(Image via reddit.com/r/nfl)

New York’s love affair with Rex Ryan might finally be over. After yet another year of bluster, bravado and championship guarantees from their head coach, the Jets failed to make the playoffs following an ugly 8-8 season. Today, the organization seems to be in an utter state of disarray, as supposed team leaders Santonio Holmes and Bart Scott lead the way with infighting, finger-pointing and wildly immature behavior, both during and after their season-ending loss at Miami.

It’s gotten so bad that Rex actually broke down in tears while addressing his team yesterday, overcome by the emotion of the season. But then again, Ryan has never been one to apologize for letting his passion getting the better of him:

“I’m Irish. So what do you want?” Ryan said … “It’s hurtful. I’m extremely prideful. I want to be the best. I want to win. Sometimes it comes out like that.”

With his unabashed, fun-loving & always-quotable style, Ryan has turned the Jets into one of the league’s most high-profile teams and twice brought them to the brink of a Super Bowl appearance in his three seasons with the club. But now, people around the league are questioning whether Ryan’s “player’s coach” mentality ultimately points to a lack of control over his team … which in turn leads to sloppy, undisciplined play at the most critical times from his players.

Is it finally time for Rex to grow up and instill some discipline into his routine?  Only time will tell, but there’s one thing most can agree on: Ryan’s schtick has grown tired, and without the hardware to back it up, his bluster will soon turn to white noise and players will start tuning him out completely.

Cromartie searches for his jock on the MetLife Stadium turf (Image via Sportsgrid.com)

We’ve got another late contender for play of the year already today.

With the Giants trailing the Jets 7-3 and looking relatively lifeless heading into the half, facing 3rd and 10 from their own 1 yard line, Eli Manning hit Victor Cruz right around the first down marker … at which point Cruz makes an unbelievable sidestep move to elude two Jets defenders and break free for the 99-yard score.

Watch as Cruz makes Antonio Cromartie look silly after the catch, then uses his speed to do the rest:

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Cruz – one of he breakout offensive stars in the NFL this season – continues to come up with big plays when his team needs him most. The undrafted free agent has already set the new Giants franchise record for receiving yards in a season (1,322), and the play came at a critical point in the game for New York, who desperately need to win today to stay alive in the hunt for the division title.

And now, he’s made NFL history with a record that can never be broken. Merry Christmas, Victor.

(Photo: the700level.com)

Lest you were worried that the world had forgotten, the good people of Philadelphia are to here to remind everyone about Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan’s foot fetish.

Timely or not (the story originally broke around this time last year), it’s just nice to see fans so committed to their mockery of the opposition. Instant classic.

(Image via everyjoe.com)

Points for creativity, but not exactly the classiest move we’ll see this year.

After scoring a touchdown during the second quarter of today’s Bills-Jets game, Buffalo WR Stevie Johnson mocked Jets WR Plaxico Burress by pretending to shoot himself in the leg. As we all know, Burress spent 20 months in prison after shooting himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub in 2008.

But Johnson wasn’t finished there, continuing through the endzone while mimicking Santonio Holmes’ “flight” celebration and crashing to the ground in the endzone, ultimately drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty:

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With the pre-planned routine, Johnson not only managed to mock two Jets players at once, but he also drew a critical, if not game-changing penalty, all in one fell swoop.

“I was just having fun and part of having fun ended up being a penalty and a touchdown for the Jets,” Johnson said. “It was a stupid decision by myself.”

The Jets seemed to use the play as a rallying point, and aided by the extra 15-yards in field position, New York scored a touchdown the ensuing possession to tie the game at 14-14 heading into the half. Oh, and that touchdown was scored by none other than Plaxico Burress.

For his part, Plaxico had this to say after the game:

“I’ve seen worse and I’ve heard worse,” Burress said. “It doesn’t bother me at all. The result I’m looking at is that we won the football game and he turned around and dropped three wide open balls to lose the game for his team. If I was a player that’s how I would evaluate myself.”

I’ve honestly never understood these kinds of celebrations so early in the game. You’d think these guys would have enough common sense to wait until the game was in the bag before busting out their choreographed dance moves and gloating in the face of their opponents.

After today, maybe Johnson will think twice before celebrating prematurely next time around.

Then, you just sit there and marvel at the sheer breadth of this kid’s knowledge (even in the midst of a full-on meltdown), while mom tries to help him come to terms with the years of inevitable pain & suffering that lay ahead for this young Jets fan.

That’s just good parenting, right there.

(Image via instntrply.com)

Oh boy … get ready, folks. If you thought Tim Tebow-mania had already reached its pinnacle in this country, you ain’t seen nothing’ yet.

