National Football League

Same old Jets? Not with Rex Ryan running the show

Published Jan. 5, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

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We hand out our weekly Scheiners, SCHEIN 9 style ...

1. Foaming at the mouth

I never want to hear anyone say "same old Jets" again.

Just say, "same old Rex." Remember that first Rex Ryan presser when he said he wanted the No. 1 running attack, best defense in the NFL, and if you take a swipe at one of ours we will take a swipe at two of yours? Well, it all happened in his rookie season.

With one gigantic roundhouse Sunday night, Rex Ryan's Jets punched history, the Bengals, and their ticket to the postseason in one major swoop. That's pretty amazing when you stop and think about it.

I know the Jets have given their amazing, die-hard, passionate fans nothing but heartache since Joe Namath's Super Bowl guarantee. But the culture has officially changed under Rex.

"Same old Jets" is a loser's lament. Think about all the "same old Jets" moments this season.

The Miami road debacle. The Miami home disaster. The final drive choke at home against Jacksonville. The eerily similar choke job at home to the Falcons. The quarterback and special teams blunders against Buffalo. The rookie quarterback throwing eight more picks than touchdowns. That same quarterback having the arrogance to think he could flip the script at a postgame news conference, coming with notes and telling the media they shouldn't have questions. The rookie coach scolding the rookie quarterback for not listening to Yankees manager Joe Girardi and sliding. The rookie coach giving Mark Sanchez a color-coded chart on how aggressive to be in certain situations.

The Jets lost Kris Jenkins and Leon Washington, arguably their two most important players, to season-ending injuries in the middle of the season. And two weeks ago, Rex Ryan looked into the camera and said the Jets were finished and wouldn't make the playoffs.

In the past, one of these situations would have been insurmountable. Go back over that list again.

As tackle Damien Woody told us on Monday: "We said, 'Enough already.' We just got tired of hearing, 'same old Jets' and wanted to do something about it."

Plus, the Jets got a little luck along the way, with Indy pulling its starters in Week 16. Now, the Jets aren't apologizing for it. Think about it. When was the last time you actually said the Jets were lucky?

And what happened on Sunday night, with the Jets blasting the Bengals, was incredible. The Jets own the best running attack in the NFL. Center Nick Mangold and the offensive line are the best front five in the league. Thomas Jones is a star, a tough-minded back, who somehow is underrated in New York. With the offensive line, Jones, Shonn Greene and Brad Smith darting down the field after taking snaps at quarterback, the Jets manhandled Cincy and broke the Bengals' will.

And the defense was just as tough, holding Carson Palmer to one completed pass before he got pulled.

And please, spare me the "Bengals didn't play guys" and "Cincy had nothing to play for" act. The Jets flattened the Bengals.

It was such a beatdown, seemingly even more lopsided than the 37-0 score, I am predicting Cincy won't get up. I know the rematch is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Ohio and the Bengals will have their crowd behind them. Cincinnati lost its way and mojo a long time ago. It barely resembles the physical, confident squad that swept through the AFC North. I don't know how the Bengals match the intensity of the Jets' power running attack or the domination of Darrelle Revis, David Harris and the Jets defense. The Bengals offensive line can't stand back up. The Jets are in the Bengals' heads.

And the Jets hear the critics and the naysayers, crying they don't deserve to be tournament-bound.

Woody said: "I am a believer that defense wins championships. I know it's now a quarterback-driven league, but big-time players on defense and on the offensive line play big-time football."

Now, I'd slow down on the Jets being a force in the playoffs. Sure, the top-ranked running attack and elite defense are a recipe for success. But you still have a young quarterback on the road in the playoffs. And the Jets cannot fall behind.

But you know this team is going to compete. And fight. And punch history and the opposition.

That's "same old Rex."

2. Rise and Schein

I'm one of 50 voters for the Associated Press awards and for the first-team All-Pro. It's a responsibility I take very seriously. Here are the players I voted for All-Pro

QB: Peyton Manning
RB: Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew
FB: Leonard Weaver
WR: Wes Welker, Andre Johnson
TE: Dallas Clark
OT: Ryan Clady, Jake Long
OG: Steve Hutchinson, Jahri Evans
C: Nick Mangold

DE: Jared Allen, Dwight Freeney
DT: Darnell Dockett, Haloti Ngata
OLB: Elvis Dumervil, DeMarcus Ware
ILB: Patrick Willis, David Harris
CB: Charles Woodson, Darrelle Revis
S: Darren Sharper, Antoine Bethea

K: Nate Kaeding
P: Shane Lechler
KR: Joshua Cribbs

The toughest guys to leave off the first team were Brian Cushing, Kevin Williams, Reggie Wayne, Michael Roos and London Fletcher.

