Howard Balzer's NFL Notebook: Ryan, Scott continue to fill reporters notebooks
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Rex Ryan speaks his mind even when the Jets are losing. (Icon SMI)
By Howard Balzer, Lindyssports.com NFL columnist
Rex Ryan has filled reporters’ notebooks and been great for sound bytes ever since being hired this year as the head coach of the New York Jets. Free-agent linebacker Bart Scott also did his part.
When the team got off to a winning start, the braggadocio continued. The question now, with the Jets at .500 (4-4), is whether restraint should be the approach when there is losing. Ryan and Scott apparently don’t believe so, judging by some of their comments after they lost to Miami in Week 8 despite the Dolphins totaling just 104 yards on offense.
The war of words began that night on NBC when Tony Dungy reacted to postgame comments by Scott and Ryan.
Said Dungy, “My mother used to say, ‘When you win, say very little. When you lose, say less.’ Bart Scott said too much today. When a team beats you twice, give them credit and go home ... And I have to disagree with Rex Ryan, they didn't outplay Miami. Miami got three return touchdowns. That's part of the game. They've got more points than you do.”
Asked the next day about Dungy’s comments, Ryan said, “That's fine. I was brought up differently (laughter). That's just it. I respect everybody, but I fear nobody. My thing is we're not going to get anywhere by tiptoeing. That's how I feel about it. Again, people can take offense to it. That's fine and dandy. I'm not going to change who I am and how I coach because Tony Dungy said something. I respect him. He's a great man and great coach, but I'm going to be who I am. I’ve said that from day one because I know I'll be successful that way.”
When Scott talked again, the day after the game, he found it difficult to separate the fact the team was 4-4 from where the defense was ranked. As if he didn’t care about anything else.
“I am what I am,” he said, “and right now I'm a 4-4 football team. ... All I know is that the guys who do the talking, if you want to go there, you tell me how we've fared. Are we letting you down? Are we letting the fans down by our performance? Are we not getting the job done? To me, it looks like we're getting the job done better than 31 other teams in this league. So, you tell me?
”I'm the guy who talks, right? And I'm on defense, so if we're talking and we're No. 2, what else do you want me to do? You want me to shut up and be No. 15? Then would you be happy? ... I control what I can control. I'm a defensive player. I don't play anything else but defense. I talk. If you don't like it, I don't know what to tell you. You liked it when we were winning.”
Finally, Ryan was asked about supposedly having an “oversized ego,” which is how he was described.
“That's not true,” he said. “That's not true at all. I have a belief. I think that's it. I have a belief. For anybody to get to where you want to go, you better believe in yourself and the people around you or I don't think you can accomplish anything. That is just how I believe. Egotistical? I don't think so. I definitely am a confident person. It's just like after that Miami game, the first one. I took full responsibility, but I couldn't wait to play them again because I knew we could play better. Again, I think we'll play better these last eight games. We'll see if it's good enough to get in the playoffs or not.”
RUNNING FOR DAYLIGHT
Despite having little support from the passing offense, Rams running back Steven Jackson had 784 yards rushing after eight games, and virtually single-handedly willed his team to its first win in Week 8 over Detroit. The victory snapped a 17-game losing streak.
Jackson gained 149 yards, with well over 100 coming after contact. Asked about Jackson’s style, center Jason Brown said, “You know on video games where they have the special moves? You can hit the ‘turbo’ button. You can hit the ‘spin’ button. You can hit the ‘juke’ button. Well, Steven has all of those buttons. And when you think that that juice is about to run out, he will continue to surprise you.”
Asked if he ever been around a player like Jackson, coach Steve Spagnuolo said, “Probably not; he kind of adds everything. He is a big back that can move like a smaller back; he makes people miss. I know people don't like to tackle him. I remember defending and playing against him and there were murmurs always on the film that guys really didn't want to go in there and tackle him -- the guys we were coaching in the meetings. He is a premier back.”
AS FOR CHRIS JOHNSON
When Titans coach Jeff Fisher was asked how defenses might try and prepare for the speed of running back Chris Johnson, he talked about how a team where he was an assistant coach tried something different in getting ready for the unique start-and-stop ability of former Lions running back Barry Sanders.
Said Fisher, “I remember one team in particular brought a chicken out on the field and let the defense chase the chicken around, just desperately trying to simulate the speed and the quickness. That's the way it is with Chris.”
Asked how it worked, Fisher said, “It wasn't my idea. And it didn't work. It just stood there and they picked it up. And we took it back to the farm by the way.”
WHY PLAYERS PLAY
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is in his 14th season and turned 34 in May. And, yes, he makes a boatload of money. But, after the World Series ended last week, Lewis mused about what motivates him.