Last night, after turning in his usual sub-par performance for 3-1/2 quarters, Tebow once again stepped up as the hero, leading the Broncos on game-winning 95-yard drive to defeat the Jets 17-13.  Tebow capped the impressive drive himself with a 20-yard touchdown run (video below), and now, after leading his team to a 4-1 record as starter, even his biggest doubters are genuinely starting to believe that there’s something special about this kid.

Critics will continue to argue that Tebow doesn’t have an NFL caliber arm, and going 9-for-20 for 104 yards passing won’t exactly change anyone’s mind about that, but the bottom line in this game is winning, and you just can’t argue with his results. Tebow rushed for 58 yards on the final drive alone, but his greatest skill might be his ability to avoid the big mistake … something Mark Sanchez knows all about after throwing a crucial pick-six that may have cost the Jets the game. By not making costly turnovers, Tebow has been able to keep the Broncos in every game he’s played until the end, and that’s all you can really ask for from a quarterback in this league.

And as he proved once again against a talented Jets defense, Tebow’s ability to make the big play when its most needed is simply uncanny.

“I like winning,” Tebow said after his third comeback in a month, “but I wish it wasn’t this stressful.”

Well, if he keeps winning games like this – and evoking the comeback prowess of one John Elway for Denver fans – I think everyone will learn how to manage the stress level just fine.

PS – Lost in all this Tebow talk, it’s really the Broncos defense that won this game for Denver. Oh, and Von Miller is quietly running away with the defensive ROY award. Just sayin’ …

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(Image via Sportsgrid.com)

You know what? I’m starting to think that, for all his bluster (and girth), Rex Ryan might not have the thickest skin for criticism … especially when he’s losing.

At halftime of his team’s 37-16 drubbing at the hands of the Patriots, with his team trailing just 13-9, the Jets head coach cursed out fan in the stands at MetLife Stadium. The guy – possibly drunk, probably a Patriot fan – clearly struck a nerve with Ryan, shouting, “Hey Rex, Belichick is better than you!”, to which Rex retorted, “Shut the f@#k up” as he walked into the tunnel.

Watch the video below, with the action coming at the 15-second mark:

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And now, of course, the NFL is investigating the incident, and a fine is likely forthcoming for Ryan.

For his part, Rex had this to say in his Monday press conference:

“It was emotional, an emotional time,” Ryan said. “I obviously made a mistake. I was full of emotion and just popped off. Obviously I know I represent the NFL, I know I represent the Jets, and I know it was a mistake. I apologize. … I’m about as big a competitor there is. At that time, I was in no mood to hear anything, but I also understand I have to handle that better.”

“I’m not perfect by any stretch,” he added. “I’m trying to get better, but sometimes my emotions get the best of me.”

I’m guessing that Rex probably just needed a goddamn snack.

For what it’s worth, apparently Bill Belichick still isn’t such a great winner, either. According to a NY Post report, as he walked off the field with his son, Belichick basked in his victory, exclaiming, “Thirty-seven points on the best defense in the league, suck my d#%k”.

To his credit, upon hearing this, Ryan took it in his normally good-natured stride:

That tells you how big a game that was for both teams,” Ryan said Monday. “I don’t take offense to it. Quite honestly, I said the exact same thing to my son when we were walking off the field after we beat them in the playoffs about their offense being the No. 1 offense in the league. I’ve got no problem with that.

Good times in the AFC East.

Awww ... poor widdle Ed (Photo via BustedCoverage.com)

“Fireman Ed” Anzalone – the New York Jets superfan and self-appointed mascot that everyone loves to hate – got a taste of his own medicine last during the Jets 37-16 loss to the Patriots last night.

After scoring an 8-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, Patriots WR Deion Branch used the stage to imitate Fireman Ed, who leads the traditional “J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS” chant among his fellow fans. Needless to say, this didn’t go over too well with the Jets faithful, who were already having themselves a huge pity party while coming to terms with being swept by their division rivals.

Kudos to Branch for originality, and for finally shutting Fireman Ed up … even if only for a little while.

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And this tremendous GIF pretty much sums up how Jets fans are feeling today:

(via gifninja.com)

BOO! (Image via midwestsportsfans.com)

That’s two for flinching, Mark.

Sanchez and the Jets won the game, this certainly isn’t going to help his image as a pretty boy quarterback, is it?

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And as this image shows, in addition to sporting a moustache and being a few pounds lighter than he is today, back then Rex also favored the Kenny Powers-esque mullet as his hairstyle of choice:

(Photo: Twitter.com)

Aeneas Williams approves.