NY Times: "Jets’ Rex Ryan and John Idzik in Tug of War to Salvage Some Dignity"

[IPBanBadPosters]

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — There really ought to be a mercy rule for professional football coaches having to address the news media week after demoralizing week, a point where explanations become pointless and the whole process feels heartless.

 

 

Tom Coughlin has reached that place after seven straight losses with his Giants, a proud two-time Super Bowl champion reduced to red-faced rhetoric at the postgame podium while facing a vocational firing squad.

 

 

So, too, has Rex Ryan developed the look of a trauma victim, a shell of a salesman, who all but cried after his Jets hand-fed a 16-13 decision to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night at MetLife Stadium and called this 2-10 season “a joke.”

 

 

Was it any less comical, or intolerable, at 2-9 or 1-8? Maybe Roger Goodell, commissioner under siege, could think of a trigger during a lost season when a computerized hologram could stand in for Coach Misery or he could field questions from a nearby location via Skype. Goodell seems particularly adept with such arbitrary declarations.

 

 

Yep, it’s part of the job description. Coach speaks. The general manager holds rare and strategically timed state-of-the-franchise sessions. The owner (with few Jerry Jones-like exceptions) shows up to take a bow in the best of times.

 

 

So there was Ryan late Monday night, claiming that 210 first-half rushing yards and a 10-3 lead justified a game plan that turned the mistake-prone Geno Smith into a handoff automaton and that “we would sign up for that every week even if we had Joe Namath at quarterback.”

 

 

Namath, present in a building laden with Dolphins fans for ceremonial festivities, was unavailable for comment. As was John Idzik, the general manager, who, according to reports, overruled Ryan in favor of starting Smith for the remainder of the season over Michael Vick for the purpose of evaluation of the second-year player.

 

 

It seems Ryan had a plucky response to a decision typically regarded to be part of a coach’s domain. Perhaps only on some subconscious level, he was telling his boss: You can make that call but not the play calls. We are all witnesses now to the tug of war for whatever dignity might be salvaged from the season by Ryan and Idzik, both of whom could be gone upon its conclusion.

 

 

Both have the right to stake out the pragmatic high ground, if mostly at this stage for the purpose of their own professional reputations. If he is to have any chance of landing another head coaching position, Ryan must at least try to exert control of his environment while winning a couple of games along the way.

 

 

Conversely, Idzik should know — assuming the owner Woody Johnson allows him to continue at the helm after an uninspiring two-season run — Smith cannot be the starting quarterback going into next summer. But Idzik did draft Smith and make him the centerpiece of the post Mark Sanchez era. Playing Vick serves only Ryan’s interests, not his.

 

 

And this, of course, is how a franchise devolves when the general manager and head coach have divergent agendas and when a clueless owner is responsible for the mismatch, or shotgun marriage, in the first place.

 

 

Upon replacing Mike Tannenbaum with Idzik, Johnson no doubt believed he was doing the right thing for Ryan, enamored as he was of the coach’s charming audacity and appreciative of the consecutive A.F.C. championship games Ryan steered the Jets to in his first two seasons.

 

 

In retrospect, Ryan, given the fragility of his contract status, would have been better off had Johnson allowed Idzik to choose his own coach. Ryan would have left New York with a winning record (34-30) and those two conference title games still in the rearview mirror, in bold print on his résumé. He would probably have been hired elsewhere in a heartbeat.

 

 

Now he has presided over two more lost seasons; that’s a total of four straight, including the current fiasco, all but assured of ending as his worst.

 

For his own coach, Idzik might well have altered his team-building schedule, dissuaded him from sitting on more than $20 million in salary cap space entering this season. Management Rule No. 1: Give the folks you hire every opportunity to succeed in order to enhance yourself in the process.

 

Those you inherit and are not invested in, apparently not so much. Smith has become a pawn in this war of wills, easy to sympathize with as Ryan’s desperation overtook the learning curve for a skilled but wildly undisciplined young quarterback. Monday night’s postgame questioning was largely about how Smith — who wound up completing 7 of 13 passes for 65 yards — could be expected to have any rhythm while dealing with rust?

 

 

But really, how often has Smith, given ample opportunity, been a consistent reader of defenses, or an accurate passer? Rhythm or not, he badly overthrew a wide-open Percy Harvin on a left corner red zone route that, if completed, would have given the Jets a 17-0 lead late in the second quarter.

 

 

After offering diplomacy to a mass of reporters, Harvin later confided: “We can’t use rhythm as an excuse. That would have been huge for us. Then we wound up missing a field goal.”

