New York Jets coach Rex Ryan admitted he needs every win he can get to save his job. If Ryan were fired after the season, he wouldn't be unemployed for long if he wanted a job.
New York snapping their eight-game losing streak took some of the heat off Ryan heading into their bye week, but his job security remains up in the air. Ryan knows, with the Jets sitting at 2-8, every win matters if he wants to keep his job.
"I need every one I can get," Ryan said Wednesday, via ESPN. "... One thing that I am confident in is that we're going to play our tails off. We're going to prepare like it's a playoff game riding on it. How many wins we'll have, we'll find out, but I'm confident we'll have a number of them."
While Ryan is coaching for his job, his players have remained supportive of him.
"I'm for Rex every day, but Rex isn't playing," said linebacker Calvin Pace. "I hate to hear him take all the blame. But that's the good thing about Rex. He takes it."
New York's 20-13 upset win on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers gave the team a morale boost heading into their bye week. The win also followed Ryan's decision to replace second-year quarterback Geno Smith with veteran Michael Vick, who threw a pair of touchdowns and - most importantly for the Jets - didn't turn over the football.
Vick starting under center could spark what has been an otherwise lethargic offense. Running back Chris Johnson is at least one player in the Jets locker room who believes if Vick had started from the season opener, the team wouldn't be in the hole they're in now.
"I think if he was starting from day one it would be totally different," Johnson said, via the New York Daily News. "He came in and his role was to help Geno (Smith) develop and try to help him the best he can, but at the end of the day it turned out how it turned out and (we've) just got to live with it."
If Ryan is fired, there'd be a bevy of teams competing to hire him as their defensive coordinator. The Jets haven't been to the playoffs since 2010, but despite all their recent struggles under Ryan there remains no doubt he is one of the best defensive coaches in the league.
