Thank You Rex

"The message to the rest of the league is, `Hey, the Jets are coming, and we’re going to give you everything we got. And I think that’s going to be more than you can handle."
-Introductory Press Conference: January 2009

Barring a Miracle on 34th Street, Sunday will be the last time we see Rex Ryan donning the green and white as head coach of the New York Jets (reports already have him clearing out his office in Florham Park). Like most of Rex's tenure here, this article isn't hear to be sad, lamenting on what could have been. Instead, I am here to bring a smile to your face, reminiscing over these past 5 years, with some of my favorite Rex Ryan quotes. On Black Monday the entire franchise is going to start their complete overhaul, thus ending the Ryan Era. I can't say this enough, but thank you Coach Ryan. You will sincerely missed. I wish you the best of luck in whatever the next step of your career will be, unless you join the Patriots or Giants ;)

“I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings. I came here to win, let’s put it that way. I’m certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else.”
-Introductory Press Conference: January 2009

At Rex Ryan's introductory press conference he came in guns blazing. After a period where Jets fans came to expect "paint-by-numbers" talk by Eric Mangini, Coach Ryan let you know exactly what he was bringing to the table. From the Super Bowl predictions, to calling out the Patriots and Giants, Rex was unlike anyone we have ever see. The 2009 season was a roller-coaster ride, and at the end a gift from "Santa Clause" got us into the playoffs, but Rex's attitude got us to the AFC Championship Game.

“Let’s make sure we play like the fucking New York Jets and not some fucking slap-dick team. That’s what I want to see tomorrow. Do we understand what the fuck I want to see tomorrow? Now let’s go eat a goddamn snack.”
-Hard Knocks, August 2010

The 2010 edition of HBO's hit series Hard Knocks made Rex Ryan a bona-fide star. He had so many one-liners that Jet Nation still repeats to this day. That training camp made Ryan a media darling, and put a lot of eyeballs and targets on the Jets. However, Rex proved he wasn't a one trick pony, by knocking both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning out of the playoffs in consecutive weeks. Once again, Gang Green was on the precipice of a Super Bowl, but that season also ended with an AFC Championship Game loss. 2010 was also the year that a video was uncovered of Rex showing his love for feet.

"Hey, guys, we don’t have Revis in this building right now. … Does it matter that Revis is not here? Goddamn, he’s pretty fucking good. He’s pretty good, OK? But you know what guys? It isn’t about one guy, its about leading the league in fucking wins.”
-Hard Knocks, August 2010

 The 2011 New York Jets were the first team that regressed in the Rex Ryan era. Perhaps the biggest turning point in Rex's tenure came when he lost to the Giants on Christmas Eve of 2011. The win catapulted the Giants to the Super Bowl, while Gang Green was stuck watching at home. Rex's promise of no longer playing in Big Blue's shadow was just a pipe dream for Jet Nation.

“There’s no way I’m going to be second fiddle. If we were playing the New York Yankees, I don’t want to be second fiddle to them. This is the same type of deal. I want to be the best team in football, not just the best team in this city. But we’ll start by being the best team in this city.”
-Talking about the Giants, December 2011

A slimmed down Coach Ryan made his debut in 2012. Unfortunately the 2012 season was over before it really began. The addition of Tim Tebow was an utter disaster, and problems with new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano led to a tension throughout the season. The season ended in a comical manner with a photo of Rex Ryan's tattoo depicting his wife in a Mark Sanchez jersey.

“I never realized how similar that I am to Tom Brady. I mean, the obvious physical appearance would be the first thing. The fact that he's married to a supermodel? Hello?”
-Before a game against the Patriots
 
The 2013 Jets had a new General Manager, John Idzik, new offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, and new starting quarterback, Geno Smith. Rex knew that his back was against the wall, but took  a team that everyone expected to be one of the worst in the league to an 8-8 record. After their last home game, Woody Johnson told a jubilant locker room that Rex will be coming back in 2014.

(from Boomer & Carton producer, Al Dukes)

"I think Rex is a great coach. I think he is a great person. There is no question about that. He’s very handsome"
 -Dressed as his brother Rob before a game against the Browns

The 2014 season has been a disaster. However, the majority of media and fans are blaming the problems on John Idzik and Woody Johnson for leaving over $20 million in salary cap with obvious holes on the roster. The Jets still hung in against some of the best teams in the league, like the Patriots, Broncos, and Packers. The team still plays hard for Rex Ryan and that is evidence enough that he is a great coach in this league.

When Rex Ryan got here, he tried his damnedest to change the perception of the Same Old Jets. His defense brought a toughness not seen in this city since the Parcells' Giants, and the "ground and pound" offense followed in the defense's mentality. However, Rex was always handcuffed by having a below-average quarterback in a passing league, and that has led to his ultimate downfall. Once again, thank you Coach Ryan, it's been one hell of a ride. 

