Should Jets Sack Ryan During Or After Season?
By Dave Thomas
The Rex Ryan death watch as Jets head coach has been in full mode even before the season began.
While a sizable number of football fans and experts were surprised Ryan was brought back for the 2014 campaign as head man of the New York Jets, others thought it was the right move to make, especially in order to allow for some continuity in a program that not too long ago played for a pair of AFC championships. Remember those AFC championship games? For many Jets fans, it might as well be back to the days of Weeb Ewbank and Joe Namath.
Floundering at 1-7 this season, the Jets are going nowhere fast. With that in mind, should the Jets and their ownership send Ryan packing now or wait and do the dirty work right after the regular season ends Dec. 28. Remember, a handful of coaches typically are fired in between the last game of the season and New Year's Day.
Has Ryan Worn Out His Welcome?
After defeating the still winless Oakland Raiders on opening weekend, the Jets have dived to last place in the AFC East quicker than the Titanic sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean more than 100 years ago.
For Jets owner Woody Johnson, will the pull the plug on Ryan and possibly general manager John Idzik before the end of the season or will the clock strike midnight right after the regular season is over?
Ryan, who has compiled a 43-45 record to date leading the Jets (4-2 in the playoffs), is not entirely to blame for the sickening state of football in New York. Some bad draft moves, the Tim Tebow saga and more has led New York down this path, a path that has them among the laughingstocks of the NFL.
While Ryan had been steadfastly supporting second-year quarterback Geno Smith, that expirement has come to an abrupt end, especially after the West Virginia product tossed three interceptions in last Sunday's blowout loss in the Meadowlands to division rival Buffalo. Veteran Michael Vick, who essentially has been given the unenviable task of trying to salvage an already lost season, will reportedly be under center this Sunday when the Jets travel to Kansas City.
When you stop and look at Ryan's tenure in New York, there are definitely some highlights, most notably the pair of AFC championship game appearances. That said things have pretty much gone south since that time.
While some notable players have been brought in the last couple of years and this season, including the likes of Vick, Eric Decker and Percy Harvin, this team is full of holes, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
As you look at New York's remaining 2014 schedule, there are certainly some opportunities for wins there. Then again, there is also the possibility this team could very easily finish with the top or at least a spot in the top three picks in next spring's NFL Draft.
Whatever happens the rest of the way, the likelihood of Rex Ryan prowling the sidelines again next season at the Meadowlands seems to be about as likely as Joe Namath, Richard Todd or Ken O'Brien coming out of retirement to be the next New York QB.
As a Jets fan, what is your prediction on Ryan's future in New York?
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Dave Thomas has been covering the sports world since his first job as a sports editor for a weekly newspaper in Pennsylvania back in 1989. He has covered a Super Bowl, college bowl games, MLB, NBA and more. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
