Courtesy: Locdawgs
In terms of demeanor and personality, Mike Munchak and Rex Ryan could be considered polar opposites.
Never shy about wearing his emotions on his sleeve, the New York Jets’ garrulous coach received a $75,000 fine last November for reportedly telling a heckler to “shut up” during a loss to the Patriots. It’s almost inconceivable to picture Munchak acting that way during a game. The Tennessee Titans’ head coach is regarded for being so focused and analytical on the sidelines that his facial expressions often remain the same regardless of the score.
Behind the scenes, though, there is more in common between the two head coaches than appears on the surface. Both are fierce proponents of winning a game in the trenches with dominant line play. As a Hall of Fame offensive guard, Munchak preferred to overpower opposing lineman with his brute force rather than use finesse to his advantage. On the other side of the ball, Ryan’s teams play smash-mouth football much like his father Buddy did with the Bears’ famed 46 defense in the 1980s.
It might be why the Titans and Ravens staged several intense, hard-nosed playoff contests during Ryan’s tenure in Baltimore. Though the two faced off a dozen times while serving as assistants, they’ve never met as head coaches. On Monday night in Nashville, Munchak will face the Jets for the first time since he became the Titans’ head coach in 2011.
“We used to butt heads all the time,” Ryan said. “His guys were physical, they get after it. Right now, they’re doing a phenomenal job. They’ve lost four starters on that line, and yet they still get after it. It’s a tribute to him.”
Despite being diagnosed with dyslexia in 2005, Ryan still has a keen ability to analyze every player on the field and their positioning on a given play at full game speed. “I can see the whole field,” Ryan told the New York Times Magazine in 2010. “I don’t know why. Most coaches can (only) see two or three guys.” Munchak lauds Ryan for his ability to make in-game adjustments on the fly, excelling at what he describes “the game within the game.”
“If he was doing something and we were blocking it the next couple times he would come back with something that was going to beat what we were doing,” Munchak said.
In 2008, the Titans received the top seed in the AFC Playoffs but were held in check by a Ryan-led defense in a season-ending 13-10 defeat. Eight years earlier, the Ravens again eliminated the Titans from the playoffs in a 24-10 win in the 2000 AFC Divisional Playoffs. Baltimore held Eddie George to 3.4 yards per carry and clinched the win on a 50-yard interception for a touchdown by Ray Lewis. In 2003, the Titans exacted a measure of revenge in a 20-17 AFC Wild Card victory. George returned from a dislocated shoulder to lead his team to victory.
In Munchak’s final season with the Houston Oilers in 1993, Buddy Ryan served as the team’s defensive coordinator. Like his father, Ryan is relentless with his unorthodox blitz schemes.
“If he finds an answer, he’s going to keep hammering you until you find a way to stop it," Munchak said. "I think that’s why he’s been so successful and that’s why their defense, wherever he’s been, has played so well.”
On Monday night, QBJake Locker will face a Jets’ defense that ranks 27th in sacks per pass attempt. In the past two games, however, the Jets have recorded five sacks.
“We have a young quarterback and most teams have to decide, ‘do we want to try to confuse him and go after him, or make him read coverage?’” Munchak said. “I’m sure they’ll do a little bit of both.”
DC Gray remains on staff: Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray denied a report from a Lubbock TV station earlier in the week that he contacted Texas Tech about a vacancy that opened up when Tommy Tuberville accepted a job at the University of Cincinnati on Saturday.
The opening was filled on Wednesday by former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
“I am happy where I am at and I don’t want to mess up the coaching search for Texas Tech with false reports,” Gray told The Fan, SportsRadio 1340 in Lubbock.
Gray, a Lubbock native, was an All-American defensive back at the University of Texas.
“This time of the year with all the speculation that goes on with coaches, I don’t really want to comment on any of that,” Munchak said.
CJ misses practice: RB Chris Johnson (ankle), WR Damian Williams (hamstring), LB Colin McCarthy (concussion) and DE Scott Solomon (knee) missed Thursday’s practice.
Munchak indicated that Johnson’s injury is minor and that the All-Pro running back just needed an extra day of rest.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Tennessee Titans, follow Matt Rybaltowski @CBSTitans.