One last note, from Patriot fan Bill Simmons Friday football column:

"I hope the Jets are dumb enough to fire Rex — the guy who won them four road playoff games in two years even though Mark Freaking Sanchez was playing QB for him. We always hear that you’re only as good as your QB. Well, Rex’s starting QBs ranked 24^th, 17^th, 26^th, 32^nd, 28^th and 30^th in QBR from 2009 through 2014. During that time, the Jets never had a 1,000-yard receiver and only had three 1,000-yard running backs (Thomas Jones in 2009 and Shonn Greene in 2011 and 2012). In the past 12 years, the Jets have drafted one above-average skill position player … and it was a kick returner (Leon Washington in 2006). And this is Rex’s fault?"

Plea to Woody Johnson

Hello Mr Johnson,

My name is Frank, and I've been a Jets fan since 1997, when I was 10 years old. I've seen the good, the 1998, 2009, and 2010 AFC Championship Game seasons, the bad, Favre's collapse in 2008, and the ugly, the Buttfumble (need I say more). It is with this that I beg of you to let John Idzik go before the calendar hits 2015. Hell, he should go on Black Monday; December 29th. I'm not happy that you are letting go of a great football mind in Rex Ryan, but I do understand that some sacrifices need to be made for the future of this once proud franchise.

  

The last 3 months have been a trying time for the Green and White faithful. We have once again become the laughing stock of the league because of moves that the man that you left in control of our football operations is incapable of doing his job. Not only is this team unwatchable, Jets fans are forced to see Mark Sanchez playing well in Philadelphia, Antonio Cromartie playing well for the Cardinals, and on Sunday we get visited by Revis Clause, who has been playing like the best corner in the league again for our biggest rivals, the Patriots.

Enough about the guys we've lost, you want to judge Mr. Idzik on the men he brought into this organization. Good quality men like Mike Goodson (arrested on drug and weapon posession), Dimitri Paterson (he FUCKING DISAPPEARED before a preseason game), and Kellen Winslow (who played with balls more in a Target parking lot then a football field). He brought in free agents who contributed greatly to the organization, like Braylon Edwards and David Garrard, who both retired in camp. 

Even if you discredit those moves, his gaffes on the biggest stage, the NFL Draft are enough to drive a sane man into an asylum. In 2013, we drafted Dee Milliner who has played a whopping 16 games in 2 seasons, including being benched for a majority of last season, Geno Smith, who's 69.8 QBR is last in the NFL this season, Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi, the weak links on our offensive line.

You're probably saying to yourself the 2014 couldn't have gone worse than the 2013 Draft, but somehow it did. Out of our 12 draft picks, only four of them remain on the roster. First round pick Calvin Pryor has been benched, even in our abysmal secondary. Jace Amoro (Butterfingers) has dropped more passes than he caught this season. Third round pick Dee Milliner Jr, oops sorry, Dexter McDougle can't stay healthy in the pros after battling injuries in his college career. Receivers Shaq Evans and Jalen Saunders are both off the team. To make matters worse, we could've drafted Martavius Bryant who only has 484 yards and 7 touchdowns this season. Do I need to keep going?

We aren't going anywhere. As much as you try to price real fans out of Jetlife Stadium, who refuse to pay your criminal PSLs, we are going to support the team (gotta support the team) because we Bleed Jets Green. If you want to stop the planes carrying banners over our practice fields in Florham Park, stop the fans waving the yellow penalty flags, and put an end to this 2 year hell there is only one decision to make. Tell John Idzikand don't let the door hit him in the ass on the way out.

Sincerely,

Jets Nation

It's Clobbering Time!!

The past 12 months of Phil “CM Punk” Brooks life has been a roller coaster to say the least. After the Royal Rumble in January, Punk left what he thought was a dream job at WWE. Finally soured by numerous injuries, a perceived lack of respect by his bosses, and a general unhappiness. After getting married in June, he was largely out of the public eye, returning to Twitter to feud with the Los Angeles Kings mascot. Then on Thanksgiving, Punk became the most talked about man in pro wrestling again, by recording a podcast with friend Colt Cabana, explaining why he left WWE. Then, on Saturday night, he dropped a “pipebomb” after the opening fight on the UFC 181 pay-per view.

It still feels surreal, but there was CM Punk alongside Joe Rogan to announce that he has signed a multi-fight contract with the UFC, expecting to fight in 2015. A lot of the details are still unknown. Punk may fight in the middleweight (185 lb) or welterweight (170 lb) division, he still has to decide which fight camp to join (he is a Gracie brown belt in Jiu Jitsu), and he has no timetable for when the fight will be.

Immediately after the news broke, MMA fans were up in arms, claiming the UFC has jumped the shark. Pro wrestling fans weren’t kind to Punk either, hoping he gets his ass kicked and comes crawling back to join the infamous Mr McMahon Kiss My Ass Club. Like in all things, the truth really lies somewhere in the middle.

While Dana White has criticized his competitors Strikeforce and Bellator for trying to pull a big rating by promoting “freak show” fights like Herschel Walker, Kimbo Slice, and Tito Ortiz (in 2014); the Baldfather isn’t immune to doing it before either. Does anyone remember when James Toney fought Randy Couture? And there’s that Brock Lesnar guy too. Fact of the matter is one fight isn’t going to ruin the credibility of the UFC. If Punk comes in and falls flat on his face, I would think it would benefit MMA, by proving that not just anyone can step into the Octagon. 

