Rex Calls Out Quinton Coples
Fully expecting that Ryan would once again gloat over the performance of his rookie defensive lineman Quinton Coples, Rex took a right turn when asked about Coples performance after the game. “I wasn’t as happy this game as I was previously,” Ryan said of Coples, per Jane McManus of ESPN. “I thought he got winded a bit.”
For a player who batted at least one pass, knocked a football loose for a fumble and had a few knockdowns against the first team, it seemed an odd comment. Rex continued to explain by airing some laundry. “[Coples] kind of had a woe-is-me [attitude] when we took out the starters,” Ryan told the press after the game. “Hey look, you’re still a rookie. You have to play the whole game and then some. They ran the ball on us with our second group in there and I never like to see that.”
Brian Bassett, theJetsBlog.com
Rex can be glowing about his players in the press, but he’s also willing to apply some pressure to guys who he feels can take it and who need to step up. It’s generally it’s reserved for younger players, but it’s clear that even his first round lineman who he’s been crowing about for months isn’t immune to public criticism. There were some concerns about Coples motor coming into the league, and Rex is making a pretty public declaration that he’s got his eye on the matter.
We’re not too concerned about it. PFT is painting it with the “we told you so” brush this morning, but it’s too early for that stuff. Coples is a rookie and should have expected to stay out there, but we’ll bet he knows better now – and he should expect to play in the fourth game too if he didn’t already. Of course, Coples isn’t the first Jets rookie to make take a misstep. Mark Sanchez tried dictating the terms of his Q&A to the press during a postgame press conference in his rookie year – as well as the infamous hot dog on the sidelines. This is stuff that young guys deal with and isn’t something I’m going to worry to much about yet. It’s still the preseason, but Coples has already shown more than Vernon Gholston ever did. Being around the other guys on the Jets like DeVito, Mo, Pouha and the rest will rub off on Coples and soon enough he will understand what’s required to play for Rex Ryan.
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