 

 

The normally reliable Nick Folk also missed from 45 yards with 5 minutes 46 seconds left in the game after Smith was sacked for an 8-yard loss on third- and-7 from the Miami 19. Ryan might have been commended for not settling for the easier field goal, going for the touchdown. But he had played it safe all night, the Dolphins proceeded to drive for the winning field goal, and a sad-looking Ryan was left to sigh and pause and say things like, “It just wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”

 

 

No guessing anymore. He and Idzik were not meant to be and that’s on the owner, who wanted to give Ryan every opportunity to succeed and instead has left him to ponder his fate at the podium, week after reputation-degrading week.

 

 

Joke of a season, but there is no fun watching Ryan stripped of his exuberance, his most entertaining and endearing quality. Mercy for this man, who has made his mistakes, but surely not the primary one that created this mess. 

 

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/sports/football/jets-rex-ryan-and-john-idzik-in-tug-of-war-to-salvage-some-dignity.html

[bitonti]

the truly sad part is i don't know if Woody even cares. he pocketed that 20+ mil they could have used on players. the seats may be filled with Dolphins fans but they are still sold out. the latest deal with Directv is obscene and the Jets get that money win or lose. Why is it better to try? Woody might just keep everyone around and make us eat this s--t sandwich for another year.  He would have to buy out Rex. And buy out Idzik (a guy he spent 6 figures to Korn Ferry to find). It's in his financial interests to do nothing. We are in part to blame cause we keep watching and talking and posting about it. In fact the ratings on SNY's post game show go up when the Jets are bad. 

[flgreen]

the truly sad part is i don't know if Woody even cares. he pocketed that 20+ mil they could have used on players. the seats may be filled with Dolphins fans but they are still sold out. the latest deal with Directv is obscene and the Jets get that money win or lose. Why is it better to try? Woody might just keep everyone around and make us eat this s--t sandwich for another year.  He would have to buy out Rex. And buy out Idzik (a guy he spent 6 figures to Korn Ferry to find). It's in his financial interests to do nothing. We are in part to blame cause we keep watching and talking and posting about it. In fact the ratings on SNY's post game show go up when the Jets are bad.

Woody cares. Besides being a billionaire, he is a member of a very elite "Gentleman's club". he doesn't want to be that guy, who when he walks into the meeting, everyone stops talking, and starts snickering to one another. That's where the Jets have been the last few years. That's why Woody loves Rex so much. In 2009-2010 Woody was a rising star in his lil club.

I really don't see how you say Woody is cheap. When Trader Mike was here, Woody signed the big checks for the prestige of having a winning team. Mike just gave the money to the wrong people.

He spent money bringing in another clown in Idzik. It is Idzik's choice to not spend Woody's money. I really believe Woody would gladly give up 10's of millions again to regain status in the Club

[SickJetFan]

Woody cares. Besides being a billionaire, he is a member of a very elite "Gentleman's club". he doesn't want to be that guy, who when he walks into the meeting, everyone stops talking, and starts snickering to one another. That's where the Jets have been the last few years. That's why Woody loves Rex so much. In 2009-2010 Woody was a rising star in his lil club.

I really don't see how you say Woody is cheap. When Trader Mike was here, Woody signed the big checks for the prestige of having a winning team. Mike just gave the money to the wrong people.

He spent money bringing in another clown in Idzik. It is Idzik's choice to not spend Woody's money. I really believe Woody would gladly give up 10's of millions again to regain status in the Club

its ok to spend money to make money

 

Keep in mind that before and during the spending spree there was a new stadium being built, PSL that needed to be sold, licenses for naming, advertisement spots, contracts, etc...

 

Buy low sell high

 

We as Jet fans bought high and now we are stuck in a dead cat bounce.

[SickJetFan]

Woody cares. Besides being a billionaire, he is a member of a very elite "Gentleman's club". he doesn't want to be that guy, who when he walks into the meeting, everyone stops talking, and starts snickering to one another. That's where the Jets have been the last few years. That's why Woody loves Rex so much. In 2009-2010 Woody was a rising star in his lil club.

I really don't see how you say Woody is cheap. When Trader Mike was here, Woody signed the big checks for the prestige of having a winning team. Mike just gave the money to the wrong people.

He spent money bringing in another clown in Idzik. It is Idzik's choice to not spend Woody's money. I really believe Woody would gladly give up 10's of millions again to regain status in the Club

but now we jet fans have money in the bank for that something special to come along right?

