It’s been a tough 24 hours for Rex Ryan, so you’d probably forgive him if he was still upset over the controversial end to Thursday night’s game.
On the final play of the New York Jets’ contest against the New England Patriots, an official appeared to alert Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower that he was lined up illegally just before Nick Folk’s field goal attempt. The Patriots ended up blocking the kick, causing many to question whether the ref had helped the Patriots avoid a penalty and thus win the game.
Yet Ryan took the high road during a conference call Friday, calling the group that worked the game “the best officiating crew in the (NFL).”
“I think (referee Bill) Leavy and his crew do as good a job as anybody in the league,” Ryan said, via the New York Post. “This league’s about protecting the players, and that’s the way it should be. If something like that happens, you’re trying to protect the player before something has a chance to happen. Obviously, that’s a good thing for the league.”
Of course, Ryan admitted that he would have preferred a different outcome.
“Now, would I like to see it snapped there and (Jets long snapper) Tanner (Purdum) take one for the team and us to have another chance at it? Of course. It’s to protect the players. The official’s not wrong doing what he did.”
Ryan apparently knows his team has bigger things to worry about, as the Jets now sit at 1-6 and dead last in the AFC East. The outspoken head coach also was asked to assess the season to date, and he didn’t pull any punches.
“It’s been a big failure,” Ryan said, via ESPN.
Photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
