NYC Magazine » Rex Ryan

Colts End Jets’ Miracle Run

Igor Derysh — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:30:58 +0000

After ten games of the NFL season, the New York Jets were 4-6 and out of playoff contention. Not quite. The Jets hit a hot streak and their top defense and top rushing attack won them 7 out of 8 games until the team’s Cinderella run finally came to an end today as they were topped by the Colts in the AFC Championship game.

While Jets fans were disappointed by the team’s loss, especially after the Jets were up 17-6 in the second quarter, the season was far from a disappointment.

With a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team that would start its season with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback, the Jets did much better than anyone, including the team itself, expected them to.

They did so on the shoulders of a truly terrific defense. Although they weren’t as successful as the defenses that took the Ravens and the Buccaneers to Super Bowl wins over the past decade, a good mix of old and new players stepped up huge and allowed less than 15 points a game. Led by shut down cornerback Darrelle Revis and middle linebacker David Harris, the Jets defense has a lot of pluses and nary any minuses and is expected to be just as good next season.

The Jets rushing attack was equally impressive, especially after running back Leon Washington was hurt early in the season. After leading the AFC in rushing yards in 2008, Thomas Jones put up another excellent year excellent year, as did rookie running back Shonn Greene who will be challenging for the starting job next season.

Mark Sanchez had an up-and-down year that ended on a high note. While the Jets were unable to stop the awesomeness that is Peyton Manning, Sanchez outdueled the MVP for the entire first half as he threw more confidently than we had ever seen him.

Tough break for the Jets but I cannot wait to see what they do next year. Congrats!

Rookies Lead Jets To Victory, Next Round of Playoffs

Igor Derysh — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Darrelle Revis

It was not so long ago that the New York Jets were an average team with a rookie quarterback who couldn’t pass to his own teammates. No one thought the team could accomplish anything this season. And then they won five of their last six games. And then they beat the AFC North division champion Cincinnati Bengals.

On a brutally cold evening in Ohio, the Jets played about as good a game as they have all year and beat the Bengals for the second consecutive week, this time with their playoff lives on the line.

Although the team is built around veteran talent like the Jets’ offensive line, their very experienced defensive unit, and a veteran running back, it was the rookies and young guys that powered the Jets to a victory.

Mark Sanchez played a near flawless game as he completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. It was the fourth time in five games that the rookie did not throw a single interception.

Similarly, while Thomas Jones, the second leading rusher in the AFC, did not bring his best stuff with him (15 carries for 34 yards and a touchdown), rookie running back Shonn Greene put up a career game as he ran 21 times for 135 yards and a touchdown against the second-best rushing defense in the NFL.

Darrelle Revis continued his amazing year as he shut down the Bengals’ top receiver, Chad Ochocinco, for the second straight game as he intercepted a pass, deflected a pass, and was all over his coverage, allowing Ochocinco to catch just two passes for 28 yards.

The Jets sent a clear message to the NFL this Saturday. They are not going to be a stepping stone for anyone in the playoffs, they are going to come and play hard.

Up next, the Jets take on the San Diego Chargers who won their last eleven straight games.

Jets Playoff Bound After Beating Next Week’s Opponent

Igor Derysh — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:30:18 +0000

Rex Ryan Got Jets To Playoff In His First Year As A Head Coach

Anyone who claimed that Jets would be in the playoffs this year would have been laughed at two months ago but Gang Green is going to the playoffs after sealing a 5-3 second half (5-1 in their last six games) by beating the AFC North champions Cincinnati Bengals.

In a game that exemplified the Jets’ run heavy offense and extraordinary defense, the Jets were rolling on all cylinders in what is likely the last game to ever be played at Giants stadium as they put down the 10-6 Bengals in a 37-0 blowout victory to make the playoffs for the first time in three years.

The Jets passed for just 63 yards (but no interceptions!) while running the ball 57 times for 257 yards, despite playing against one of the best rush defenses in the league.

Jets’ special teams and Wildcat extraordinaire Brad Smith led the team with four huge rushes for 92 yards while Thomas Jones carried the ball 27 times for 78 yards and rookie Shonn Greene ran 13 times for 62 yards.

As good as the offense was (21 first downs as they held the ball for more than 40 minutes!), the defense was even better.

The top rated defense in the league held the Bengals to a total of 72 yards and no passing yards at all as Carson Palmer completed just one out of his 11 pass attempts.

The win could not have come at a better time. Not only was this a must win game for Rex Ryan’s Jets (Ryan became the third consecutive head coach to get the Jets to the playoffs in his rookie year) but it was against the same team that they are matched up again next week.

There is no better way to send a message to your first playoff opponent than by absolutely dominating them in the best game that the Jets have played all season.

Jets Head Into Most Important Game of the Season

Igor Derysh — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:00:50 +0000

Jets QB Mark Sanchez

After an unlikely defeat of the streaking Colts last Sunday, the New York Jets not control their own playoff destiny as they head into their final game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

While other AFC teams have incredibly confusing playoff scenarios, if the Jets win they make the playoffs, if they lose, they go home.

Although the Bengals have been an impressive team this year, they will likely use their backup players quite a bit as they have already clinched the AFC North and don’t have anything on the line in week 17.

The Jets, meanwhile, have had an up-and-down season but the team has won four of their last five games, losing only a heartbreaker to the Falcons. The Jets had led the Falcons all day until Atlanta scored a touchdown that put them ahead 10-7 in the final minutes of the game.

Despite their problems and what their record may say, the Jets have actually been a pretty great team this year. They currently lead the league in defense (fewest points allowed) and rushing yards. No team has ever led the league in both of those categories and not gone on to make the playoffs.

The Jets’ problems have laid solely on the shoulders of their rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez who has just 12 touchdowns with 20 interceptions and several fumbles. If the Jets can contain the mistakes that Sanchez will undoubtedly make (and they have been able to, for the most part, over the past five games), this is a team that can actually go far in the playoffs.

If they can get past the Bengals, that is.

Jets Lose Heartbreaker, Playoff Hopes Waver

Igor Derysh — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:29:34 +0000

Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan

With just three games games left to go, the Falcons were going to be the Jets’ easiest opponent. Instead, Atlanta turned out to be the big spoiler that the Jets were afraid off.

Entering the game in a three-way tie with the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins for the second Wild Card slot, the Jets knew that they had to win this one because their following games would be against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts and the AFC North leading Cincinnati Bengals.

If the players were watching the scoreboard throughout the game, they also knew that the Dolphins, Broncos, and Jaguars had already lost meaning that if they won they would be tied with the Ravens and Broncos with two playoff spots to go around.

Instead, the Jets blew several scoring opportunities thanks to problems on special teams and Mark Sanchez’s obligatory three interceptions. After the Jets defense had done a great job of keeping the Falcon’s offense to just three points all game, the Falcons scored a touchdown with less than two minutes to go in the game.

With two missed kicks, a botched field goal snap, and three picks, the Jets had managed to score just one touchdown all game and ended up losing the game in disheartening fashion, likely ending their season despite all of the help they had gotten from their competition losing.

For all you optimists, all hope is not lost yet. Although the Jets can no longer finish better than 9-7, if they win their next two games while Jacksonville and Miami both lose one of their remaining games. At the same time, the Jets need either the Ravens or Broncos to lose one more game to clear a spot for them in the playoff standings.

Even if those three teams lose, the Jets would still have to best two of the top teams in the NFL, including undefeated Indianapolis this Sunday.