My choices for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and the rookies of the year are below, under "My guys."

As I wrote last Thursday, Jim Caldwell got my vote for Coach of the Year.

3. Hide the women, children and Matt Millen

The Giants totally embarrassed themselves over the last two weeks, getting humiliated against Carolina and Minnesota. Owner John Mara called it unacceptable. Center Shaun O'Hara said the Giants should be ashamed. And the changes already started with overmatched defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan rightly getting axed (The Giants should name Dick Jauron as his replacement).

But this is beyond Sheridan. The Giants quit against Carolina in the final game at Giants Stadium, and the effort against Minnesota was pathetic. The Giants need some tougher-minded players, who, unlike Michael Boley, appreciate what it means to wear the Giants uniform.

4. Backseat coaching

Instead of looking at coaching Xs and Os as per usual, let's take a ride on the coaching carousel.

As I wrote in August here on FOXSports.com, Mike Shanahan will be the next coach of the Washington Redskins. Shanahan is one of the best coaches in pro football and that Shanahan and Bruce Allen management team will be an elite combination.

Buffalo should give Bill Cowher a blank check. He'd be a huge hit with the working-class fan base. But assuming Cowher realizes Buffalo isn't his dream job, don't be surprised when new general manager Buddy Nix turns to either Ron Rivera or Brian Schottenheimer. Seriously.

I don't think Eric Mangini is totally out of the woods yet.

I'm a bit surprised it looks like Tampa is keeping Raheem Morris. It just sets up a potential coaching change in 2011.

5. Schein's Anatomy

Wes Welker tore his ACL and MCL in the Pats' loss to the Texans. Julian Edelman is a solid replacement, but he's not Welker, who led the NFL in catches. I don't want to hear that Welker shouldn't have been playing. This is how Bill Belichick does it. This is how you should do it. It's a huge blow. It's awful. Welker is a fantastic player. My heart goes out to him and the Patriots.

6. Weekly hot seat

I am fascinated to see what Andy Reid can come up with after the stunning no-show for his previously red-hot Eagles in Dallas.

7. My guys

Peyton Manning: My vote for MVP was clinched weeks ago with all of the comebacks and the 14-0 start. Drew Brees, Phil Rivers, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers are 2 through 5, but really nobody was close to Manning with all the comeback wins. And consider all of the injuries the Colts had to deal with.

Chris Johnson: There were some good candidates for Offensive Player of the Year, but Johnson had a truly special season running the ball for the Titans, going over 2,000 yards.

Charles Woodson: Defensive Player of the Year was really tough with the sheer brilliance of Darrelle Revis. But Woodson had a dominant season, blanketing receivers and making a ton of plays, forcing nine picks, returning three for touchdowns, causing four fumbles, while confusing teams when the cornerback played safety or blitzed.

Michael Oher: I hope my fellow voters agree with me and this amazing Horatio Alger story comes to its fitting conclusion. Michael Oher has been the most consistent and dominant rookie in the class. It's called Offensive Rookie of the Year, so I am not factoring in Percy Harvin's brilliance on special teams.

Brian Cushing: I'm going with Cushing over my guy Brian Orakpo for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Cushing was a difference maker, a true clutch tackler and a leader as a rookie.

8. My goats

Josh McDaniels: He becomes only the third coach not to make the playoffs after starting 6-0. But I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for that, since I thought 6-0 was major overachievement. But then he lost to Oakland. And then he decided to pick a fight with Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler, bench both key players for Week 17, and it was your offseason mess all over again. Marshall played hurt all of last year. I wouldn't question his toughness. Way to go, Josh. You did it your way and you lost the team and lost to Kansas City in Week 17.

Jack Del Rio: The Jags choked down the stretch of the season. Losing in Cleveland to Eric Mangini's Browns was the final insult.

Jim Schwartz: He really escaped major criticism because he took over an 0-16 team. But Schwartz's Lions were non-competitive, and they should've won more than two games.

Steve Spagnuolo: I thought the Rams would be bad. I didn't think they would win just one game. St. Louis got blown out of the building way too often.

JaMarcus Russell: Did you see his decision-making down the stretch against Baltimore? Hey, Al Davis, do the right thing and cut this slacker.

9. Three and out

See Schein's Weekly NFL picks, video-style, every Thursday on FOXSports.com.

You can watch Schein and Chris Carlin on Loud Mouths, weeknights at 6 ET on SNY (DIRECT-TV 639).

You can listen to Schein and Rich Gannon on the Sirius Blitz, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Sirius NFL Radio 124.

Join Schein on NFL Sundays for the Sirius NFL Tailgate show from 9 a.m. to noon ET on Sirius NFL Radio and immediately after the Jets games on SNY for Jets Postgame Live.

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