The New York Jets haven't played in two weeks and won't for another eight months but they've been in the headlines about as much as any NFL playoff team not quarterbacked by Tim Tebow . not that the Jets welcome the scrutiny they're under.
Friday, HC Rex Ryan and GM Mike Tannenbaum met with reporters for the first time since hiring OC Tony Sparano earlier this week and, more notably, since several unnamed players and members within the organization blasted QB Mark Sanchez and stumped for the acquisition of Colts QB Peyton Manning in a (New York) Daily News article.
"We do have an open door policy, and we encourage our players to express themselves," Ryan said of his media philosophy. "(But) saying things and not putting your name on it, that's not being a Jet. So, that's going to change without question."
Tannenbaum, who traded up in the draft to select Sanchez fifth overall in 2009, tried to discredit the notion that the quarterback is lazy and instead proclaimed the organization wants more players like him.
"We are going to fill this locker room with gym rats, and that's what Mark is," said Tannenbaum. "He has all the attributes and traits we want which is hard work, a love (for) football. He needs to be more consistent, and he will be the first one to tell you that. With that said, he has done a lot of good things over three years and we are going to learn where he could be better."
On the news front, Tannenbaum described the divorce from former OC Brian Schottenheimer as a "mutual decision" and that things moved so quickly with Sparano he was hired about 12 hours after Schottenheimer announced his departure because the Jets had previously turned to Sparano as a contingency had Schottenheimer gotten the Jaguars' head coaching job.
Tannenbaum also said the team had had conversations with former Chiefs HC Todd Haley as New York rejiggers its coaching staff.
Ryan's reign has largely been successful as he and Sanchez helped lead the Jets to the AFC Championship Game during their first two years in New York before the disappointment of an 8-8 nosedive in 2011 when Sanchez committed 26 turnovers and struggled noticeably during the three-game, season-ending skid that left the Jets outside the playoff picture for the first time since 2008.
But Ryan, not surprisingly, thinks the team will be back in no time with No. 6 at the offensive helm.
"I don't know how many (players) don't feel confident in Mark Sanchez . I'll tell you this, if it is not all of them, it's the majority of (the players) that have a great deal of confidence in Mark Sanchez," said the coach.
"And when he walks through that door, his head is going to be held high. There's no question about it. That's what I know. An anonymous source, or whatever it is, doesn't speak on behalf of the entire football team, doesn't put his name to a quote and things like that. Believe me, there are a lot of people, that I know specifically, a ton of our players and everybody in this organization in my opinion that have a great deal of belief and admiration for Mark Sanchez."
Sparano, who was fired by the Dolphins during the 2011 season, will be charged with improving Sanchez and a frequently stalled offense, a notion that also excites Ryan.
"I've coached against Tony for a number of times, and I've always admired the way his teams were," said Ryan. "I pride myself on having a tough football team, a physical football team, and I thought the same of his."
And speaking of thought, it seems as if Ryan's given over quite a bit of time to introspection following his most trying season as a head coach. He promised to get back to the principles that have brought him success in the league, including spending more time in the locker room and classroom with his players as well as taking a stronger hand in defensive gameplanning and execution.
"I tried to lay back and be maybe more of a head coach than being true to myself. I need to be in the locker room. I need to be around more, be involved more in the day-to-day, like right there in the meeting rooms and everything else, and that's what I plan on doing," he said. "I got away from that, thinking that maybe a head coach is supposed to act a little differently, and it hurt me. I just need to be myself and stay true to that. I've always had a cohesive unit when I was in charge of the unit, but as a football team, I thought what gave us a huge advantage the first two years was how close our football team was. I misjudged it this year. I've taken full responsibility for that and that will not happen in 2012.
"I've had success my entire life and I plan on having more success as we go. Was it successful in 2011? Absolutely not. It's not what we expected or what I expected."
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