Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
New York Jets coach Rex Ryan reiterated on Friday that he had no knowledge the Jets had been using a wall tactic on the sideline during punt returns, after former Ravens coach Brian Billick said Ryan must have known.
“I just wish he would have asked me, I would have told him the truth,” Ryan said. “I think he made an assumption there. He’s wrong.”
Billick, an NFL on Fox analyst, made the comments Thursday on ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning” radio show.
“Of course Rex knew about this,” Billick said. “Players crowding the sideline, a gunner running down the sideline, has always been an issue, and I think what you’re going to see with the league is the proverbial, ‘We have a rule in place– it is going to be enforced.’ ”
The NFL issued guidelines on where team personnel can stand in the wake of last Sunday’s game against Miami, when Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi tripped Miami cornerback Nolan Carroll as he was running near the sideline on a punt return. Alosi was suspended indefinitely after the team found he had instructed players to stand tightly in a line to deter players acting as gunners.
The Jets have maintained that Alosi was acting alone.
Billick isn’t the only person to express doubt that Ryan and special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff weren’t aware of the tactic, which tight end Jeff Cumberland said has been going on all season.
“The facts are the facts,” Ryan said. “I never knew so it’s easy for me to stand up here and tell you that. I’m not a guy that lies about anything. I’m just speaking the truth. If that amazes people or whatever, it amazes people. The fact that I was standing there and [Carroll] fell by me, I said that day one. I also said that I [waved to the medical staff] trying to get the guy over.”
Ryan was asked if his attention was more focused on the field.
“Quite honestly it’s the only thing that concerns me.”
Both the NFL and the Jets refused to confirm whether NFL security was in the building on Friday to investigate the extent of the team’s involvement. The league said in an e-mail to teams that “flagrant violations after two warnings could result in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.”
“Our team will be way back, I think that’s pretty safe to say,” Ryan said. “We will be the leaders in that.”
Ryan did say that he, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and owner Woody Johnson had discussed the situation in the wake of revelations that Alosi was ordering players to stand in a line.
“We’ve talked about some things,” Ryan said. “I’m going to leave that private.”
Jane McManus is a reporter and columnist for ESPNNewYork.com.
