NFL Playoff Schedule – Something New: A Coach Who is “Me-First”

As we proceed with the NFL betting playoff schedule, we are faced with something new; something that we are not generally used to seeing. It’;s a coach who is the "look at me" type, who goes out of his way to draw attention to himself. He is Rex Ryan, and he is the coach of the New York Jets. His team takes on the AFC-leading New England Patriots in a post-season game this weekend.

The action kicks off on Sunday at 4:30 PM ET at Gillette Stadium (artificial turf) in Foxborough, MA. In the football playoff betting odds, the Patriots are an 8.5-point favorite, with the over-under on the game posted at 44 points.

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NFL Playoff Schedule

AFC Divisional Playoff Round

New York Jets (12-5 SU, 10-7 ATS) at New England Patriots (14-2 SU, 10-5-1 ATS)

Live at Gillette Stadium

Foxborough, MA

Sunday, January 16 — 4:30 PM ET

TV: CBS

NFL Odds – Playoff Schedule

New England -8.5

N.Y. Jets +8.5

Total 44

Let me say that I am a bit mystified, and I don’t consider myself to be prudish in the least about "marketing" and "branding" when it comes to the "personalities" we have in the NFL. But I think Rex Ryan takes this thing too far as the NFL playoff schedule progresses.

We sit here and we are often horrified when someone like DeSean Jackson takes a pratfall into the end zone, or when we see guys celebrating already before they have even crossed the goal line. Leon Lett, and Jackson himself, have shown just how hazardous – and ridiculous – that can sometimes turn out. The fans’ culture in football also has a tendency to look down upon the antics of the likes of Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, who often appear to be more concerned about focusing attention on themselves than they are on what the team accomplishes. We scoff at what they do, and we revel in referring to them as "me-first" types.

We don’t like to see a guy like that Kansas State player get penalized for a simple salute in the end zone, and especially not when it such a bearing on the outcome of a football game (in this case, the recent pinstripe bowl at Yankee Stadium). But we can get a little rankled when a guy makes a tackle, or a five-yard reception, and goes into a victory dance. It gets a little excessive after a while.

The thing is, it is usually the coach that barks out things like "Act like you’ve been there before."

The other thing is, Rex Ryan really HAS been there before. And it was just last year when he traveled this far, and even farther, into the NFL playoff schedule, bringing his Jets into the conference title game.

If I was one of his showboating players, I would be downright offended, because he makes it like it’s all about HIM.

Where does he get off making statements to the press like the game with Peyton Manning was "personal" between him and Peyton? I saw an interview with Manning and his facial expression told me he thought it was a joke. Okay, so it wasn’t a joke to him after the Colts got eliminated. But what kind of example is that for Ryan to set?

Now it’s "personal" between him and Bill Belichick. In the NFL playoff schedule, there’s enough to worry about without having to make it all about yourself. Is this somehow the way Ryan gets himself psyched up? To do what? Watch film? The guy is 400 pounds. Is he going to run downfield on a kickoff and hit somebody? Is he going to stick out his leg and trip somebody, like his strength and conditioning coach did? That was all about HIM too.

It’s one thing to use something to get your team motivated, though I don’t see how this can. It’s another to caricature yourself, or get caught up in your own press clippings. In this NFL playoff schedule, it’s the Pats’ coach who seems to be handling it better.

Maybe "Hard Knocks" was the worst thing to ever happen to this guy.

He’s now the "star."

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