Earlier this summer, Jets coach Rex Ryan stunned fans and players alike when he showed off his post-lap band surgery physique—more impressively, Ryan has been able to keep the weight off, and even appears to have lost more as the preseason has gone on! He's certainly not the same goddamn snack-loving Sexy Rexy who was the heart and soul of the Jets these past few years. So is it really a coincidence that at the same time Ryan has shed his pounds, the Jets have lost their ability to score touchdowns like a real NFL team?
The Jets have lost all four games this preseason (their first winless preseason since 1993) in humiliating manners—they weren't even able to score a touchdown until last night's loss to the Eagles. “Well, we scored...so that was good,” Ryan quipped to reporters. “I’d much rather be 4-0 in the preseason. I hate to lose in anything. But again, they start counting for real and there’s no excuses starting next week when we play Buffalo. We’ll evaluate the team then. With that said, I’d much rather be 4-0.”
As Ryan put it, it IS only preseason. The Jets will open up their season against the Buffalo Bills on September 9th at 1 p.m. But considering how poorly the team—including anointed backup quarterback/meme generator Tim Tebow—has played, and rumors of more locker room strife (hey, maybe leadership training can help!), it doesn't exactly bode well going into a make-or-break season for this squad as its been assembled. Something tells us the team really could use a goddamn snack speech:
But as Newsday points out, Ryan's boisterous nature is starting to bounce back to its old levels: "When it's all said and done, I think this will be the best team I've had since I've been here," Ryan told them. "That's how I feel about it." Linebacker Bart Scott sounded convinced: "He said it, so it's gospel." Asked if he feels the same way, Scott replied, "Whatever Rex says."
