ReutersTwo years ago this week, Rex Ryan thought his team was out of the playoff race after a tough loss. The Jets were very much alive, and wound up going to the AFC Conference title game.
Judging by his statements this week, Ryan seems to think Giants-Jets is essentially a “win or else” type of game.
“There’s some more important things that go into it, because basically, you’re out of the playoffs if you lose this game, either team is,” Ryan said.
This idea has trickled down to the Jets’ players.
“It’s going to be us or them. For one of us, the dream is over with,” Bart Scott said via New York Daily News.
That’s really not true for both teams, especially the Jets.
Consider that the Jets currently hold a strength of victory tiebreaker over Cincinnati. Bengals.com spoke with the Elias Sports Bureau and determined that it’s very unlikely the Bengals could pass New York in strength of victory.
So let’s just imagine the Jets lost this week to the Giants, but won their finale against the Dolphins.
New York would give up “control” of their playoff fate in that scenario, but one more loss would hardly end their season. All the Jets might need is for the Bengals to lose one of their next two games against Arizona and Baltimore. We’d expect that to happen.
Losing a seventh game would open things up for teams like the Chargers, Raiders, and Titans. San Diego looks like the most dangerous of those teams to get to 9-7.
But if the Chargers and Jets tied, New York has the head-to-head tiebreaker.
We know Ryan has other things to worry about that playoff scenarios. He has to focus on winning Sunday. But should the Jets lose, someone should let him know his season is far from over.
Neither is passing on the all you can eat buffets.
Does anyone know anything that Rex is really good at except talking?
ummm, role the credits…….
Titans play the Jags and a hurting Texans. They should win both (granted, they should’ve beaten Indy easily) and if they end up tied w/ the Jets or even Jets and Cincy, they own the tiebreaker.
I would say just generally anything other than smack talk is not Rex’s strength. Well, that and eating…
If you beat the Giants I’ll make you your favorite snack, deep fried bacon wrapped double stuffed Oreos with a side of Crisco.
The main arteries to his head are clogged..
please do not inform Rex that this is not a must win. His guys come to play for that man..
I need the jets to have every incentive in the world going into this game so they can blowout the giants.. embarress them so that when they play the Cowboys, they have that ‘prideful fire’..
but in all honesty, is see coughling losing the next two.. that man has never shown me that he has what it takes to lead an NFL team.. well,, except that whole superbowl thingy..
What is he suppose to come out and say
“We could lose against the Giants, and maybe make the playoffs, depending on other teams. Go get ‘em!”
I doubt this is the 1st coach or last to say a game is a “must win” when mathmatically it isn’t
Rex’s strength ( if you consider it a strength) is grabbing headlines for no good reason.
Basically the Jets clinched a playoff berth win or lose? Beat Texans, Beat Patriots and lose to the Steelers!!! The executives at the 4- letter network will be happy!!!!
Sounds like quite a feet…..
I know, I know. Played out.
“All the Jets might need is for the Bengals to lose one of their next two games against Arizona and Baltimore. We’d expect that to happen.”
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Right, and you expected for the Bengals to even be in the playoff hunt this year too huh. I’ve learned long ago to ignore what the “pundits” “expect”….
Titans can easily win 2 games….they have the tie breaker
So your not very good at playoff scenarios
Also….would you like him to say that were still good if we lose?
00reo says:
Dec 20, 2011 4:11 PM
Titans play the Jags and a hurting Texans. They should win both (granted, they should’ve beaten Indy easily) and if they end up tied w/ the Jets or even Jets and Cincy, they own the tiebreaker.
Cincy has the head to head tie breaker over the Titans, since you know…they played them this year and won.
The Jets aren’t beating the Giants, and they definitely aren’t beating the Dolphins at home either.
What’s the point of this article? Should he tell his players “It’s okay if you mail this one in because we can always count on other teams losing like what happened last week”? Be for real.
Nor is cardio.
Number One: Rex is not a deep thinker. As a matter of fact Rex is not a thinker at all.