He said on NFL Network, “I watched the Yankees (Wednesday night) and I’m sitting there saying to myself, ‘Mmm, that feeling.’ I’m trying to express to (everyone), ‘If you knew what was going through their heads right now, realizing they are world champions, on top of the world – you know that feeling for life.’ I know that feeling ... there’s nothing else I’m cashing outside of that. I don’t play this game for no other reason but to win another championship.”
When the team got off to a winning start, the braggadocio continued. The question now, with the Jets at .500 (4-4), is whether restraint should be the approach when there is losing. Ryan and Scott apparently don’t believe so, judging by some of their comments after they lost to Miami in Week 8 despite the Dolphins totaling just 104 yards on offense.
The war of words began that night on NBC when Tony Dungy reacted to postgame comments by Scott and Ryan.
Said Dungy, “My mother used to say, ‘When you win, say very little. When you lose, say less.’ Bart Scott said too much today. When a team beats you twice, give them credit and go home ... And I have to disagree with Rex Ryan, they didn't outplay Miami. Miami got three return touchdowns. That's part of the game. They've got more points than you do.”
Asked the next day about Dungy’s comments, Ryan said, “That's fine. I was brought up differently (laughter). That's just it. I respect everybody, but I fear nobody. My thing is we're not going to get anywhere by tiptoeing. That's how I feel about it. Again, people can take offense to it. That's fine and dandy. I'm not going to change who I am and how I coach because Tony Dungy said something. I respect him. He's a great man and great coach, but I'm going to be who I am. I’ve said that from day one because I know I'll be successful that way.”
When Scott talked again, the day after the game, he found it difficult to separate the fact the team was 4-4 from where the defense was ranked. As if he didn’t care about anything else.
“I am what I am,” he said, “and right now I'm a 4-4 football team. ... All I know is that the guys who do the talking, if you want to go there, you tell me how we've fared. Are we letting you down? Are we letting the fans down by our performance? Are we not getting the job done? To me, it looks like we're getting the job done better than 31 other teams in this league. So, you tell me?
”I'm the guy who talks, right? And I'm on defense, so if we're talking and we're No. 2, what else do you want me to do? You want me to shut up and be No. 15? Then would you be happy? ... I control what I can control. I'm a defensive player. I don't play anything else but defense. I talk. If you don't like it, I don't know what to tell you. You liked it when we were winning.”
Finally, Ryan was asked about supposedly having an “oversized ego,” which is how he was described.
“That's not true,” he said. “That's not true at all. I have a belief. I think that's it. I have a belief. For anybody to get to where you want to go, you better believe in yourself and the people around you or I don't think you can accomplish anything. That is just how I believe. Egotistical? I don't think so. I definitely am a confident person. It's just like after that Miami game, the first one. I took full responsibility, but I couldn't wait to play them again because I knew we could play better. Again, I think we'll play better these last eight games. We'll see if it's good enough to get in the playoffs or not.”
RUNNING FOR DAYLIGHT
Despite having little support from the passing offense, Rams running back Steven Jackson had 784 yards rushing after eight games, and virtually single-handedly willed his team to its first win in Week 8 over Detroit. The victory snapped a 17-game losing streak.
Jackson gained 149 yards, with well over 100 coming after contact. Asked about Jackson’s style, center Jason Brown said, “You know on video games where they have the special moves? You can hit the ‘turbo’ button. You can hit the ‘spin’ button. You can hit the ‘juke’ button. Well, Steven has all of those buttons. And when you think that that juice is about to run out, he will continue to surprise you.”
Asked if he ever been around a player like Jackson, coach Steve Spagnuolo said, “Probably not; he kind of adds everything. He is a big back that can move like a smaller back; he makes people miss. I know people don't like to tackle him. I remember defending and playing against him and there were murmurs always on the film that guys really didn't want to go in there and tackle him -- the guys we were coaching in the meetings. He is a premier back.”
AS FOR CHRIS JOHNSON
When Titans coach Jeff Fisher was asked how defenses might try and prepare for the speed of running back Chris Johnson, he talked about how a team where he was an assistant coach tried something different in getting ready for the unique start-and-stop ability of former Lions running back Barry Sanders.
Said Fisher, “I remember one team in particular brought a chicken out on the field and let the defense chase the chicken around, just desperately trying to simulate the speed and the quickness. That's the way it is with Chris.”
Asked how it worked, Fisher said, “It wasn't my idea. And it didn't work. It just stood there and they picked it up. And we took it back to the farm by the way.”
WHY PLAYERS PLAY
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is in his 14th season and turned 34 in May. And, yes, he makes a boatload of money. But, after the World Series ended last week, Lewis mused about what motivates him.
He said on NFL Network, “I watched the Yankees (Wednesday night) and I’m sitting there saying to myself, ‘Mmm, that feeling.’ I’m trying to express to (everyone), ‘If you knew what was going through their heads right now, realizing they are world champions, on top of the world – you know that feeling for life.’ I know that feeling ... there’s nothing else I’m cashing outside of that. I don’t play this game for no other reason but to win another championship.”
