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Premium – Rex Ryan is staying, the turning point today, potential staff changes, and more in the latest edition of Website Whispers . . .
With two catches vs. the New York Jets (12/29), Brian Hartline set a career mark for most receptions in a single season with 76.
The second catch, late in the first quarter, was his last of the game, and a turning point of the contest.
Hartline beat Antonio Cromartie for a gain of 25 down the left seam. He hurt his knee.
This was huge.
Hartline destroyed the Jets in the first meeting. He had nine catches for 127 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown catch. He had an outstanding game. He’s a great route-runner, and really hurt the Jets with double-moves.
It looked like he was on his way to another big game. He’s a tough cover for the Jets. He does a really nice job of taking advantage of the favorable match-ups he draws because of the attention Mike Wallace attracts.
The Dolphins really missed him . . .
As you know by now, Rex Ryan will be back as the Jets’ coach next year.
“We’re going to keep Rex Ryan, and he’ll be our coach next year,” Woody Johnson said. “I couldn’t be prouder of this team.”
Woody needs to raise the bar.
The object is to make the playoffs, win a Super Bowl.
The Jets were 8-8 this year, and missed the playoffs for the third straight year.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” is a little strong, in my world.
The Jets like to talk about how young the team was this year. Well, you know what, that was their decision.
As a reporter, I refuse to cut them slack because they decided to start five rookies. That is on them.
As Bill Parcells used to say, “There are no medals for trying.”
This isn’t T-Ball.
It’s time for the Jets to make the playoffs after a three-year hiatus.
No playoffs in 2014 is totally unacceptable.
Enough said . . .
The big question now is what is going to happen with Rex’s coaching staff. Most of the assistants aren’t under contract for 2014.
“I’m told general manager John Idzik is pushing Rex Ryan to make staff changes on defense — his guys,” said Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network this morning.
Dee Milliner had two picks today.
Rex Ryan said after the game, “T-Mac, Tim McDonald, has done a tremendous job with him; also Dennis Thurman.”
I have to be honest, I thought those were two of the names I figured were on the fence.
The Jets secondary has been spotty this year with a lot of inconsistency at corner – Antonio Cromartie and Dee Milliner were both very inconsistent this year.
Rex tends to focus on the current game, and act like nothing happened before that contest. He’s a little over the top on the Milliner stuff. Perhaps the light bulb is starting to come on with Milliner (though he did give up a touchdown today), but this was a rough year for the kid, and his struggles impacted some of the results.
So for Rex to rave about McDonald and Thurman after the game, he was clearly drawing a line in the sand with the GM.
He clearly doesn’t want to throw any of his guys overboard.
It’s possible Idzik could use the staff changes as a bargaining chip regarding an extension.
Stay tuned . . .
If Leslie Frazier is fired in Minnesota, he could be a potential addition to the Jets’ staff. He goes way back with the Ryan family, going back to the 1985 Bears.
December 29, 2013
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