[flgreen]

but now we jet fans have money in the bank for that something special to come along right?

If you don't buy tickets you'll have extra money

[Ex-Rex]

 

 

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/sports/football/jets-rex-ryan-and-john-idzik-in-tug-of-war-to-salvage-some-dignity.html

 

The primary one is Robert Wood Johnson, but there is nothing we can do about him. Idzik has done badly enough to ensure his own dismissal, but if Rex really wanted to show Idzik up he would have let Geno throw his usual three interceptions which would have sealed his fate and left Iggy - not Rex - with egg on his face.

[Sperm Edwards]

The primary one is Robert Wood Johnson, but there is nothing we can do about him. Idzik has done badly enough to ensure his own dismissal, but if Rex really wanted to show Idzik up he would have let Geno throw his usual three interceptions which would have sealed his fate and left Iggy - not Rex - with egg on his face.

Agree. It makes Ryan look small, when there was ample opportunity for him to shift that smallness onto the boss he detests so much.

[HessStation]

Woody Johnson is the definition of a true leader. 

[IPBanBadPosters]

The primary one is Robert Wood Johnson, but there is nothing we can do about him. Idzik has done badly enough to ensure his own dismissal, but if Rex really wanted to show Idzik up he would have let Geno throw his usual three interceptions which would have sealed his fate and left Iggy - not Rex - with egg on his face.

 

Say what you want about Idzik, but he obviously wanted Geno to throw it as much as possible for evaluative purposes, regardless of how bad Geno may have looked in the process. Rex's "game plan" can't be reasonably construed as anything other than a giant FU.

[Maxman]

Woody Johnson is the definition of a true leader. 

 

LOL!!!

[FidelioJet]

the truly sad part is i don't know if Woody even cares. he pocketed that 20+ mil they could have used on players. the seats may be filled with Dolphins fans but they are still sold out. the latest deal with Directv is obscene and the Jets get that money win or lose. Why is it better to try? Woody might just keep everyone around and make us eat this s--t sandwich for another year.  He would have to buy out Rex. And buy out Idzik (a guy he spent 6 figures to Korn Ferry to find). It's in his financial interests to do nothing. We are in part to blame cause we keep watching and talking and posting about it. In fact the ratings on SNY's post game show go up when the Jets are bad. 

People keep saying Woody is pocketing money but that is simply false....The money is carried and most of the total has to be eventually spent by the end of the CBA.  I believe it's no lower than 90% per team.  

 

Idzik was saving the money in order to spend when the team was ready to make a Super Bowl run.  I agree with that strategy...Unfortunately Geno turn out to be a complete and total bust.  Had Geno progressed (even a little bit) we would be looking at an entirely different team.

[FidelioJet]

Say what you want about Idzik, but he obviously wanted Geno to throw it as much as possible for evaluative purposes, regardless of how bad Geno may have looked in the process. Rex's "game plan" can't be reasonably construed as anything other than a giant FU.

 

This is almost certainly true.

[bitonti]

People keep saying Woody is pocketing money but that is simply false....The money is carried and most of the total has to be eventually spent by the end of the CBA.  I believe it's no lower than 90% per team.   

 

It's a 4 year avg for the floor. the Jets were below 89% last year and well below 89% this year.  (Just to be clear 89% is 118 mil on a 133 mil cap.  Assuming percy gets them in the neighborhood of 105, they are at 78% for this year.)

 

The Jets have to spend well over 89% to get over the floor in the next two years. That is true. Unfortunately I don't have any faith in Idzik to use that money wisely. After all this is a man who had Geno Smith penciled in as the key to a Super Bowl run. 

 

when people talk about firing Rex, hey fair enough. But he's coaching with a roster that's 3/4s the payroll of everyone elses. And that's including Sanchez' and Santonio's dead space, the actual spend is even less than that.

 

The Jets chose cap space over talent and the result is playing out right now.

[SickJetFan]

People keep saying Woody is pocketing money but that is simply false....The money is carried and most of the total has to be eventually spent by the end of the CBA.  I believe it's no lower than 90% per team.  

 

Idzik was saving the money in order to spend when the team was ready to make a Super Bowl run.  I agree with that strategy...Unfortunately Geno turn out to be a complete and total bust.  Had Geno progressed (even a little bit) we would be looking at an entirely different team.

omg - that nfl pr is good...have to give them credit

[bitonti]

Say what you want about Idzik, but he obviously wanted Geno to throw it as much as possible for evaluative purposes,  

 

evaluative purposes? The guy's a POS. Evaluation over. 

