On Tuesday, around the same time the New York Jets were interviewing Rex Ryan for their vacant head coaching position, WFAN’s Evan Roberts communicated one of the clearest truths in sports history.
“If they hired Rex Ryan, in my opinion, there would be a Jet fan civil war,” Roberts said on Tuesday’s edition of the “Evan and Tiki” program.
No truer words have ever been spoken.
Ryan, 62, famously led the Jets to back-to-back AFC championship game appearances in 2009 and 2010, marking the last time the franchise has enjoyed a semblance of NFL success. His pressure-led defense, motivational tactics, and bombastic ways endeared him to a significant chunk of the fanbase.
It’s this percentage that’s all-in on wanting him back on the Jets sideline.
On the other side stand those who are defiantly opposed to the idea of Rex part deux. These fans come in many shapes and sizes. Some despise the man despite their Jets fandom, while many still love and appreciate what Rex did in those two magical seasons but want no part of him in 2025.
On one side are those who largely buy into the emotions, motivational tactics, and nostalgia of yesteryear. On the other side are the Jets fans who remember just how talented his early teams were, his brutal final three-to-four seasons, and how antiquated his football vision remains for today’s playing field.
Such is the case for a polarizing figure who comes with plenty of bluster—whether it’s delivered with substance or not.
Part of the reason for such a crystal clear civil war-esque setting might just boil down to appeasement (or the perception of just that). Interviewing this man while stripping his name and Jet history does not line up with his actual … candidacy.
Who are the other NFL teams lining up to interview Rex Ryan? I don’t exactly see Jerry Jones mowing down Mike McCarthy the way Robert Kraft did to Jerod Mayo—en route to a multi-year snack with Rex.
Whether fan appeasement is the case or not, taking the step to actually entertain such an idea (conducting a Rex interview) creates unhelpful narratives. Quite honestly, how could anybody rebut somebody who claims Rex is simply a “token interview” that throws a great portion of Jets fandom a bone? There’s zero evidence to suggest that anything here is serious.
Appeasing Jets fans should not be the goal. I’ll never understand why the Jets would even post messages on X (formerly Twitter) to let fans know when the Rex interview ends. (Granted, the organization is currently following the same pattern for each interview, but my confusion extends beyond Rex, of course.)
Who cares when the interviews start and end? What matters is where the franchise is right now and whether or not the organization properly identified the mistakes that led to this black hole of a moment.
The official word from Florham Park, NJ, per Jets X-Factor, is that the organization is “turning over every stone” throughout this process. They’re casting a wide net, which is why Ryan (and others) has been included in the proceedings.
Still, alarmingly, the Jets merely interviewing Rex Ryan is a troublesome sign that creates intense chaos.
First and foremost, Rex marked the beginning of the end for the Jets. While 2010 under Rex represents the last time the team made the playoffs, let’s not pretend Rex’s departure signaled the start of the end for them. Rex’s final four seasons marked the start of the football plague.
What was once the most talented roster in the NFL (sans a quarterback) when Rex took the reins turned out to be one of the least talented upon his departure.
In addition to the awful personnel decisions Rex was directly involved in—and no, John Idzik, who was a financial/cap guy at heart, cannot be scapegoated for it all—every passing year in the NFL moved further away from Ryan’s football vision.
The former Jets head coach talks about defense until he’s blue in the face, even on ESPN. Earlier in the year, when Bryce Young’s struggles felt hopeless, Ryan blurted out “rushing” and “defense” as ways to support the young quarterback.
Wow. Amazing analysis.
In Bryce Young’s first four full games of 2024 (New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, and the Saints again), he played terribly. Young threw for 585 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions on 71 of 121 passing (58.7 completion percentage).
In those four games, Carolina rushed the ball 81 times for 297 yards, an average of 74.25 rushing yards a game. Not a great mark by any stretch.
Rex made these brilliant comments about Panthers head coach Dave Canales once Young was benched for Andy Dalton in Week 3. Week 3, folks. This is after Canales’s offense dialed up 20 attempts in Week 1 and 18 attempts in Week 2—compared to 31 passing attempts in Week 1 and 27 passing attempts in Week 2.
Forget the fact that the best teams in the league will always have more impressive rushing numbers purely due to game flow—since the better teams enjoy better time of possession and more time with leads. What Rex cannot grasp are the offensive aspects that have turned the game of football on its head—to the point where railing about “rushing the ball” and “playing good defense” isn’t even close to critical.
Today’s game is about playing “ahead of the chains” when possible rather than “managing the chains” (see Andy Reid, Kevin O’Connell, Sean McVay, Ben Johnson, etc.). It is about controlled aggression born from strategic brainpower, not brute strength (which ruled the roost a few decades ago).
Young’s Panthers rushed the ball 246 times for 1,115 yards (4.53 YPC) in his final 10 games, averaging 111.5 yards per game. Sure, it’s a much better mark than the start of the season, which led to his benching, but “rushing the ball well” to support him is one of the silliest things I’ve heard all year.
Here’s the key: Young ran the ball, himself, for 217 yards on 37 attempts (5.86 YPC) in his final 10 games (most of which were born from passing plays). When taking Young’s yards away, the Panthers rushing attack resulted in 898 yards on 209 carries (4.29 YPC), good enough for a paltry 89.8 rushing yards per contest.
Would we make the claim that moving from 74.25 rushing yards per game to 89.8 is what led Bryce Young to exciting things this season? Come on, now.
His ascent is directly tied to him taking shots and scampering when the time called for it. Young ran just seven times for 32 yards in his first two starts, ultimately leading to his benching in Week 3 and a ridiculous Rex Ryan rant about nothing on ESPN (in “told you so” fashion).