MMA is in a weird phase right now. It is coming down from it’s fad period, where everyone would order every UFC pay-per view, and has become a legitimate sport.  UFC has landed on Fox Sports One from Spike TV, where you see the next fight being advertised right alongside with that weekends football games. Dana White is a promoter first and foremost. The very essence of the word means that he is trying everything he can to put asses in the seat, whether in the arena or on the couch ordering the show.  CM Punk is an attraction that doesn’t come around very often. He appeals to the male 18-35 year old demo the UFC markets to. If you poll people off the street, they will be able to pick Punk out of a lineup before Jose Aldo, the featherweight champion who hasn’t loss since 2005. 

At 36 years old, CM Punk decided that he “lost his smile” in pro wrestling, so he left. Punk has been a devout MMA fan for years, showing up cageside for multiple UFC events. Through interviews with Ariel Helwani you can tell Punk has a real passion for MMA. He has every right to try living his dream of having a fight. However, I don’t know if he should start at the top of the food chain in the UFC. 

Like indy wrestlers, there are tons of weekend MMA fighters all around the world. They leave their blood, sweat, and tears on the mat for little to no money, because they love the sport. If Phil Brooks wasn’t CM Punk he wouldn’t be able to have his debut fight in the UFC. He has become Dwayne Johnson, taking Punk’s spot at the main event at Wrestlemania. Right or wrong though, that is the fight business, whether you’re doing it in the Squared Circle or the Octagon it’s all the same when it comes to money. 

UFC 181 was the promotion’s biggest event of the year. Anthony Pettis retained the lightweight title, becoming the first person to finish Gilbert Melendez. Robbie Lawler completed his comeback (he first fought at UFC 37 in 2002) by defeating Johny Hendricks in a rematch of their Fight of the Year candidate. However, all everyone wanted to talk about was CM Punk. Nobody knows what the future holds, but Dana White and CM Punk have gotten people talking. 

Football is Jericho!!

Two forms of entertainment have been the staple of my Monday nights for over 20 years. WWE Monday Night Raw and Monday Night Football. Have you ever wondered what would happened if these two worlds collided? Well, wonder no more as I am here to rank the 32 NFL teams compared to their wrestling counterparts.

The Jobbers

32. Raiders (0-9)

31. Jaguars (1-9)

30. Buccaneers (1-8)

29. Titans (2-7)

This is pretty easy to understand. These teams all suck, and like Heath Slater are the laughing stock of the league. Just like a Slater match on Raw makes you change the channel, the Raiders, Jags, Bucs, and Titans games always get the smallest TV in the darkest and dingiest corner at your local sports bar. Rookies Derrick Carr and Blake Bortles could be decent quarterbacks in the future, but a decade of futility leave their respective teams with a lack of playmakers. Tampa and Tennessee can't decide which quarterback they want to lead their team, and the old saying "if you have two quarterbacks then you don't really have a quarterback" rings true for these teams.  

The Underachievers

28. Jets (2-8)

27. Falcons (3-6)

26. Redskins (3-6)

25. Bears (3-6)

24. Panthers (3-6)

23. Giants (3-6)

The Miz is a former WWE World Champion, but still gets no respect from the WWE Universe. All these teams have big name offensive players, but are in the bottom quarter of the league. The addition of Michael Vick, Eric Decker, and Chris Johnson had many believing that the Jets have cured their offensive woes, but that was not to be. The Falcons and Bears are "fantasy" teams. Their teams are loaded with fantasy superstars (Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffrey, Jay Cutler, Matt Ryan, and Julio Jones), but the real teams can't find a way to win. The Panthers and (content deleted)skins have superstar quarterbacks that networks love to have on national prime time games, but I think they've lost those games by a combined 10,000 points, ruining my Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights. Eli Manning and the Giants are the ultimate Miz's. They won two Super Bowls (does this remind anyone of the Miz's Wrestlemania main event against John Cena?) in the past eight years, but those other six years they failed to win a playoff game. This season, Big Blue has suffered from a lack of toughness on their defense, while Eli has benefited from a break-out season from rookie Odell Beckham. 

The Overachievers

22. Rams (3-6)

21. Texans (4-5)

20. Vikings (4-5)

19. Bills (5-4)

18. Dolphins (5-4)

Like "The Showoff" Dolph Ziggler, these franchises get written off by the supposed "experts" but the fans know that they deserve more respect. The Rams have played the Cowboys, Eagles, and Cardinals tough, but just couldn't close those games out. Austin Davis has stepped up nicely and the Sam Bradford era is likely over in St. Louis. The Texans went from the worst record in the league last year to a .500 team this season. JJ Watt is a stud, and if they had slightly better quarterback play from Fitzpatrick they would be Wild Card contenders. After losing Adrian Peterson (who may be coming back soon) many people would've put Minnesota in the Heath Slater division. However, they play hard for coach Mike Zimmer and have beaten the teams that they should. The two AFC East contenders Dolphins and Bills have slowly been getting better through the draft. They both play tough smart football, but seem to be a couple players away from being contenders. 

