The Great Debate: Rex Ryan vs Josh McDaniels

It can be in the Big Apple, under the bright lights, in front of a sea of green and white maniacs. Those maniacs who are screaming their heads off to perfectly complement a defense that has plenty of screams of their own. It be at a press conference guaranteeing a spot into the second season as you make your coaching debut.
Or..

It can be coming into a situation as murky as the Everglades, as distorted as a Picasso painting, and as confusing as a puzzle. Coming into the situation with your head on right, not letting any certain WR get in the way of you getting to your goal, in order to prove your former team/head coach wrong, and then guide your new team to a 5-0 start.

Recognizable situations, no?

Well if you are still unfamiliar, let me clear things up.

Welcome to my second “Great Debate”, where I will pit two of the best at what they do against each other in an all-out brawl. Comparing and contrasting the two with facts, stats and opinion; where in the end one will come out on top, whether it be by a landslide or a hair.

So without further ado I would like to introduce you to Round 2 of my Great Debate, coach vs coach, defensive mastermind vs offensive guru.

Rex Ryan vs Josh McDaniels.

Jets Head Coach

Rex Ryan

Let’s get to day one:

“The Jets are coming, and we are going to give it everything we got.”

These words were courageously spoken by Rex himself, and very much allowed as well. Rex Ryan proved himself many times in the past, and he’s proving himself now with the New York Jets game after game. Straight from Baltimore to the infamous New York, I present to you Rex Ryan.

Anyone who knows football knows Rex Ryan has the ability to coach. A damn good ability if you ask me. I’m not going to lie to you, I’ve only really began to notice Rex since last year. I mean c’mon, I know the Ravens were an incredible defensive team, and not being a big time Ravens fan I would always assume this was due to Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrelle Suggs, etc.

That being said, I never looked at the big picture, the man behind the scenes, the big cheese, Rex Ryan.

Back in time

Rex left Baltimore with stunning defensive numbers:

• Allowed 224 Points(year)/15.2 PPG (3rd in the NFL) in 08-09 Season
• Point Differential of 141 Points (year) /8.8 PPG (1st in the NFL) in 08-09 Season
• Takeaway/Giveaway Differential: +13 (0.8/g), (3rd in the NFL) in 08-09 Season

Those numbers are staggering for any team in the NFL, and the funny thing is that these stats are only from the 08-09 season, care to look at the others?

• Allowed 201 points (year) /12.6 PPG (1st in the NFL) in 06-07 Season…Are you kidding me!? Only 201 total points given up..that’s disgustingly good.
• Differential of 110 points (year) /6.9 PPG (6th in the NFL 03-04 Season.
• Turnover ratio for 06-07 Season: +17

There are plenty more examples, but I believe you get the picture. Things have changed, players have come and players have gone, and players have changed..heck, Rex Ryan is gone. He’s now in NY and he’s even changed, and the scary thing about that is, he’s doing a hell of a lot better.

Rex Ryan has come into a Jets team that had won nine games last season with a legendary Brett Favre and a decent team. How far did that get them? Home during the playoffs.

That is why Rex has been brought in. In order to change the Jets from a playoff team, to a championship team. I mean, just ask Rex:

Today

From day one he has made an improvement in NY. He turned around the mindset of this NY team from a Brett Favre mindset to a rock hard, destroy you D!

Look at these numbers (compiled before Sunday’s loss to the Bills):

• Jets D is only allowing 17 Points Per game (9th in the league)
• Jets D is only allowing  304 Total Yards Per Game (9th in league)
• Jets Pass D only allowing 194 Pass Yards Per Game (8th in the league)

Without a doubt, these are remarkable numbers defensively for a coach’s first year.

The Jets are outstandingly in the Top 10 in each of those categories. The amazing thing about it is that Rex is doing all of this in his very first year. He has gained not only the trust of his rookie QB, but the trust of his defense, coaching staff, and the rest of the Jets organization.

Even though the Jets are a decent 3-2, [Editor's Note: now 3-3] I’m still impressed with how they are playing. You also have to factor in that their offense isn’t as great (which Rex doesn’t handle that much). Another note is that they have a rookie QB in Mark Sanchez.

Overall: 8.8/10

(The Good) While Rex is a great coach on the defensive side of the ball, (The bad) he needs to contribute more on the offensive side of the ball. If he can do that, and show us a percentage on offense of what he shows us on defense, the Jets would still be undefeated!

Broncos Head Coach

Josh McDaniels

One of the best stories of the year!

Josh McDaniels arrives from a New England Patriots team who….well, do I really have to say it? The Pats have won three rings in a matter of 8 years, and during that span I have to admit that at times I thought to myself that those Patriot teams were the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Off All-Time).

Bill Belichek was the man with the plan. He was the captain of the plane (you can make the argument for Tom as well.)  But many people forget that Bill wasn’t the only man with a headset on the Pats sideline. There was another. There was a guy who would constantly tell Tom which play to call, which audibles to run, and how to run it.

His name is Josh McDaniels, and not only did he help the Pats in their dynasty run on offense and defense, but he is now behind the Broncos incredible 5-0 start, and if things continue the way they are going in Denver, McDaniels just might have another…dare I say it…

Dynasty in Denver.

