New York Jets: Todd Bowles is changing the culture

When Rex Ryan was the head coach of the New York Jets they were one of the most talked about teams in the NFL.

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Ryan would make brash, bold statements, and it would draw extra attention to a team already in the media capital of the world. When the Jets hired Bowles, it was a guarantee that he would not be as outspoken as Ryan was, and that could be very good for this Jets team.

“You don’t worry about who was before you, who’s coming after you,” Bowles said to Steve Serby of the New York Post. “It was similar in Arizona when I replaced [defensive coordinator] Ray Horton. Ray had a good defense. Whether you replace somebody good or bad, you’re gonna be judged and compared to them. It’s not my job to judge and compare myself to them, but just to do the best job I can do, and stay inside my realm, which is football. I don’t worry about the outer comparisons and things like that. You’re not gonna get my personality in a couple of interviews. You’re not gonna get how I coach until time goes on, so it’s a process and you understand it’s a process, and I’m comfortable with that, and not being swayed by anybody.”

In the past few days, Jets’ cornerback Antonio Cromartie has been getting into Twitter fights with Seattle Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman, and then former tight end Kellen Winslow Jr.

“Me and Cro talked about it,” Bowles said to Serby. “I don’t know what happened today about the Kellen Winslow thing, I’m not on Twitter, Facebook or any of those things. … We’re just trying to focus on the team. Like I said, we didn’t win last year, and there’s really nothing to talk about other than us getting better. All the other outside stuff, you don’t worry about.”

Bowles is certainly different than Ryan in many aspects, and hopefully Jets players will embrace his personality and style. Many things can be said about Ryan, but the Jets always played hard and respected him.

Ryan brought a bit of swagger to the Jets, and that is not something that Bowles wants to go away, but he does want it gained a bit differently.

“Yes I do,” Bowles told Serby when asked if he wants the Jets to have swag. “There are different ways of going about it. Swag is hard work, putting in extra work and extra effort, understanding what your team can do as opposed to worry about any other team or anybody else.”

There is a night and day difference between Bowles and Ryan, and that may be exactly what the Jets need to bouncing back from some losing seasons.

Next: Who is the best Jet QB of all-time?

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