NFL NUGGETS : Ryan's boisterous style working for Jets

— Anyone who knows me could tell you that Buddy Ryan is my all-time favorite football coach. His son, Rex, is my second-favorite.

And right now, Rex is probably the most wellliked coach in all of New York (and New Jersey).

Back in Buddy's coaching days, he never minced words.

The former Korean War Master Sergeant wasn't afraid to take verbal potshots at opposing coaches, opposing players or even his own under-performing players.

I found Buddy's honesty and bravado refreshing among NFL coaches, who as a whole were becoming more and more afraid of giving their opponents "bulletin board material." As New York Jets fans have learned, Rex shares some of his dad's more brash tendencies.

Buddy and his sons have always understood that football games aren't played on bulletin boards.

Buddy's "us against the world" mantra worked for his teams on defense, and Rex seems to have the Jets buying into the same philosophy. Rex's squad moved to a surprising 3-0 on the season Sunday with a defensive home win over the Tennessee Titans, a team coached by another Buddy Ryan disciple, Jeff Fisher.

A defining moment for the new Jets regime came on the Titans' last-gasp fourth-and-23 play. Instead of calling a Mangini-esque deep zone, Rex brought the house. Titans QB Kerry Collins had to rush the throw, which fell incomplete.

Rex hasn't been shy about calling out opponents (like New England coach Bill Belichick and Miami LB Channing Crowder) in the press, and his players have backed up his tough talk.

The Jets look like a different team this season, a team that plays all-out until the final whistle.

If only Rex was still calling defensive plays for my Ravens. I couldn't be happier with the job John Harbaugh has done in Baltimore, but Rex is my man. Go Jets!

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Week 3 Golden Nugget: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville. If the Jaguars are to go anywhere this season, it has to be on the legs of Jones-Drew. "Pocket Hercules" carried Jacksonville to an improbable win at Houston on Sunday, with 119 rushing yards and threetouchdowns.

Other rumblers: Jets LB David Harris (5 tackles, INT, sack), Colts QB Peyton Manning (362 passing yards, 4 TDs, INT), Saints RB Pierre Thomas (14 carries, 126 yards, 2 TDs).

Week 3 Chicken Nugget: Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City. What happened to this guy? It seems like every week he turns up in the Chicken Nugget category. Johnson's pedestrian 38 yardson 19 carries really didn't aid the Chiefs' cause in their 34-14 loss at Philadelphia. His fumble didn't help, either.

Other stumblers: Cardinals RB Tim Hightower (9 carries, 22 yards, fumble), Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (4 catches, 35 yards, fumble), Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell (61 passing yards, 2 INTs).

Joe West is a freelance writer for the Northwest Arkansas Times. Each week, NFL Nuggets is submitted before the completion of Monday night's games.

Sports, Pages 9, 10 on 09/29/2009

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