Rex Ryan is facing a conundrum.
The New York Jets are not, as currently structured, a winning football team as their 1-3 record attests. Turnovers on offense, lack of playmaking on defense and a general propensity for missed opportunities litter the ledger for their first 4 games.
Their latest loss saw struggling young quarterback Geno Smith throw another interception and lose both a fumble and his cool when he cursed at a fan on the way to the locker room.
And today came the news that the Jets' offense held a "players only" meeting. Uh oh.
Head Coach Rex Ryan has maintained that Smith is his starting quarterback and that back-up Mike Vick is going to stay right where he belongs - on the bench.
But as the losses continue to pile up and fan ardor dwindles or transforms to angst and aggression, things have started to get tricky for ol' Sexy Rexy.
At what point does Ryan have to make a change from Smith? How long can Rex put the "future" of the franchise ahead of its current season prospects?
Sure, sticking with Geno while he takes his lumps and develops is a smart move. It allows Smith to grow and will ostensibly pay off in the future.
And removing Smith now would, no doubt, shake the confidence of a young player already showing questionable signs of inner strength and maturity. It would also constitute an admittance of failure on the part of Ryan and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, both of whom signed off on the idea of drafting Smith and making him the de facto team leader.
But how long can Rex keep Vick, and the potential for better quarterback play, on the sidelines?
Vick is a flawed passer in his own right. His years in Atlanta and then Philadelphia after two years away from the game and in prison, were consistently marked by moments of brilliance sandwiched between bouts of inaccuracy and injury.
More of an athlete than pocket passer, Vick has always been willing to sacrifice his body - many times unnecessarily - in order to make the play.
After years of employing this playing style, Vick is now more injury-prone than ever.
If the Jets turned to him, it would be in a stop-gap, desperation type situation, where he would hopefully bridge the gap between Smith's current failure and next season's potential replacement or improvement.
Even worse for the Jets, their typically staunch defense is making its own share of mistakes. They're playing well for the most part, but not making the big plays when they need to, and not getting off the field on third down.
After signing a contract extension at the end of last season, Ryan's in no immediate danger of losing his job. But Rex, and the team, can't continue on in the current fashion.
Something needs to change.
And if it's not a change at quarterback right now, it may be a change at head coach in the not-too-distant future.
