King Rex

I know it's still early in the season, but I like what I've seen from the New York Jets. New coach Rex Ryan has them playing an aggressive, balls-to-the-wall defense. In two games thus far, the Jets' D has yet to give up a single touchdown. In fact, they've held the Texans and the Patriots, two superior offenses, to a total of nine points. They have a long way to go before anyone confuses them with the '86 Bears, but the defense is quickly making a name for itself. The offense, led by rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, is doing its part, too. Yesterday, Sanchez put up better numbers than Tom Brady, delivering an impressive 16-play, 68-yard scoring drive to start the second half. Turns out, that would be enough, because the defense suffocated Brady and the Patriots for the game's final 30 minutes. No small feat. 

Like all good coaches, Ryan has lit a fire under his team--and its fan base--and it seems both would run through a wall for him, which is really half the battle. If he can keep this up--and that's a pretty big if-- Ryan could very well replace Bill Parcells as New York's favorite head coach. 

For more thoughts on the yesterday's game, please take a look at my other site, You're Wrong About Everything. 

Odds & Sods

Stephen Marbury considers distant shores, while Alonzo Mourning is once again put out to pasture.  Major League Baseball may have a major league bat problem on their hands, but Melky Cabrera, a AAAA outfielder if there ever was one, has about 1.4 million new reasons to celebrate. Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan says his team will get to meet President Obama one day, while the president's brother-in-law is still just looking for another win. 

Tryin' Ryan

I hope to have more on this later, but, as of this morning, I think this is a very good move for the Jets, a normally hapless organization. As much as I liked Mangini, or rather as much as I rooted for his success, he never looked like he was particularly enjoying himself on the sidelines. Nor did he inspire much confidence with his perpetual, petulant smirk. In this regard, Ryan, who is reportedly beloved by his defensive players, is the anti-Mangini: a fiery, personable and animated coach.

Said Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum:

During our search, we were looking for a great football mind and a passionate leader. Rex is a coach with an established track record who is universally respected by players and coaches for his skills as a communicator and his creativity.

My first instinct is to say that Ryan will do well in New York. The Jets should be better defensively under Ryan's direction and, I think, better prepared each week. Of course, I've been known to be wrong about such football-related things before. 

UPDATE:

It seems Ryan as the anti-Mangini is the catchphrase of the morning. 

Writes Daily News sports reporter Rich Cimini:

[The Jets'] unspoken quest was to find the anti-Mangini, a charismatic and fiery leader to change the stuffy, paranoid culture that permeated the organization. In other words, they wanted a player's coach, someone who could make football fun again. It led them to Rex Ryan.

And Gary Myers elaborates on Ryan's anti-Manginess:

[The Jets] recouped nicely Monday by hiring Ravens charismatic defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, an anti-Mangini, which is just what the Jets needed.

[...]Mangini was paranoid, secretive, bland - and the worst indictment of all, was an awful game-day manager with no feel for the game or his team. His players threw him under the bus when they failed to play with intensity the last month of the season.

Ryan has lots of personality, is passionate, his players love playing for him, he makes it fun and his imaginative defensive schemes will result in more game-changing plays. He may be unknown as a head coach, but we know the Jets were going nowhere with Mangini.

Ryan gives the Jets an identity. He won't look like he's ready to take a nap on the sidelines like Mangini.

The more I think about Ryan's hiring, the more I like it. He's an emotional and player-friendly defensive whiz who understands football's many intricacies. Ironically, Ryan seems, at first blush, a hybrid of Herm Edwards' strategy-deficient passion and Mangini's passionless schemes -- a healthy combination of both former Jets coaches, minus the duo's well-documented shortcomings. 

A good hire, me thinks.