The Anti-Rex

In six years as the head coach of the New York Jets, Rex Ryan never met a camera that he didn’t like. Ryan’s brash bravado captivated the New York media and Jets fans alike as he was always on the back pages of the newspapers in the Big Apple. But over the years Ryan’s popularity began to wane as the win total for the Jets declined. And after the Jets went 4-12 in 2014, Ryan was fired. Last off-season saw Jets owner Woody Johnson take a different approach to things for his team. Johnson hired Mike Maccagnan to be the Jets new general manager and his first major decision was to hire Todd Bowles as the Jets new head coach.

Bowles played in the National Football League for eight seasons which included winning a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins. Since 2000, Bowles has been as assistant coach in the NFL and he has earned the respect of players around the league. Bowles was the assistant head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2011 when head coach Tony Sporano was fired during the season. The Dolphins named Bowles as their interim head coach and he would guide the team to a 2-1 record, but he was passed over for the full-time job in Miami in favor of Joe Philbin. Bowles has finally gotten a chance with the Jets to be a head coach in the NFL and he is making the most of his opportunity.

A year after going 4-12. the Jets now find themselves with a record of 8-5 as they are in contention for a wild card spot in the AFC. And whereas in year’s past the Jets would have been guided by Ryan who would have sought out the spotlight to talk about the team’s success, Bowles has stayed in the cut with his quiet demeanor while allowing his players to bask in the accolades.

Bowles’ first sell job was in free agency when the Jets signed cornerback Darrelle Revis. Revis spent the first six years of his National Football League career with the Jets and he was arguably the best player in franchise history since Joe Namath. But when former Jets general manager John Idzik and Ryan were unwilling to give Revis the lucrative contract that he was seeking, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. After being released by the Buccaneers in 2014, Revis signed with the Jets arch-rival in the New England Patriots. And in one year with the Patriots, Revis became a Super Bowl Champion. But after the Patriots declined to pick up Revis’ 2015 option of roughly $20 million, he once again became a free agent where Johnson, Maccagnan, and Bowles welcomed him back with open arms.

Like Revis, the Jets also brought back another former starting cornerback in Antonio Cromartie who spent last year with the Arizona Cardinals where Bowles was the defensive coordinator. And after acquiring wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Chicago Bears, the Jets were beginning the process of bringing in impact players.

The Jets would also sign quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick who was expected to be the team’s backup quarterback. But when quarterback Geno Smith suffered a broken jaw during a locker room altercation over the summer, Fitzpatrick became the starter. Fitzpatrick is in the midst of having a career year as there is a possibility that this will be the first year of his National Football League career in which he’ll pass for more than 4,000 yards. Fitzpatrick has enjoyed throwing to a pair of Pro-Bowl caliber wide receivers all season in Marshall and Eric Decker. The Jets signed Decker last year as a free agent and he was able to have a solid first season in New York. But Decker has really benefitted from the presence of  Marshall as he has been able to play off of him. Marshall has already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving this season and Decker could join him as they are arguably the best Jets receiving duo since the days of Wesley Walker and Al Toon since the 1980’s.

The Jets also have a veteran offensive line that is led by center Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson who have opened holes for running back Chris Ivory who is on the verge of going over the 1,000-yard mark in rushing for the first time in his National Football League career which gives their offense tremendous balance.

But the Jets bread has been buttered this year by their defense which is fifth in the National Football League. Like Ryan, Bowles can coach defensive football in his sleep, and it doesn’t hurt him that the Jets have talent at each level of the defense. The Jets defensive line of Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, and rookie Leonard Williams have kept pressure on opposing quarterbacks while inside linebacker David Harris leads the team in tackles this season with 86 as he’ll tackle anything that is in his vicinity. The Jets secondary which is led by Revis, Cromartie, and strong safety Calvin Pryor have made it tough for opposing quarterbacks all season, and as a defensive unit, New York has only allowed two teams to score 30 points or more on them this season.

For Bowles, he goes about things with a quiet confidence which has rubbed off on his team. When Ryan was in charge of the Jets, players on the team would consistently talk smack about opponents to the press which has faded away under Bowles as this team has a different feel. Where Ryan would have to talk the Jets into a victory, Bowles simply prepares them to win which is a huge difference. Bowles is a native of Elizabeth, New Jersey and he knows that the New York media can swarm in and suck a person up which he is looking to avoid.

But Bowles has preached disciplined football which includes not beating yourself. In past years, Fitzpatrick would have lost a few games for the Jets at this point of the season due to his interceptions; however he has cut down on that this year as he has thrown 11 which is one of the lowest totals of his National Football League career. Previously, Marshall was unable to control his emotions which overshadowed his time with the Denver Broncos and Dolphins. However during Marshall’s time with the Bears and now with the Jets, he has become more of a leader while also becoming an outspoken advocate for mental health. Revis was always a leader for the Jets, and he has now returned to New York as a Super Bowl Champion while he can show his teammates what it truly takes to succeed in the NFL.

And every time that the Jets have appeared that they were ready to go over the cliff into futility this season, they have rallied back into contention which is evident by the fact that they’ve won their last three games after losing their previous two which is a credit to Bowles being able to motivate his team.

With three games left in the regular season, the Jets control their destiny to reach the postseason as they have dates with the Dallas Cowboys, Patriots, and Buffalo Bills on the slate. Ryan is currently the head coach of the Bills and he would love nothing better than to get Buffalo to the playoffs while derailing the Jets chances. But for Bowles, he is trying to do what Ryan did which is to get Gang Green to the playoffs in his first year with the team. However this Jets team has a different feel to it as there is more talent on this squad as they aren’t relying on the head coach to make them relevant by running his mouth at a press conference.

We all know that anything can happen in the playoffs for the Jets if they’re able to get in, but make no mistake about it that Bowles has definitely left his stamp on this team as they have a totally different feel to them.

Source: Pro-football-reference.com