SAN DIEGO -- Observed and heard in the New York Jets' locker room after their 31-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers:
Rex Ryan took the blame for everything. If somebody had asked him about the unemployment rate in New Jersey, he would've accepted the responsibility for that, too. Basically, he took the bullet and, according to players, that was his message to the team after the game. Some of the highlights from Ryan's news conference:
"I apologize to our fans -- those that are left. This is on one person and that's it. It's certainly not on the quarterback or one individual. It's on me. [Mike McCoy] really outcoached me. ... It's a complete ass-whipping and it was me that got his ass kicked. It's on me."
"I'm not familiar with this spot [his first four-game losing streak]. I've never been in this spot. A dark spot? Yeah. We're scratching, clawing, finding anything we can. We're searching for answers, absolutely. At this stage, it seems like too great a challenge, too great a task, when you get beat like that today. But I know it's not."
"It was a whipping. That's exactly what it was. That's how I feel about it. It's humbling, yeah. I'm not used to getting my butt whipped. I've been beat before, but not like that. It was a complete beatdown. But I ain't quitting. We're going to find out what we're made of. I just have to go back and do a better job. What am I asking my players to do? It's not good enough right now."
Geno Smith was benched at halftime in favor of Michael Vick, but Smith will retain his starting job, Ryan announced. This was the second time in Smith's career that he was pulled at halftime.
"How are you supposed to be feel?" Smith said. "Obviously, I didn't like it and never want to be pulled from a game, but I just had to adjust my mindset and try to support the guys."
Smith delivered the money quote, the quote that could've come from any player in the locker room: "It was definitely a pathetic showing on my part."
