The Other Side of the Rex Ryan Way

Aug 26, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan reacts during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE

Rex Ryan is a terrific coach. He has brought in here a new attitude, an attitude that doesn’t allow the Jets to be taken from granted anymore. He was a breath of fresh air when he got here in 2009, bringing some swagger to the Jets when for some of us they haven’t had any in an entire lifetime.

His players love playing for him as well. Bart Scott said it when he got here, he would go anywhere Rex goes. You won’t find a player on this roster that has a problem playing for Rex Ryan. As we talked about last week, his knack for handling players allowed him to handle the Wayne Hunter situation perfectly. He focused on what Hunter can do, not what he can’t, which is the perfect way. His players love him.

But, there is another side to Rex Ryan’s handling of players. Well, let’s rephrase. It’s not other side, there is another set of side effects that can happen from the way Rex handles his players. Specficially, when Rex goes overboard with the praise. The players are human. The extensive praise gets to their heads, and causes problems where there otherwise might not have been.

It started back with Darrelle Revis in 2009. He praised Darrelle as the best in the league, and rightfully so. I am not saying his praise is incorrect, it’s just over the top. He praised him, and he praised him, and he praised him. Eventually, Revis’ head greew, and he began to know he was the best. Sometimes it’s OK to be the best, but not necessarily “know” that you are the best. Once he knew it, we were headed towards the now famous hold out.

And why shouldn’t Revis have held out? He kept being told that he was the best player in the league on defense. If you heard that every day, especially from your boss, wouldn’t you eventually think you should be paid like it? He couldn’t be blamed for it, he is human. The point is, Revis didn’t start to think like that until Rex started going on and on with his praise.

Now we hear that after last night, it could be spreading to Quinton Coples. Apparently, Rex had to deal with Coples exhibiting a “diva” attitude. Take a look at what he said after the game:

“I wasn’t as happy this game as I was previously,” Ryan said. “I thought he kind of got winded a bit. He kind of had a ‘woe is me’ when we took out the starters. Hey look, you are still a rookie, you’ve got to play the whole game and then some.”

Again, this may go back to some overpraise from Rex Ryan. Remember a while back, coach made the comparison to JPP? Here is the quote:

“They are two unusual talents. … They’re unusual guys,” Ryan said. “Hopefully Quinton can be the same kind of player Pierre-Paul ended up being. This guy really gets it.”

So, if after not even playing a regular season down, you were compared to one of the greats of the game, wouldn’t that go to your head a litle bit? Coples could have in the back of his head “He thinks I am like JPP, why do I have to play the whle game?” He’s only human, anyone would think that way.

Rex is great with his guys, but he has to be careful. You don’t want it all getting to their heads.