Is Rex Ryan getting his mojo back?
One day after the New York Jets coach criticized second-year linebacker Quinton Coples for his spotty work ethic in the weight room, Ryan acknowledged he had yet to mend fences.
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"Let him stew," Ryan told reporters Saturday, per Seth Walder of the New York Daily News.
That's quintessential Rex, brashly using media channels to tweak a player who hasn't lived up to expectations. It's also a sign that Ryan not only hopes -- but desperately needs -- Coples to fulfill his pre-draft billing.
For all the jabs at Rex's expense, he's still one of the brightest minds in the game when it comes to wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. Without much to cling to on the shifting sands of Florham Park, Ryan needs his leaders on defense to rise, or the jig is up in New York.
That's the subtext. That's what he's telling us. Because if the parts don't come together, if the machine tumbles into the void, it's Rex -- not some linebacker -- who will stew over what could have been.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
