ryan? I dont see how. He turned down the extension. He got a job from under Ryan so he can prove he has the chops and is not some Ryan lackey.

This fvcking article is harder to follow than the movie inception. I think the bad guy is Johnson or is he not since he decided on killing careers during the draft? Rex is in trouble? Or is he not since he gets more out of players than they are worth? fml...

I didn't get the bullets part either. Pettine turned down the extension, took a job in the same division and the media said he did it because there was a money issue on the contract and he wants to get out of Rex's shadow.

I have not seen anyone blast Pettine at all.

Pretty quiet bullets. And Rex Ryan is a mess quietly? Really? Yeah we haven't seen any of the foot videos, we had no clue lol.

[bitonti]

I didn't get the bullets part either. Pettine turned down the extension, took a job in the same division and the media said he did it because there was a money issue on the contract and he wants to get out of Rex's shadow.

why would Pettine suddenly want to get out of Rex's shadow.

[Maxman]

why would Pettine suddenly want to get out of Rex's shadow.

Because Rex lost all the weight and his shadow is so small now, there is no place to hide.

JK.

I am not sure the real story. I know there is more to it but I don't see the comic book guy having the scoop.

[T0mShane]

and then there's this... why was Pettine exposed as a mole after he left... it seemed somewhat petty, especially if he was their mole on purpose.

It's Jets SOP--smear the crap out of everyone as soon as the door closes behind them.

[SouthernJet]

hey man it might be crazy and false but it's interesting. Im just trying to shed some light on the Pettine/Rex situation. I'm not seeing alot of alternative theories from the peanut gallery. Too busy crying that Rex isn't fired or whatever. Something happened for Pettine to be let go, right?

rex called plays oin 2009/10. In 2011 he said 'time for mike to be the playcaller now'.

In 20011/12 Rex pulled 'much' of playcalling from him. Two years in a row now.. we got better both times Rex took over.

Mike was pissed and rightfully so knows only way he will ever be the 'man' is to go on his own and pick a team with a Offensive guy as HC. He did.

marrone wont pull playcalling from him .he may fire him eventually but I dont see playcalling being taken away midseason.

[kay_gee]

very interesting. could all be bullsh*t, but it's interesting.

that said, the idea that Woody is blackmailing his employees, and letting them go if they're not going along with it, is seriously disturbing.

[Larz]

woody killed tanny over the stanton trade ?

wtf ?

they had to get rid of him after woody got a woody for tebow

total nonsense

[stoicsentry]

It's a vaguely plausible theory.

Yet it's easy to come up with other plausible theories too.

I don't see why it would be surprising if it was all about the fact that Rex gets credit for the D, no matter what Pettine does. So Pettine wants to move on to a place where HE will get the credit for the D, in order to advance his career. There's nothing outlandish about that and it makes just as much sense. I mean, if he turns around Buffalo's defense (don't hold your breath), then he could be in line for a head coaching job sooner rather than later. Here, he's just a cog in Rex's D.