The Unstable 

17. Saints (4-5)

16. 49ers (5-4)

15. Ravens (6-4)

14.Steelers (6-4)

13. Bengals (5-3-1)

12. Chargers (5-4)

These six teams are the definition of unstable, like "The Lunatic Fringe" Dean Ambrose. The Saints are like Jekkyl and Hyde, with a 3-1 record at home and a 1-4 record on the road. They have relied on being one-dimensional for too long and now it's coming back to bite them. The 49ers are good enough to beat teams like the Eagles and Cowboys, then lose to the Bears and Rams. They are impossible to predict and might cost Jim Harbaugh his job. Meanwhile his brother, John Harbaugh in Baltimore, who had to deal with the Ray Rice distraction, have pretty much won games you expect them to win and lose the games you expect them to. The Steelers who were 3-3 and being written off, before rattling off three straight wins where Big Ben looked like Aaaron Rodgers. Steeler Nation turned Jetlife Stadium to Heinz Field East on Sunday, only to watch them lose to the one-win Jets, what the fuck?? The Bengals win and lose with their quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton has put up stinkers in losses against the Patriots, Colts, and Browns. Finally, the Chargers are the craziest of all. They have both a 5-game winning streak and a 3-game losing streak this season. 

The Ultimate Underdogs

11. Browns (6-3)

10. Cardinals (8-1)

In Cleveland this summer they were talking more about the return of King James and the debut of Prince Manziel. However, a crazy thing happened along the way, the Browns started winning with Brian Hoyer. The Dawg Pound is back in first place in the AFC North for the first time in 19 years (and they get Pro Bowler Josh Gordon back after their bye week). Arizona deserves to be higher up the list, but now with Carson Palmer lost for the season I don't see it happening. The Cards and Browns have both been a fun story, but unlike Daniel Bryan, I don't see it ending with a title. 

The Next Big Thing

9. Chiefs (6-3)

8. Eagles (7-2)

7. Colts (6-3)

These three teams are all on their way up and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Like Roman Reigns they have the intangibles to be great, it's just up to them to keep the momentum going. Andy Reid and Alex Smith have taken the Chiefs from the bottom of the league to the top in just two seasons, and I don't see either of them going away. Thanks to a freak injury Philly has a new Sanchise quarterback, (thanks Idzik) who is used to winning big playoff games. Chip Kelly's offense is only getting better and their ball-hawking defense keeps their opponents up at night. In Indy, they went from the best old quarterback to the best young quarterback. Andrew Luck appears to be legit, and he has made T.Y. Hilton into his version of Marvin Harrison. 

The Bully

6. Seahawks (6-3)

5. Lions (7-2)

The Seahawks had a little rough patch earlier this season, but now they are starting to look like the team that won the Super Bowl last year. The Legion of Boom leaves offenses in "a pool of urine, blood, and feces" as Brock would say. Marshawn Lynch brings the defense's hard hitting attitude to the running game. The only thing holding them back from repeating is a questionable passing game. The Lions defensive line; made up of Suh, Fairley, and Ansah; is one of the NFL's best. Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson lead one of the most terrifying pass offenses in football as well. 

The Face of the Company

4. Packers (6-3)

3. Broncos (7-2)

Like John Cena the Packers and Broncos always seem to be in the conversation of title contenders, and unless you're a division rival, you never really find someone who hates either franchise. If Roger Goodell had his way Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers will face off in every Super Bowl. They bring good PR to the league, and are seen in a million commercials every Sunday. However, some times the heels win out.

The Authority 

2. Cowboys (7-3)

1. Patriots (7-2)

That time is now, sorry for stealing your lyric Cena. The bad guys, the teams that everyone hates, the Cowboys and Patriots are setting the stage for a heel vs heel matchup this Super Bowl. America's Team is back just when everyone was digging their grave in the off-season. Romo, Murray, and Dez might be the best QB-RB-WR combination in the league, and their defense is doing better than anyone expected thanks to a turn-around season for linebacker Rolando McClain. The Pats, the Evil Empire of football just won't die. After the worst 2-game stretch of Brady's career early this season, New England woke up. Rob Gronkowski is Gronk Spiking defenses to death, and Revis is back to keeping receivers trapped on Revis Island. I hope I'm wrong but I think it's the year for the Bad Guys.

Just End The Suffering

By the time I got to the bar after work, Geno already threw his third interception on just his eighth pass of the game, probably ending his Jets career and ruining another Sunday for Jets Nation. I'm not angry or upset anymore. What I am is worse, apathetic. After another miserable Jets loss Sunday, this time at the hands of Kyle fucking Orton (not even his brother Randy) and the Buffalo Bills I just feel numb to the losing.

I'm tired of writing the same article every Miserable Monday of this season, and I'm sure you're tired of reading it too. There really is nothing left to say. Rex Ryan should "resign as the HC of the NYJ" like a hoodie wearing Parcells-ite did 15 years ago to save face. This is a terrible football team put together by an incompetent architect, John Idzik. Percy Harvin can't save us, Mike Vick can't save us, hell, Joe Namath in his prime wouldn't be enough to save us this time. 

Losing seven straight games is almost unheard of in the NFL. With parity you would have imagined that even by blind luck Gang Green would win a game, instead the Football Gods just point and laugh at us for almost 2 months.We will always have the first game and a quarter of the football season when we beat the winless Raiders and went up 21-0 at Lambeau Field. After this game I can stop worrying about us going on a little win streak to ruin our chance at a top 5 pick. At this point, Jameis Winston might go on a crime spree stealing crab legs all around the country so he doesn't wind up in the green and white next year. 