How many times have we seen Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen do exactly that, crushing opponents in the most critical moments? We’ll yet again see those studs do the same thing this January in the playoffs, and those who do it best will move on to Super Bowl 59.
Bryce figuring out how to get it done with his legs is what really propelled him this season.
It’s not that difficult to understand. In fact, the three quarterbacks who collected the most rushing yards this season—Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, and Jalen Hurts—happen to be the three leaders of the top-three rushing teams in the league (Baltimore Ravens, at one, Philadelphia Eagles at two, and the Washington Commanders at three).
“Ground and pound” is extinct.
This is just one of the many new-age principles that Rex fails to recognize. Instead, he goes back to the “rushing attack and good defense” well, as he consistently does.
The game has drastically changed, and with it, we saw Ryan struggle from 2011-2014 and then for another couple of seasons in Buffalo while league passing numbers reached newer heights (2015’s 243.8 passing yards per game remains the record, whereas 2016’s 241.5 is second all-time).
Granted, the Bryce Young example is just one example that hardly matters in the grand scheme of this conversation. Here’s the more critical question: Why in the world does anybody believe he’s changed? What evidence do we have that he’s learned his lesson about crushing his quarterbacks’ souls via how defensively heavy his mindset and game plans always were?
Would Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith believe he’s a changed man and that he now understands what it takes to win in today’s very different league?
It’s tough, really. Personally speaking, I’m in alignment with Rex—as to what I think the best brand of football should be.
I bitterly hate the NFL’s recent path that strives for offensive bonanzas and passing across the lot. While necessary, the NFL’s overprotection of players, especially quarterbacks, is a major deal via strategy. It routinely impacts games, and it does so against the most blitz-heavy teams.
I also agree with Rex regarding defensive fundamentals and principles. Yes, the name of the defensive game is quarterback pressure. Although the rules have challenged that idea in years past, defenses that effectively send more pressure have been sitting pretty in the last couple of years.
It’s much more about red-zone defense these days, as it’s critical to design game plans that intentionally “give up” something to the offense. No longer can defensive minds enter games with a “don’t give up an inch” mentality. The only winning route is one that features the offense’s passing attack while the defense plays a bend-but-don’t-break complementary role.
Would Rex ever give an inch?
Over-preaching physicality in this football world where two-a-days are no longer a thing could be counterproductive (see Robert Saleh‘s “All Gas, No Brake” mantra). Moreover, sending the house too often in today’s game often leads to trouble.
Todd Bowles‘s Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of three teams with six roughing-the-passer penalties this season (tied for second in the league). The Bucs also finished second in blitz percentage this season (38.9%). The Detroit Lions sent pressure at the quarterback the third-most times this year (38.4%), and they’re appropriately tied for tied for six in roughing-the-passer calls.
The Bucs and Lions are both playoff teams, which leads us to believe that blitzing is still impactful. But the point is this: A much more nuanced defensive approach is required, and Rex has been anything but nuanced when boasting about his beloved defense.
A head coach can never rely on his defense to win a game in the fourth quarter. That’s just the way it is, folks, and I hate it (just like Rex). But I also have a hard time believing Rex would ever abide by that certainty.
By no means am I making the argument that Rex Ryan’s defense couldn’t succeed in today’s game; it absolutely could. Instead, it’s that his head coaching vision is always so littered with defensive and old-school thoughts that it’s impossible for a team to fly high in today’s game.
Beyond strategy, and perhaps most importantly, the Jets need a true football leader. To me, a man is immediately disqualified when he uses his media platform to scream and shout while targeting the ears of Jets fans and Woody Johnson.
Rex is about Rex, first and foremost. He’s an excellent motivator and defensive brain, but a leader—the type the Jets desperately need these days—he is not.
He’s not exactly genuine. He’s rather somewhat genuine but mostly showman. Genuineness wouldn’t lead to verbiage spewing all over our television sets, as we’ve seen this season with his continuous politicking for the job.
Yet, the other half of Jets fandom would disagree wholeheartedly. Based on results from a decade and a half earlier, coupled with outrageous frustration born from more recent teams—which is obviously understandable—they’re willing to give Rex part deux a go.
The pro-Rex crowd doesn’t worry much about whether or not he can or is willing to adapt to the rules the NFL plays by today. Perhaps most don’t even think about it at all.
If Rex were hired, they believe player accountability would magically return. In some befuddling way, they view him as a taskmaster and hardened leader who plays the accountability card correctly.
Those in Rex’s corner also buy into the emotional verbiage that’s conveniently spewed to the public in an irresponsible fashion. They have either forgotten about the true Jets circus that came to town under his watch or pretend it never existed.
I get it: Things have been horrendous. And since things have been horrendous since Rex Ryan’s 2010 team, putting two and two together equals … this complete mess we have on our hands today.
That’s exactly why merely interviewing the man is a problem.
It’s an emotional and nostalgia-led interview that splits the fanbase into two. Worse yet, the intense chaos in Jets’ social media circles has only commenced, and Mike Tannenbaum‘s involvement makes it all the more bizarre.
Such chaos and confusion are unfortunate for so many involved.
Unfortunately, for Rex Ryan specifically, the game has passed him by.
Unfortunately, for New York Jets fans, we have no idea if Woody Johnson understands this. The simple act of interviewing the man creates incredible chaos and confusion among fans—as it should.
Stay tuned to Jet X. We expect to have our next update once the “Battle of Rex Ryan’s Gettysburg” begins. Until then, Jets fans shall sling insults at one another with the use of their most primal weapon: a keyboard.