[FidelioJet]

It's a 4 year avg for the floor. the Jets were below 89% last year and well below 89% this year.  (Just to be clear 89% is 118 mil on a 133 mil cap.  Assuming percy gets them in the neighborhood of 105, they are at 78% for this year.)

 

The Jets have to spend well over 89% to get over the floor in the next two years. That is true. Unfortunately I don't have any faith in Idzik to use that money wisely. After all this is a man who had Geno Smith penciled in as the key to a Super Bowl run. 

 

when people talk about firing Rex, hey fair enough. But he's coaching with a roster that's 3/4s the payroll of everyone elses. And that's including Sanchez' and Santonio's dead space, the actual spend is even less than that.

 

The Jets chose cap space over talent and the result is playing out right now.

Are you saying had the Jets spent the extra $20mm...let's say Cro, and DRC...maybe a guard...(that's the extra $20mm there) they would be a playoff team?

 

spending the money this year would have been a waste, no matter how to twist it.

[T0mShane]

I don't know if they'll put it up on the web later, but Trent Dilfer's takedown of Rex Ryan on the Michael Kay show was pretty thorough and brutal. Basically, he says that Rex has earned the bad QB play he's gotten over his time here because he mishandles his QBs so badly. 

[Scott Dierking]

It's a 4 year avg for the floor. the Jets were below 89% last year and well below 89% this year.  (Just to be clear 89% is 118 mil on a 133 mil cap.  Assuming percy gets them in the neighborhood of 105, they are at 78% for this year.)

 

The Jets have to spend well over 89% to get over the floor in the next two years. That is true. Unfortunately I don't have any faith in Idzik to use that money wisely. After all this is a man who had Geno Smith penciled in as the key to a Super Bowl run. 

 

when people talk about firing Rex, hey fair enough. But he's coaching with a roster that's 3/4s the payroll of everyone elses. And that's including Sanchez' and Santonio's dead space, the actual spend is even less than that.

 

The Jets chose cap space over talent and the result is playing out right now.

Odd, the Philadelphia Eagles have just $700k less cap space spent than the Jets. Those miserly losers. Totally not caring.

 

Pittsburgh, New England, Indianapolis, Green Bay are all in the top 10 of free cap not used. These clubs are not trying.

 

Let's review some teams that are near the top of cap used- St Louis, Washington, NY Giants are all in the top 5 in that category.

 

Yup, dollars spent = wins guaranteed

[bitonti]

Odd, the Philadelphia Eagles have just $700k less cap space spent than the Jets. Those miserly losers.  

 

LINK? Also note they don't have Sanchez and Santonio dead space

[bitonti]

Are you saying had the Jets spent the extra $20mm...let's say Cro, and DRC...maybe a guard...(that's the extra $20mm there) they would be a playoff team?

 

spending the money this year would have been a waste, no matter how to twist it.

 

Cro, DRC and a guard doesn't get you to 20 mil. The Jets highest paid player in 2014 is Eric Decker and he's making 7 million dollars a year. 

[Scott Dierking]

LINK? Also note they don't have Sanchez and Santonio dead space

http://www.spotrac.com/cap-tracker/nfl/

 

Go to "Cap space"

[bitonti]

http://www.spotrac.com/cap-tracker/nfl/

 

Go to "Cap space"

 

Just to be clear you are referring me to a link that says the Jets are 30th in the league in cap spend as some kind of defense of IDZIK?

[Scott Dierking]

Just to be clear, I refereed you to the column of "Cap space" which shows what teams could have spent, but didn't.

 

Odd, a number teams and good teams at that, decide to hold cap space.

[bitonti]

Just to be clear, I refereed you to the column of "Cap space" which shows what teams could have spent, but didn't.

 

Odd, a number teams and goody teams at that decide to hold cap space.

 

So you think this is a good strategy? Or are you just being argumentative 

 

BTW that number 15 mil seems way light. I want to check NYJETSCAP but they are rife with 404 errors right now. 

[neckdemon]

The primary one is Robert Wood Johnson, but there is nothing we can do about him. Idzik has done badly enough to ensure his own dismissal, but if Rex really wanted to show Idzik up he would have let Geno throw his usual three interceptions which would have sealed his fate and left Iggy - not Rex - with egg on his face.

