Much like Michael Jordan, Rex Ryan took it personally. Very, very personally.
The former Jets coach went on a rant against the current one, Robert Saleh, after the Bills rolled to a 45-17 victory in MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
“This guy is supposed to be a defensive guru. I take it personal. Everything I heard was this guy is a lot like myself, but without the bard part,” Ryan said in an interview on ESPN Radio. “Some of the bad part you need, because this team doesn’t want to play with any damn heart. That’s the thing that is disappointing to me.
“Don’t ever compare this Robert Saleh guy to me. Statistically, one time they were a top defense. Four out of five times they were dead last in their division. They are going to be dead last again, so he’s going to be used to that. To me, I am little pissed off about it when I heard his background is a lot like yours. No it isn’t. No it isn’t.”
The Jets are indeed last in the NFL in points per game allowed (32.9) and yards per game allowed (417.1) in Saleh’s first season after spending four years as the 49ers defensive coordinator. In those four seasons, the 49ers finished 25th, 28th, 8th and 17th in points per game.
Robert Saleh on the Jets sideline during the loss to the Bills on Nov. 14, 2021.Robert SaboRyan, now an analyst for ESPN, was the Jets coach from 2009-2014. He was an instant hit in New York thanks to his brash personality (“the bad part”) and leading the team to back-to-back AFC Championship games his first two seasons. His tenure fell apart as he went 26-38 in his final four seasons.
These Jets are now 2-7 after giving up 175 points in the past four games. This was the Jets’ first game without star safety Marcus Maye, who tore his Achilles tendon in a loss to the Colts.
Rex Ryan in his final days as Jets coach in 2014.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post“This is a horrendous defense,” Ryan said. Now they are going to say, we never had our safeties. So, what? Everybody has a million injuries, let alone an above safety you are missing. I remember playing without five corners (one season,) it never looked like this. I think we were fifth in the league in defense that year.”
It is not the first time Ryan has gone after Saleh. Following the 54-13 loss to the Patriots last month, Ryan called the team “a complete embarrassment.”