If the Bills were almost any other football team, the game would have been over at halftime. In spite of our six turnovers. they teased us, giving us a small glimmer of hope that with Michael Vick we had a real-life Madden restart (don't lie we've all done it in franchise mode). Then the Same Old Jets reared their ugly head, down just 27-17, we tried a trick play on special teams that words can't describe, giving our offense the ball at the 3 yard line. We didn't score again until there was just 4:06 left in the game down 43-17. 

I'm not going to take the route of screaming and cursing saying that I'm done being a Jets fan. I'm a sheep and I know it. Like millions of us though, I will keep torturing myself watching 4 quarters of Jets football every Sunday (even worse, I will be at Metlife for the slaughter against the Steelers).  As far as the 2014 Jets go though, they are officially irrelevant. The team is untalented and they are led by a clueless GM. Turn off the lights, it's over.

Decker Right in The Percy

A 6-game losing streak will force you to make changes to your football team. Rex Ryan is still safe after the Jets played hard for their head coach against both the Broncos and Patriots. However, according to Jay Glazer, the Jets have traded a conditional draft pick for Percy Harvin. Through six games this season Harvin has 22 receptions for 133 yards, and rumors are that he wasn't happy with his role in Seattle, after signing a 6-year $64 million contract last year.

There is no doubt that he is a playmaker that will automatically make the Jets offense more dangerous. Harvin can be used running the ball in the backfield and catching it out of the slot, as well as being a dangerous return man (where the Jets have had trouble). However, he is an injury prone player and could become a bad locker room guy, like Santonio Holmes. The one good sign is that the majority of his guaranteed money has already been paid by the Seahawks, so this is a low risk-high reward move.

The bottom line on this trade is that he brings a unique threat that our offense has lacked. On Mike Francesa's show Glazer confirmed that it was a mid-round pick which is cheap for a talented football player. At 1-6  this is a move for the future. Idzik has finally listened to the fans after keeping Woody's money warm all offseason. Maybe if the team can finish strong then Rex can salvage is job, but his future is still very pessimistic. 

Jets-Pats

Gang Green knew they were playing for their beloved head coach's life. They did almost everything right against Belichick, Brady, and the hated Pats. The Jets ran the ball for 218 yards, while controlling the clock for almost 41 minutes to the Patriots 19. Geno played his best game of the season, throwing for 226 yards and a touchdown, giving Nick Folk a shot at a miracle 58-yard field goal (that was blocked). At the end of the day though, the result was the same, and the sixth straight loss of our season from hell, losing 27-25 in Foxboro. 

Rex Ryan was defiant at the podium. He knows that the time is ticking. The stats say that the Jets have a chance at the playoffs still, as does any team just seven games into the season, but in all intents and purposes the season is over. All signs are pointing towards Rex's run with the Jets ending without a visit to the White House, just like every coach since Weeb Ewbank. 

The fact of the matter is that the Jets just aren't talented enough to beat the upper echelon of the league without playing mistake-free football. If you told any Jets fan that we would double the time of possession and not turn the ball over, we would bet the mortgage on them. However, settling for 4 first half field goals when just one trip into the end zone would have been enough to win. The Patriots' 19-yard touchdown to Danny Amendola on 3rd and goal with 7:49 left exposed our unexperienced secondary. The margin for error on this football team is simply too thin. Any small mistake will make the difference between winning and losing (Al Pacino is right, football is a game of inches).

The good news is with nine games left, it doesn't appear that this team is going to fold up shop. That is why Rex Ryan earned his contract extension after last season. If Gang Green keeps on putting together performances like this, it will be hard for Idzik to look in the mirror and place the blame on Rex for the 1-6 start. That feel-good karma could change in the blink of an eye though, if losses to the Patriots and Broncos turn into blowouts losses against the Bills and Chiefs, but that has yet to be seen. All I know is my football season is over on October 17th and it sucks.

The End is Here

After an "ass-whipping" by the hands of the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, Rex Ryan started his press conference by apologizing to Jets fans "...if there are any left". Rex however, shouldn't be the one apologizing. Rex is right, this loss is on "one man" and it's not the jolly not-so-fat man. Instead, John Idzik's failures to put a competitive football team on the field the past two years turns the temperature up on Ryan's hot seat.

This Jets season is teetering on the brink at 1-4. A team that we thought would be different, even when neon lights as bright as the Vegas Strip were telling us otherwise. The secondary is ATROCIOUS and the lack of playmakers on offense lead to a lethal combination.

I'm going to hold off Rex's obituary until Idzik decides to bring the hammer down on him, even though it isn't fair. This franchise hit a high point in January of 2011. It hit a major bump in the road when Victor Cruz went 99-yards on Christmas Eve of 2011, hit another bump when Sanchez butt-fumbled on Thanksgiving of 2012, and before Halloween of 2014 the back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances feel as old as Joe Willy wagging his finger in 1969.