 

 

rex is fired anyway.....if he really wanted to show him up he would have played vick no matter what idzidiot said

[IPBanBadPosters]

evaluative purposes? The guy's a POS. Evaluation over. 

 

You're right, we should focus on winning meaningless games with Vick at the helm 

 

You either throw Geno out there and see if he shows anything (either to see if he's backup material or to showcase him in case another team wants to take a late round flyer on him via trade, a la Gabbert), or he sh*ts the bed and you lose games and improve your draft position. It's win-win, and if Rex could play the good soldier role, in subsequent job interviews he can say "I was just doing what my GM wanted," but now he'll be viewed as toxic and a pariah. You're too enchanted with him to see it, but every FO in the league saw what he did last night and he's as radioactive as one can be in this league. He'd be lucky to land a job as a DC at this point.

[#27TheDominator]

You're right, we should focus on winning meaningless games with Vick at the helm 

 

You either throw Geno out there and see if he shows anything (either to see if he's backup material or to showcase him in case another team wants to take a late round flyer on him via trade, a la Gabbert), or he sh*ts the bed and you lose games and improve your draft position. It's win-win, and if Rex could play the good soldier role, in subsequent job interviews he can say "I was just doing what my GM wanted," but now he'll be viewed as toxic and a pariah. You're too enchanted with him to see it, but every FO in the league saw what he did last night and he's as radioactive as one can be in this league. He'd be lucky to land a job as a DC at this point.

 

 

The best way to showcase Geno as trade bait is to keep him off the field.  He looks horrible.  We threw him out there to see what he had for two seasons and what we got was a guy that looks so bad people are convinced that Matt Simms is better.  

[Scott Dierking]

So you think this is a good strategy? Or are you just being argumentative 

 

BTW that number 15 mil seems way light. I want to check NYJETSCAP but they are rife with 404 errors right now. 

I am just demonstrating that a team can be "thrifty" and win at the same time. There is no correlation between cap used and record.

[#27TheDominator]

LINK? Also note they don't have Sanchez and Santonio dead space

 

 

http://www.spotrac.com/cap-tracker/nfl/

 

Go to "Cap space"

 

 

So you think this is a good strategy? Or are you just being argumentative 

 

BTW that number 15 mil seems way light. I want to check NYJETSCAP but they are rife with 404 errors right now. 

 

I think that Jason's site is no longer nyjetscap.  I think it is now www.overthecap.com and is league wide.  Our Jason was Jason Fitzgerald, right?

[ylekram]

Pittsburgh, New England, Indianapolis, Green Bay are all in the top 10 of free cap not used. These clubs are not trying.

 

 

Odd, a number teams and good teams at that, decide to hold cap space.

 

whats the common denominator in these teams that you mentioned that save cap room? there is quite a few, actually. but whats the best one?

[Jolot]

I don't know if they'll put it up on the web later, but Trent Dilfer's takedown of Rex Ryan on the Michael Kay show was pretty thorough and brutal. Basically, he says that Rex has earned the bad QB play he's gotten over his time here because he mishandles his QBs so badly.

ill listen to that , I'm curious if Kaye's head exploded , he's one of the founding fathers of the " poor poor rex and his awful QB situations" fraternity

[BroadwayJets]

So you think this is a good strategy? Or are you just being argumentative 

 

BTW that number 15 mil seems way light. I want to check NYJETSCAP but they are rife with 404 errors right now. 

THRIVING WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY IS A GREAT STRATEGY. SPENDING IS BEST WHEN YOU ARE COMPLETING YOUR TEAM AND FILLING THE HOLES TO GO FOR THE SUPERBOWL. Spending 9m a year for DRC, cro and a guard doesn't get you to 20m. Right, it gets you to 17-18m. Whats that? No more room to resign Mo? Another 1st round draft pick spent on a DE? Or another hole? There should not be any rebuttals. Idzik's strategy is a good one, he just has to nail his picks. Which he hasn't done. If he has another year, he'll have to nail them next year or he's gone. No question. Spending this year to go 8-8 would have been real stupid.

[dbatesman]

I don't know if they'll put it up on the web later, but Trent Dilfer's takedown of Rex Ryan on the Michael Kay show was pretty thorough and brutal. Basically, he says that Rex has earned the bad QB play he's gotten over his time here because he mishandles his QBs so badly.

#RexDeservesBetter

[jgb]

So you think this is a good strategy? Or are you just being argumentative

BTW that number 15 mil seems way light. I want to check NYJETSCAP but they are rife with 404 errors right now.

Jason posts on overthecap.com now