Rex Ryan deserves a second chance as a head coach. That may sound silly considering how pathetic the New York Jets have looked this season, but it’s hard to fully blame Ryan for the mess.
Obviously, the head coach is directly responsible for the product on the field, but he is being held back by an inept personnel department. How many coaches could realistically win with that roster?
Sure, Ryan has his flaws. He’s a bit too brash and that’s not for everyone , but when Ryan had legitimate personnel to work with, he was one of the better coaches in football. Heck, he made it to two straight AFC Championship games with Mark Sanchez at quarterback.
Ryan may need to rebuild his image, but for him to succeed as a head coach, he needs to find a gig with an established quarterback. Those jobs are few and far between, but there may be a potential fit in the next hiring cycle with the Atlanta Falcons. Mike Smith’s future up in the air and even though the Falcons are technically still alive in the laughable NFC South race, it’s hard to imagine the head coach coming back in 2015.
Give Ryan a quarterback to work with, let him do his magic on defence and all of a sudden, you probably have a pretty good football team. Don’t be so fast to judge him for being paired with a couple of inept general managers that had no idea how to draft offensive players. Ryan is a good football man and he deserves another shot.
Here’s what else we learned in Week 12:
The best rookie receiving class ever? Rightfully, Odell Beckham’s incredible acrobatic catch was the talk of Week 12. The Giants receiver has been a silver lining for an otherwise lost season for the New York Giants. But when you look at the bigger picture, it’s fair to wonder if this is best group of rookie receivers the NFL has ever seen, which is amazing when you consider how difficult the transition generally is. Of the 15 receivers drafted in the first three rounds this year, all but two have recorded double-digit receptions. That group includes Beckham Jr., Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Kelvin Bejamin, Jarvis Landry, John Brown, Jordan Mathews, Martavis Bryant and Brandin Cooks. The production and depth of this class rivals a 1996 draft year that included Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Eddie Kennison, Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds, Amani Toomer, Muhsin Muhammad, Bobby Engram, Terrell Owens and Joe Horn. Not too shabby.
Should the Cardinals be concerned with their offence? There’s no shame in losing to the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field — especially when they have a healthy defence — but for the first time all season, Bruce Arians’ team looked vulnerable. Yes, they didn’t have Larry Fitzgerald but Drew Stanton couldn’t generate much. The Cardinals were held to 3-of-12 on third down while posting a season-low total of 204 net yards. We know Arians said that the Cardinals could win a Super Bowl without Carson Palmer at quarterback, but Stanton’s tough day was more evidence to the contrary. Stanton is close to a 50 percent passer that turns the ball over more frequently than Palmer. The defence is great, but Arizona will need more than mediocre quarterbacking to contend for a title.
Josh Gordon shakes off the rust: It didn’t take long for Josh Gordon to become a prominent part of Cleveland’s offence, but it came with some downside. In his first game back from suspension, Gordon was targeted 16 times by quarterback Bryan Hoyer, registering eight catches for 120 yards, but it wasn’t all pretty. He had a few miscommunication issues with Hoyer, which led to one interception and a few missed deep shots down the field. Gordon has barely played with Hoyer in his career, so there may be growing pains while he gets into rhythm. The ultra-talented wideout needs to be a difference maker down the stretch for the Browns to hold on and make the playoffs.
Ravens look like a playoff team: The names and faces may not be the same in Baltimore, but the Ravens have a winning formula. Even though the NFL has transitioned to more of a passing league, the ability to run the ball and stop the run is always in demand come playoff time. In a tough road game against New Orleans on Monday, those qualities were on display. The Ravens ran for 215 yards, thanks to a career game from running back Justin Forsett, and the defence allowed just 59 yards on the ground after a gadget play to receiver Joe Morgan. Joe Flacco finally looks comfortable in Gary Kubiak’s offence and as a result, Steve Smith and Torrey Smith have been able to produce. The secondary still needs work, but the 7-4 Ravens look like a team ready to make a dent on the wide open AFC playoff picture.
Jonas Gray goes from penthouse to outhouse: Everyone expected Week 11 sensation Jonas Gray to be punished for oversleeping and showing up late to the Patriots’ facility on Friday, but Bill Belichick took it one step further. In classic Belichick fashion, Gray didn’t play a single snap in New England’s victory over the Detroit Lions, and he was adequately replaced by LeGarrette Blount. Going forward, it will be next to impossible to predict how Gray will be used, so good luck to anyone who has a New England running back on their fantasy team. It’s become abundantly clear that Belichick’s decisions will come down to the strengths and weaknesses of the individual matchup.