Number Two: If Rex were to think about the playoff possibilities he would get lost after the first possible permutation. He understands win and you’re in. Anything past that is far too complicated.
How in the world do the players respect this gasbag?
myeaglescantwin –
Giants’ fan here. Don’t expect any help next week from the Giants if they lose to the Jets. Even if the Giants are still mathematically alive and need you to lose to Wash, the Giants will still lay a colossal egg.
The only thing the Eagles are doing right now winning all of these late season games is giving themselves a lower 1st rd pick.
AFC title game = Jets vs Broncos
NFC title game = Packers vs Saints
Superbowl = Jets vs Saints!!!
Foregoing the obvious foot joke, I’ll have to say stuffing 50 marshmallows in his mouth at once is Rex’s biggest strength.
I don’t think ‘solid strategy’ is a strength of either Ryan.
I mean… it’s entertaining and everything…. abut at some point, don’t they actually have to BACK UP the talk?
Better idea… be the head coach and shut up. Let the players do the talking… oh, wait… I guess they actually are!!! Not good talk either.
isnt it just obvious that he doesnt want it to come down to hoping another team loses?
i dont see how you can criticize him for wanting to have his playoff hopes in his and his players hands, by going out there and winning.
agree completely with pigskinswag…they should absolutely have the mentality that this game is do or die. it could make week 17 less of a burden if they beat the gmen
Just shut up and play, Rex.
Let’s not forget it would make the despised Dolphins’s season if they knocked the Jets out last week of the season (in Miami).
And I expect that to happen.
You just lost 45-19 to a sub .500 team. You’ve got bigger problems than memorizing playoff scenarios.
@ooreo: “Titans play the Jags and a hurting Texans. They should win both (granted, they should’ve beaten Indy easily) and if they end up tied w/ the Jets or even Jets and Cincy, they own the tiebreaker.”
Are you kidding me? Your beloved Titans can’t even beat 1-13 Indy, and yet somehow you expect them to be competitive against one of the NFL’s best defenses in Houston? Okay, TJ Yates ain’t Drew Brees, but between Arian Foster, Ben Tate and that defense, good luck. I don’t see Jake Locker/Matt Hasselblech making a whole lot of big plays there.
The Titans *should* be able to school Jacksonville, yeah, because Jax is awful. But – if you’re not going to take a 1-13 team seriously, why would you take a 4-10 team seriously? MJD is extremely dangerous, far more deadly than Donald Brown, who schooled the Titans defense.
Basically, unless some players get their heads on straight, here comes a 7-9 record for Tennessee.
The Bengals control their own playoff destiny and the Jets need help. The article linking to Bengals.com and Elias is referring to the strength of schedule tiebreaker, but strength of victory comes first.
If both teams win out, the Jets and Bengals would both be 7-5 in conference, and 3-2 vs common opponents. The next tie breaker is strength of victory.
The Bengals would have a better strength of victory by beating the Ravens in week 17. The Jets strongest victory came vs Dallas in week 1.
Hey maybe the Jets will lose the next 2 and Rex won’t have to worry about any playoff scenarios at all.
Real Jets fans already knows how this all plays out.
Giants beat Jets on last minute TD.
Jets beat Fish following week, squeak into AFC playoffs as 6 seed with an honest chance to upset Texans.
Giants then lose outright to Cowboys week #17 all good feelings from beating Jets disappear.
and to all a good night…
Super Bowl predictions aren’t exactly his thing either.
Um.
So if the Jets lose this game and beat Miami to finish 9-7, the just need ALL of the following to happen to get the wildcard:
1. The Bengals to lose to either the Cardinals or Ravens, and have a worse strength of victory in a 2-way tiebreaker
2. The Titans to lose to either the Jags or Texans, or have a worse strength of victory in a 2-way tiebreaker
3. The Raiders to lose to either the Chiefs or Chargers.
4. The Chargers to lose to either the Lions or Raiders, or be the only team remaining in a 2-way tiebreaker.
5. The Broncos either win 2 games to win the division, or need a third team tied at 9-7 to avoid a head-to-head elimination.