Back in time

2002

The New England Patriots came off of the incredible Super Bowl XXXVI win against the Rams. Tom Brady was beginning to prove himself, and Bill Belichek was beginning to look like Einstein. Just about everything was beginning for the Patriots. The beginning was also coming for Josh McDaniels, as he was hired as the Pats Defensive Coaching Assistant, working primarily with the defensive backs. Unfortunately,New England did not qualify for the playoffs.

2003

Josh McDaniels continues his Defensive Coaching Assistant occupation, as the Pats defense performs solidly with an NFL defensive average of 12 in every category. The Pats finish first in the AFC East with a record of 14-2, and end up winning Super Bowl XXXVIII.

2004

The next milestone in McDaniels’ career. He is promoted to Quarterbacks Coach, meaning he is a young Tom Brady’s coach. A highly regarded position. The Pats set an NFL record with with 21 straight victories (included from the previous season), while Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 92.6 passer rating, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl. McDaniels deserves some credit for this as well. Oh, and I almost forgot, they won Super Bowl XXXIX.

2005

This would prove to be a great year for Brady, equaling into a great year for McDaniels. With the Pats running low in the running category, they would have to rely on the arm of Brady. New England finished with the 6th best passing yardage in the NFL, and Brady finished with a passer rating of 93.2. The downside of the season was the AFC Divisional Playoff loss to the (coincidental) Denver Broncos.

2006

Promoted to Offensive Coordinator while keeping the occupation of QB coach, Josh McDaniels is starting to become more and more recognized. The Pats finish the season with great NFL rankings overall. They finished 7th in points through the air, they finished 11th in pass yards per game, and 6th in given up interceptions. While Belichek is receiving attention from all media outlets, McDaniels is getting his fair share as well. The Pats lose in the AFC Championship game against IND.

2007

Not only the biggest year in McDaniels’ coordinating/coaching history, but the biggest year in the Patriots’ history, and one of the biggest years in the NFL’s history. The New England Patriots finish with an incredible, and NFL record 16-0 regular season record. Brady earns the NFL MVP, and throws for an outstanding 50 TD passes in a single season (NFL record). Randy Moss earns the record for most TD catches in a single season (23). All of the hype, excitement and records ended on February 3rd, 2008, as the Patriots lose in Super Bowl XLII (courtesy of Eli Manning and the NY Giants).

2008

A big drop from last season, as McDaniels must go from Tom Brady to Matt Cassel. Don’t get me wrong, Cassel played a very good season, especially for a backup, finishing with 21 TD’s, 2693 yards, and passer rating of 89.4. The Pats played well and finished with a record of 11-5, but unfortunately missed out on the playoffs.

A very prestigious resume held by Josh McDaniels, but would this be enough to prepare him for the head spot?

Heck yeah! More than enough!

Today

With McDaniels’ reputation on the rise after helping Matt Cassel succeed in the absence of Tom Brady, the question becomes: where would he go?

The Denver Broncos.

The Broncos sign Josh McDaniels as head coach for 4 years and $8 Million dollars. As the season was nearing, with training camp in the air, the Broncos off-season was filled with a flurry of moves and complaints. Jay Cutler’s relationship with the whole Broncos organization deteriorated, and all McDaniels could do was sit and watch as his new team seemed to be falling apart.

In the end, Jay Cutler was traded for Kyle Orton from the Bears.

Then..

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall was not helping the cause as well. Marshall was consistently demanding a trade, disrespecting teammates and coaches all around. The organization eventually took action, and reprimanded Brandon.

So with all of this going on, Denver seemed puzzled and confused on how the season would start off. Well, Denver was sure in for a suprise..

McDaniels took the 8-8 Denver Broncos and is completely turning them around. The Broncos are a baffling 5-0, and McDaniels couldn’t be any happier.

Honestly, Orton isn’t the best QB in the NFL, and Marshall isn’t the best WR in the NFL, and the Broncos D isn’t the best in the NFL either (even though they have players like Bailey). So who does all this credit go to?

The head coach of course!

The Broncos are currently 6th in yards per game, and 5th with rush yards per game. This shows that the previous QB coach can do much more than coach a QB.

Want more?

The Broncos are 22nd in the NFL with 19.8 ppg. Is that good? Not at all. But they are 5-0, what does that tell you? That their D must be doing well:

• 1st in the NFL for opponent’s ppg (8.6)….are you freaking serious!?
• 2nd in the NFL for opponent’s ypg (252.8)
• 5th in the NFL for opponent’s pass ypg (171.8)
• 6th in the NFL for opponent’s rush yards per game (81.0)..WOW.

Number like these are historic. The Broncos defensively are destroying it.

Who does this credit go to? It has to be McDaniels.

Oh, and one last note…Josh beat the Pats to earn his 5th victory of the season. How do you feel Josh?

Overall 9.1/10

To be honest with you, I can’t find much to say negative about Josh. He has won rings, worked his way to the top, and shown us he deserves to be in the NFL (unlike Jim Zorn). The only thing preventing me from putting McDaniels at a 10/10, would have to be the fact that he doesn’t play on the field!

With all that being said, I respect Rex Ryan for what he is doing under the spotlight of a NY crowd and fan base, but McDaniels is proving to be something else. Something we might remember a long time from now.

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* – Josh McDaniels photo credit: AP file photo via MassLive.com

* – Rex Ryan photo credit: William Perlman / The Star Ledger via NJ.com

Tags: great debate, josh mcdaniels, rex ryan

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