Rex Ryan praised him team for a better practice Thursday.
Credit: Getty Images
Jets head coach Rex Ryan was all smiles on Thursday, a day after he took his team to task for a lackluster practice.
“The energy was up today, no question about it,” Ryan said. “The guys had a great practice. It wasn’t perfect. We had a couple guys, especially our new players, [who’ve] got a lot on their plate still. Some of them didn’t line up [correctly] — we’re still having some issues there — but we’re working at it. We’ll get it down. But the energy was good. I thought it was a good practice.”
This comes on the heels of linebacker Demario Davis criticizing the team’s effort in practice after losing to the Chargers last weekend. He backtracked on Wednesday, though.
Backup quarterback Michael Vick, inserted into Sunday’s game at halftime, was critical of his own preparation as part of the scout team last week in the days before the game, leading to his slow start.
Many saw Vick’s comments as an endorsement of the Jets’ laissez faire approach to practice. Instead, Ryan saw it as a sign of personal accountability by his players.
“Start with yourself first and be critical of it,” Ryan said. “Let’s find ways to be at your very best. Take a hard look and I think that’s what Mike is saying. When Mike looked at it, he had the guts to say, ‘Maybe I could have done more. I could have prepared better.’ Looking at him on the scout team, the majority of his reps, he did a tremendous job.”
Ryan said “each guy has to be accountable” for his own actions on the field and away from the team’s facility.
Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.