Jet’s would lose a 2-way tie-breaker if tied with either the Broncos or Oakland. They would win over the Chargers, and would go to strength of victory over the Titans or Bengals.
So basically they would need a miracle.
Most of the time, people who like to “tell it like it is” are enjoyable to listen to. However, there are those who aren’t afraid to open their mouths and are generally full of crap (see Favre, B.). The whole Ryan clan is cursed with this disease.
They don’t hold the tiebreaker over the Raiders, for what it’s worth.
stonyhands says:Dec 20, 2011 4:24 PM
00reo says:
Dec 20, 2011 4:11 PM
Titans play the Jags and a hurting Texans. They should win both (granted, they should’ve beaten Indy easily) and if they end up tied w/ the Jets or even Jets and Cincy, they own the tiebreaker.
Cincy has the head to head tie breaker over the Titans, since you know…they played them this year and won.
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Head to head does not come into play if there are more than 2 teams tied. The comment from 00reo says if they are tied with the Jets they win the tie breaker. It then goes on to say if they are tied with the Jets and Cincy, they own the tie breaker. I dont know if that is true, but the comment does not say anything about a tie with Cincy (at which point your head to head argument would be correct)…
“So basically they would need a miracle.”
Incorrect, because, if Jets lose one, then win one:
1) odds of Cincy going 2-0: say 25%; if Cincy does not do that, they lose strength of sched tiebreaker to Jets in virtually all cases (so says Elias Sports Bureau);
2) odds of Tenn going 2-0: say 25%; if they don’t, they finish 8-8 to Jets 9-7;
3) odds of Oakland going 2-0: say 25%; if they don’t, they finish 8-8 to Jets 9-7;
4) SD already loses head to head tiebreaker to Jets if they both finish 9-7; odds 100%.
Therefore, if Jets go 1-1 with win over Miami to finish 9-7, the probability they are the sixth seed is 75% x 75% x75% =~42% Not a miracle.
(You could argue that the probability of winning any particular game here is not = to 50%, but overall, especially with all these teams hovering around .500 already, I’d say it is…particularly since the team with the best record [Cincy @ 8-6] has two difficult opponents.)
All I know is that I’m not particulary fond of either of these teams, or their fans (I hate Pittsburgh more), but it’ll be fun to watch one of them lose and mourn their season.
What might be even more fun is watching the animosity between New York football fans grow as the game wears on, and the inevitable loss by one of the teams grows closer.
Good. The last time Rex had his guys geared up for a must win game they came out and got destroyed by New England. The more I read from Rex, the better I feel about the Bengals playoffs chances.
I’m sure Rex know they are not totally out if they lose and is simply trying to motivate his team. Obviously, winning makes it at least marginally easier to get into the playoffs.
mohrmd says:Dec 20, 2011 4:52 PM
The Bengals control their own playoff destiny and the Jets need help. The article linking to Bengals.com and Elias is referring to the strength of schedule tiebreaker, but strength of victory comes first.
If both teams win out, the Jets and Bengals would both be 7-5 in conference, and 3-2 vs common opponents. The next tie breaker is strength of victory.
The Bengals would have a better strength of victory by beating the Ravens in week 17. The Jets strongest victory came vs Dallas in week 1.
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Wow, you couldn’t have gotten that more wrong. SOV is not based off of your single best win, it’s the combined winning percentage of all the teams you have beaten.
currently the Jets have an 11-game lead over Cincy in that category. The Bengals would help themselves some by beating the Ravens week 17, but a lot of the games they would also need to break right are VERY unlikely like CLE beating BAL and PIT, and STL beating SF and PIT.
If the Jets and Bengals finished tied at 9-7, it would basically take a miracle for the Bengals to win the SOV tie-breaker.
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The Jets better win soon. The only youth on the team is Sanchez’s high school girlfriend.
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Woah, woah, woah. Who said the Jets were even beating Miami? I honestly dont see that happening.