Rex Ryan: Still as Clueless as Ever

By - Lauren Dundee

The New York Jets may have picked up a victory over their in-town rivals on Saturday night, but that doesn't mean Jets fans have anything to look forward to this season.

After all, Rex Ryan is still roaming the sidelines.

Photo by: Debby Wong

While the 50-year-old is no novice, he often resembles one. And in his fifth year with the team, Ryan continues to prove that he's still as clueless as ever.

Saturday's contest only reiterated it.

The Jets entered the game seeking clarity at the quarterback position, and by halftime, they had it. Geno Smith bombed his audition, throwing 3 interceptions over a 12-pass stretch and taking a safety to boot, making Mark Sanchez a virtual lock for the starting gig in Week 1.

Until Ryan inexplicably fed him to the wolves in the fourth quarter, that is.

Taking the field with second and third-stringers, Sanchez was sacked on his very first play, which was a sign of things to come. A short time later, the fifth-year man was drilled on his throwing shoulder by Giants' defensive tackle Marvin Austin, sending him to the turf writhing in pain.

And sending New York right back to uncertainty at quarterback.

The Jets announced Sunday that Sanchez is "day-to-day," but didn't disclose the severity of his injury, and said it would sideline the QB for the team's preseason finale against Philadelphia on Thursday night.

So now Ryan might have to go with Smith, management's preferred starter of choice, rather than Sanchez, the guy Rex prefers, because the coach put his quarterback in a situation he should have never been put in to begin with; playing mop-up duty behind a guy who had basically handed Sanchez the starting job by default with his horrendous performance in the first half.

In Ryan's defense, the conflicting agendas of a lame duck head coach and new front office were always bound to create the type of issue that reared its ugly head this weekend, when Rex potentially saw an opportunity to metaphorically stick his tongue out at upper management; by putting a bigger spotlight on Smith's blunders if Sanchez went out and looked like the second coming of Joe Montana against New York's reserves.

But again, Geno's first half stinkfest all but sealed the deal as far as who the starter for Week 1 was going to be, because he's clearly not ready to take the reigns on offense yet.

Meaning, Ryan essentially put Sanchez in harm's way for nothing.

"It was my decision all the way," Ryan told reporters after the game when asked why Sanchez was sent out in the fourth quarter. "I understand being second-guessed and stuff when an injury happens, but that's football."

In the end, none of this should really come as a shock to anyone. It's not like this is the first time that Rex has botched his quarterback situation as head coach of the Jets.

Who was that guy he brought in last season? Tim something?...