Rex Ryan says there is no wildcat strike brewing

Michael David Smith, PFT:

Jets coach Rex Ryan says there’s no dissension within the locker room about the starting quarterback situation.

“I think everybody’s behind Geno,” Ryan said. “He’s our quarterback and our football team believes in him, so that’s it. And like we mentioned, Geno’s a mentally tough guy. We’re happy that we have Mike Vick on this team, but we believe in Geno. We understand it wasn’t great, he made some mistakes, but we’ve just got to get better and we’ve got to learn from these and then move on.”

The key wording from New York Jets head coach, Rex Ryan is "I think." That doesn't sound like, "for sure." There has to some apprehension from the generally optimistic Jets field general. Rex watched QB Geno Smith throw two interceptions on Monday night against the Chicago Bears, and there should have been a third. That was another winnable game that the Jets let slip away.

This is the dreaded contract year for head coach, Rex Ryan. While Geno Smith's passer rating is up to 77.0 from his rookie season of 66.5, time is slipping away. With the next four opponents being the Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, Rex does not have the liberty of waiting to see if Geno can figure it out.

There have been some positives for the second year starter from West Virginia. The Jets rank 8th in the NFL in total offense and Geno has completed 63.1% of his passes.

For the third consecutive week, QB Geno Smith was intercepted in the red zone. Rex Ryan is happy with Geno's work between the 20 yard lines. When the field shrinks in the red zone, Smith can't allow the boundaries to be a negative. He has to make his reads sooner, and not allow the defensive backs to undercut his receivers. The Jets ranks 31st in red zone efficiency. If this doesn't improve, the $4 million backup will have to give it a go.

Most fans are in love with the backup QB. If only the head coach was smart enough to see this, the backup can cure all ills. I think Rex Ryan is smart enough to know that Michael Vick is not the answer. Michael's 39.6 QB rating, while just a limited sample, is not what the Jets need. Teams are well prepared with what matchups Michael Vick does present.

The wildcat offense has had limited success in the NFL. Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown terrorized the New England Patriots, once. That was three teams ago for him. A 34 year old Michael Vick isn't going to keep defensive coordinators awake at night.

Rex has the made the right choice in sticking with Geno Smith. He just has to 'coach him up." If he can't, his replacement will have plenty of options.


Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.

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