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This Rex did his “best job” theory has gained a lot of traction. Is that on-target? Not so fast . . .
Today on the Jets’ website, a headline read, Chad Pennington: “This was Rex’s Best Year.”
I’m sorry, but I’m just not buying this.
Let’s take a closer look.
The came out of a bye-week, and got blown out by a rebuilding Buffalo Bills team, with a rookie quarterback (who was a first round reach).
How do you come out of the bye-week, with two weeks to prepare, and get out-coached to that degree? That is a bad reflection of the head coach. You should have one of your best game plans of the year – your team should be fresh and firing on all cylinders.
The Jets also got blown out by two average teams – blowouts of biblical proportions against Tennessee and Cincinnati.
Unacceptable.
Look, I’m not saying the Jets should have definitely won both of those games, but to get blown out, is ridiculous.
At the very least, these are teams on the same level as the Jets.
I’m so tired of hearing that Rex did a great job since he had to start a rookie quarterback.
He gets no sympathy from JC on this one.
That is like feeling bad for an orphan who killed his parents.
Rex and the Jets’ brass made the decision to start Smith before he was ready.
And it was Rex who was responsible for cutting down on QB options in three ways –
*Putting Mark Sanchez in against the fourth quarter against the Giants of a preseason, behind a backup line, leading to a season-ending shoulder injury for the quarterback.
*Holding a grudge against Greg McElroy, leading to his release in favor of Matt Simms. McElroy was at the very least a good “hold-the-fort quarterback” until Smith was ready. McElroy can read defenses and manage the game.
*Not considering veteran signal-callers, with a ton of game experience, first Brady Quinn, and then David Garrard as an option to ever play in a game, making each of them inactive for every contest, and putting them third on the depth chart behind Simms, which was a major head-scratcher.
And the Jets had one of the easiest schedules in the league, so going 8-8 with a terrific Front Seven, a very good running game and an outstanding placekicker, even with a rookie quarterback, shouldn’t be considered a “parting of the Red Sea” by Ryan.
The Jets lowered the bar by starting a rookie quarterback. That is on them. I’m tired of people playing the sympathy card. I’m not into that.
To me, this whole “Rex did his best job” angle is blown out of proportion, and has taken on a life of it’s own, like so many story-lines with the explosion of social media.
I think the angle is rubbish.
Rex did a decent job this past year.
Enough to save his job.
But he can do a lot better.
And he better because there will be no “he’s starting five rookies” spin in 2014.
February 18, 2014
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