We're officially three days removed from the firing of Rex Ryan, and as I chronicled yesterday, it's known Rex didn't run a tight ship.
Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins said as much on Thursday, and today running back LeSean McCoy echoed similar sentiments.
"Discipline has been an issue. I just think that players just need to take accountability for their own actions," the running back said. "It's one thing to talk about discipline and how guys are not doing it, but if they're not doing it, you can't really take their credibility. I just feel like as players, as professionals, as players you have to step up and be accountable. That's the biggest issue."
Now all of this, leads to me this conclusion:
This team lacked leadership not just at the top, but from the top down -- from the front office, the coaching staff and players.
And, the admissions are too little too late for this team. To be talking about accountability and discipline in Week 17 when it was clearly lacking dating all the way back to last season?
Get real.
Rex tried making players run -- he even tried those ridiculous "yes sir" wrist bands -- and now he's out of a job and somewhere out there is a musician playing a sad song on the world's tiniest violin.
Fans? They're left out in the cold and without a whiff of the playoffs for a mind-boggling 17 straight years.
Which leads me to Marcell Dareus, "Mr. Big Stuff", who told ESPN after Rex got canned the defense had too much detail.
Former Jets linebacker Bart Scott, who played under Rex his entire career, fired back at the pro-bowler today during an appearance on CBS Radio.
"That might sum the whole thing up - because that's the guy that you gave $100 million. Instead of reading his play book, he was too busy lighting up. Are you serous? As a defensive lineman, you only have like four (or five) fronts. Man, if you can't remember five fronts, I don't know what to tell you, bro. We can't put the play book in crayon."
Discipline. Accountability. Culture Change.
Doug Whaley is famous for always telling reporters the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
The general manager is nowhere to be found in this mess.
It's like Sammy and Shady said...if they're not doing it -- taking responsibility and following through -- you can't really take their credibility.
If the GM won't step up, is it reasonable to expect anybody else will?