The tragic R-word seems to be where the Jets are headed. Rex is going to be gone, Geno is going to be gone, but the architect (not George Costanza) John Idzik is going to get a free pass. It's insane to me how a team playing in the swamps of East Rutherford, just a few miles from Manhattan are saving over $20 million in salary cap space when there are clear holes on this football team (Idzik have you met Mr. Wilpon?).

I'm not going to go into go into the franchise's long term plans yet. We still have 11 games left on the schedule for this season. The first question we need to answer is who should start at quarterback the rest of the season? Geno Smith has been under a lot of fire both for his poor play and off the field incidents. After snapping at a fan last week, Smith forgot how to tell time and missed a team meeting this past Saturday, inexcusable for any player (let alone a quarterback under siege).  Smith was benched for the second time in his career on Sunday, this time for Michael Vick.

Vick is some fans' wet dream, but at 34 years old he isn't a long term solution. If Rex is going to try making a move now is the time to do it though. At 1-4, with games against the Broncos and Patriots 4 days apart, Gang Green can't afford to go 1-6 behind a shaky Geno. However, Vick looked either rusty or old himself against San Diego, going 8-19 for 47 yards, but was held until his last drive with the game clearly out of hand. If you keep Geno in for these next two games, a quarterback change at 1-6 doesn't make any sense. I'd rather just die with our second year player and then go after someone in the 2015 Draft.

At the end of the day though, it's clear that the offense the way it's currently constituted isn't ready to start winning football games (no matter who's at quarterback) . Eric Decker, who we brought in to be a major playmaker, has been hampered with a hamstring that continually gets worse instead of better. Chris Johnson has been a huge disappointment, with his fumble on Sunday pretty much ending any chance we had of a comeback. While Chris Ivory has ran the ball hard, we abandon the run too early because of the early deficit we dig ourselves into.

There's no denying that this team has one foot in the grave, but this NFL season has been crazy so far, and any team can win on any given Sunday. That's what I have to keep telling myself at least.

Ge-NOOOOOOOO

After a week where everyone and their mother were writing about how Derek Jeter has always acted with class on and off the field, Geno Smith and the Jets decided to do the complete opposite on Sunday. After another Jets loss (their third in a row), and with the Murderers Row of Rivers, Manning, and Brady coming up, the Jets took out their frustrations on those rotten bastards who paid hundreds of dollars to watch this sorry excuse for a football team. Geno told a fan to fuck himself, and Sheldon Richardson took it a step further, saying fans shouldn't boo unless they can father an NFL player themselves. Great way to re2pect.

Geno is starting to crack under pressure, and that isn't a good sign if he wants to have a long career in New York. If the Jets have to bring the "bad Geno" out the next few weeks we'll be staring at a lost season at 1-6. I criticized the Vick move during the offseason, but I'm not afraid to say when I'm wrong. I don't think it's time to bring in Vick just yet, but he should start taking some practice snaps away from Geno with the first team (and give Geno a short leash next week in San Diego). The time is now for Geno. If he continues to be thin-skinned and tries to pick un-winnable fights with fans and the New York media Gang Green will be using their first round draft pick on a quarterback again in 2015.

This all happened after a report by Adam Schefter came out earlier on Sunday that there is a "disenfranchment" between GM John Idzik and many in the franchise. We are a team built to win now with a head coach on the hot seat, while we have a GM and QB set on rebuilding. Same. Old. Jets.

There was also a game that was played Sunday, not that you really missed anything after our first offensive drive.

Good

I wasn't at the game, so Geno Smith didn't curse at me. The defense did a good job of holding Megatron to just 12 yards on 2 catches, after holding Brandon Marshall to one catch on Monday night. Chris Ivory continues to run the ball well until Mornhinweg decides to stop running the ball for some God-forsaken reason. Eric Decker looked healthy grabbing a TD on 4 catches for 48 yards.

Bad

Where can I start? Geno had a interception and lost a fumble, bringing his total to 7 turnover on the season. Rex continues to make rookie mistakes with his clock management (what is Herman's friend Dick Curl doing now (yes, the Jets hired a guy named Dick Curl tss tss)). First, he took a livin' on a prayer challenge on a fumble by Reggie Bush, then wasted 10 seconds before calling his second timeout, which would have forced the Lions to run another play before the 2 minute warning. 

Ugly

Can Rex stop praising his defense. They are a JOKE!! While Geno is giving up the football, the best defense in football can't force a single takeaway!! Just like we've seen over the past five years, when we need our defense to get us a big stop, they falter. After Decker's touchdown brought us within 7, the Lions marched down the field with a 90-yard touchdown drive. The offense was just as bad. Ryan Quiggley was our MVP with 6 punts for a 51-yard average. 

What's Next?

The Jets fly out West for a meeting with the San Diego Chargers and Phillip Rivers. The Chargers picked apart the Jaguars on Sunday, and are on a 3-game winning streak after dropping the opener against the Cardinals. The Chargers have the 5th ranked passing offense in the league, and does anyone have any faith that our secondary will slow them down? I wouldn't be shocked if we see Vick on Sunday.

Yeah Jeets!!!!!

