Rex on Jets likely missing No. 1 pick: 'Fans want to win'

The Jets likely ruined a chance to have the No. 1 pick with their win over the Titanson Sunday, and quite possibly their best chance in the next few years to draft a franchise quarterback.

But predictably, Rex Ryan and his players just don't care.

"Tough you-know-what," he said, via ESPN.com. "Real fans -- real Jet fans -- want to win. It doesn't matter what pick you get or whatever. If it were Peyton Manning out there, I could understand it, but I don't think Peyton Manning is out there.

"But either way -- you know what? -- we're going to fight every game. We're going to fight next week, too, against New England, and we're looking forward to it. Jets fans want to win. Are you kidding me?"

Ryan, and probably another third of the roster, likely won't be around to meet the team's next draft pick, anyway, which makes this discussion even more meaningless. The Jets are more than one player away, and even if they were able to nab someone like Oregon's Marcus Mariota, there's no guarantee the organization could all of a sudden become a haven for developing rookie quarterbacks.

Mariota, we should also note, has not yet said he will enter the 2015 Draft. Underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to file with the NFL.

Still, Ryan is one coach who would certainly not subscribe to the tanking philosophy, especially when he knows his days are possibly numbered. There are few more prideful coaches in the NFL.

Plus, if it's going to end up benefiting the general manager who left Ryan's cupboard bare this season, maybe the Jets will have a big showing against the Patriots next week, too.

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