DE-REK JE-TER

(CLAP CLAP CLAP)

DE-REK JE-TER

(CLAP CLAP CLAP)

DE-REK JE-TER

(CLAP CLAP CLAP)

No one would have thought that on May 29, 1995, the next Yankee Captain was taking his first major league swing at the now demolished King Dome in Seattle. No one who saw Derek Jeter that day would've ever predicted the 5 rings, the 3,463 hits, or the 14 All Star Game Appearances. That day in 1995, no one knew about Mr November or Captain Clutch. In 1995, no one thought that the 21-year shortstop would become a 40-year old icon before leaving the game that he loves. 

Thursday night in the Bronx, the House that George Built felt more like the old place across the street, to give Derek Jeter a proper farewell. The Captain didn't disappoint the sold out crowd, who paid a mini-fortune to see him one last time. Despite Hiroki Kuroda giving up a home run in Jeter's last roll call, and Dave Robertson blowing a 3-run lead in the 9th, Jeter had to send the fans home happy one last time. With the winning run on second, Jeter did what he does best, lining the ball into right field for the walk-off win, cuing Frank Sinatra. If this were a movie, you'd have said that it was too phony. 

After the game, Jeter gave fans a rare glimpse into his closely guarded persona. In an interview on YES, when asked what he was thinking when he went up to bat in the 9th, he said "to not cry". Jeter admitted he was a mess the whole game, forgetting his shin guard and giving signs to Stephen Drew even though there weren't any runners on base. After being serenaded by the fans with a Thank You Jeter, he responded, "Everybody, the fans, are saying ‘Thank you, Derek.’ I’m saying to myself, ‘For what?’ I’m just trying to do my job. Thank you guys.”

What can I say that hasn't been said before about Derek Jeter. His retirement tour showed how revered he is, even by the Red Sox, where he will play his final game on Sunday. Jeter is the last of a dying breed in the Yankees organization. The last member of the Core Four, and the 5 World Series victories. Like a lot of Yankee fans my age, my youth died last night too. Jeter is the Yankees, and I don't really know where the future of the team lies, but that is for another day. 

The last 20 years have been amazing as a Yankee fan. I'll never forget the dive into the stands, the flip play, the leadoff home run against the Mets in the World Series, or the walk-off agains the Diamondbacks in 2001. I'll never forget the way you gave the game 100 percent every day. I'll never forget the class you showed both on the field and off it. Thank You Jeter!!

The Time Out Game

 

I've lived through buttfumbles, fake spikes, Vinny's achilles, and Doug Brien, so it really shouldn't surprise me that the Jets found another embarrassing way to lose a football game. Quite frankly, as a 27-year old Jet fan, I should come to expect it. Why would the football Gods ever give the Jets a pass? We're the Charlie Brown of the NFL, every-time we're about to kick the football, Lucy pulls it from right under us. 

For those of you living under a rock, and don't know what I'm referring to,  trailing the Packers 31-24 at Lambeau Field on Sunday, they faced a 4th and 4 from the Packers 37, when Geno Smith threw a game-tying touchdown to Jeremy Kerley. For about 5 seconds or so Jets Nation was on top of the world, until we got kicked back down to where we belong. Apparently, Marty Mornhinweg didn't think Smith knew where the running back should be on the play, so he started running down the sideline asking Rex to call our last timeout. Rex didn't hear him because he had the defensive channel on his headset (big shock there) so Sheldon Richardson called for a timeout. The ref, with his back to the sideline, thought Rex asked for time, and stopped the play before it started. Touchdown off the board. Jets go to 1-1.

Yes, it shouldn't have come to that play. Gang Green was up 21-3 with 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. Maybe things would have been different if the Packers didn't go 97 yards in the blink of an eye after another backbreaking interception from Geno Smith right before halftime,  resulting in a 10 point swing in the game. Maybe if our best defensive player, Mohammed Wilkerson didn't start throwing punches like he was Floyd Mayweather, resulting in his ejection, the game would be different.  Maybe Dee Milliner wasn't ready to come back when Jordy Nelson torched him for an 80-yard touchdown after Nick Folk tied the game back up at 24-24. 

But what us Jets fans will always remember from this trip to Cheese Head Nation will be the touchdown that was called back because of Marty's timeout. After having a couple days to stew over this loss, I can tell you that the Jets are a decent football team, much better than our co-tenants at JetsLife Stadium. Hell, I'm sticking with my prediction that we can still be a playoff team. This is just another kick in the balls from a team that has been kicking their fans in the balls since Namath in 69.

What's Next

Matt Forte and the 1-1 Chicago Bears come to Jersey for a date on Monday night, after their comeback win Sunday night against the 49ers. Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall will cause matchup problems for the Jets inexperienced secondary. The Bears offensive line is shaky, and Cutler has been known to turn the ball over when faced with a heavy blitz. Chicago is stout on the defensive side of the ball, and will take advantage of any mistakes Geno Smith makes. This is going to be a tough game, but one the Jets should win.

The Haves and the Have Nots

I know it's still very early, however only 12 percent of teams starting off 0-2 have made the playoffs, while 63 percent of 2-0 make it to the dance. There are seven 2-0 teams and seven 0-2 teams, leaving the other 18 teams at 1-1 (you like that math?).

If you told me before the season that Denver, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia start 2-0, I would've believed you, but the Bills, Panthers, Cardinals, and Texans are 2-0, FUGHEDABOUIT!

On the other side of the spectrum, the Giants, Raiders, Bucs and Jaguars all look like 0-2 teams. The Wild Card winning Chiefs of last season are in a deep hole, losing Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry this week, brings their grand total up to 7 starters who are out with injuries. The Colts are happy to see the Jags this week, dropping their first two games to probable playoff teams (Broncos and Eagles). That leads us to the most surprising 0-2 team, the Saints. New Orleans lost their first two games in excruciating fashion to the Falcons and Browns, who both hit "walk-off" field goals.

Fantasy Epidemic

I don't think I want to play fantasy football anymore. Between arrests, injuries, sex change operations, and pets heads falling off, if you're like me your scouring the waiver wires before some douche in your league steals your injured players backup. RG3, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Jamaal Charles, Knowshown Moreno, Mark Ingram, AJ Green, Eric Decker, and DeSean Jackson are just some of the big names who are likely miss time from your fantasy team, and it's only week 2 . I think a lot of people are going to run to those one-day fantasy sites more and more this season as more guys go down. 

The Time Out Game

 

I've lived through buttfumbles, fake spikes, Vinny's achilles, and Doug Brien, so it really shouldn't surprise me that the Jets found another embarrassing way to lose a football game. Quite frankly, as a 27-year old Jet fan, I should come to expect it. Why would the football Gods ever give the Jets a pass? We're the Charlie Brown of the NFL, every-time we're about to kick the football, Lucy pulls it from right under us. 

For those of you living under a rock, and don't know what I'm referring to,  trailing the Packers 31-24 at Lambeau Field on Sunday, they faced a 4th and 4 from the Packers 37, when Geno Smith threw a game-tying touchdown to Jeremy Kerley. For about 5 seconds or so Jets Nation was on top of the world, until we got kicked back down to where we belong. Apparently, Marty Mornhinweg didn't think Smith knew where the running back should be on the play, so he started running down the sideline asking Rex to call our last timeout. Rex didn't hear him because he had the defensive channel on his headset (big shock there) so Sheldon Richardson called for a timeout. The ref, with his back to the sideline, thought Rex asked for time, and stopped the play before it started. Touchdown off the board. Jets go to 1-1.

Yes, it shouldn't have come to that play. Gang Green was up 21-3 with 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. Maybe things would have been different if the Packers didn't go 97 yards in the blink of an eye after another backbreaking interception from Geno Smith right before halftime,  resulting in a 10 point swing in the game. Maybe if our best defensive player, Mohammed Wilkerson didn't start throwing punches like he was Floyd Mayweather, resulting in his ejection, the game would be different.  Maybe Dee Milliner wasn't ready to come back when Jordy Nelson torched him for an 80-yard touchdown after Nick Folk tied the game back up at 24-24. 

But what us Jets fans will always remember from this trip to Cheese Head Nation will be the touchdown that was called back because of Marty's timeout. After having a couple days to stew over this loss, I can tell you that the Jets are a decent football team, much better than our co-tenants at JetsLife Stadium. Hell, I'm sticking with my prediction that we can still be a playoff team. This is just another kick in the balls from a team that has been kicking their fans in the balls since Namath in 69.

What's Next

Matt Forte and the 1-1 Chicago Bears come to Jersey for a date on Monday night, after their comeback win Sunday night against the 49ers. Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall will cause matchup problems for the Jets inexperienced secondary. The Bears offensive line is shaky, and Cutler has been known to turn the ball over when faced with a heavy blitz. Chicago is stout on the defensive side of the ball, and will take advantage of any mistakes Geno Smith makes. This is going to be a tough game, but one the Jets should win.

The Haves and the Have Nots

I know it's still very early, however only 12 percent of teams starting off 0-2 have made the playoffs, while 63 percent of 2-0 make it to the dance. There are seven 2-0 teams and seven 0-2 teams, leaving the other 18 teams at 1-1 (you like that math?).

If you told me before the season that Denver, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia start 2-0, I would've believed you, but the Bills, Panthers, Cardinals, and Texans are 2-0, FUGHEDABOUIT!

On the other side of the spectrum, the Giants, Raiders, Bucs and Jaguars all look like 0-2 teams. The Wild Card winning Chiefs of last season are in a deep hole, losing Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry this week, brings their grand total up to 7 starters who are out with injuries. The Colts are happy to see the Jags this week, dropping their first two games to probable playoff teams (Broncos and Eagles). That leads us to the most surprising 0-2 team, the Saints. New Orleans lost their first two games in excruciating fashion to the Falcons and Browns, who both hit "walk-off" field goals.

Fantasy Epidemic

I don't think I want to play fantasy football anymore. Between arrests, injuries, sex change operations, and pets heads falling off, if you're like me your scouring the waiver wires before some douche in your league steals your injured players backup. RG3, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Jamaal Charles, Knowshown Moreno, Mark Ingram, AJ Green, Eric Decker, and DeSean Jackson are just some of the big names who are likely miss time from your fantasy team, and it's only week 2 . I think a lot of people are going to run to those one-day fantasy sites more and more this season as more guys go down.