Ryan Thinks He's the Man for the Job, but Does Idzik? Coach Rex Ryan was not publicly speculating on his future with the Jets after their 30-20 loss to the Panthers. "My job's to try to get this team ready to go," he said. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Rex Ryan was asked a few questions Monday about some pivotal moments in the Jets" 30-20 defeat a day earlier at Carolina, and so he addressed the screen pass that devolved into a long Panthers touchdown and the blocked punt that sent his team careening toward a third straight season without a playoff berth. He did not seem to mind, either, even though these questions were posed more out of obligation than curiosity. Ryan spent the second half of his news conference discussing his least favorite subject, which will be the only subject of consequence at One Jets Drive over the next two weeks now that Baltimore's victory in Detroit on Monday night officially eliminated the Jets from postseason contention. Ryan said that he believed "no doubt about it" that he was the best coach to continue leading the Jets through this transition phase, but that he never thought about whether management felt the same. "No," Ryan said, "because my job's not to speculate on this or that. My job's to try to get this team ready to go. Right now, that's where my focus is going to be. Whether you guys believe me or not, I'm telling the truth. What the news media think about Ryan will have no bearing on whether he is retained. Far more important is how his bosses, the owner Woody Johnson and General Manager John Idzik, go about assessing his performance in what is guaranteed to be the Jets" third straight nonwinning season. It seems altogether possible that Idzik, while watching Sunday's game, filed away a few observations that will help him decide whether to recommend to Johnson that Ryan return for another season. But the notion that Idzik will base his decision on a singular event - a blocked punt, for instance - or even on Sunday's loss or the outcomes the next two weeks, runs counter to how Idzik has operated since taking over 11 months ago. Idzik is methodical, hardly the impetuous type, and he has had enough time to form a full and informed opinion of the coach he inherited as part of the conditions of accepting his job. The chances of that opinion changing drastically, of Idzik's feeling far better or worse about Ryan's coaching philosophy and proficiency, because the Jets finish at 7-9 instead of 6-10 or 8-8, are unlikely. In 21 seasons working in an N.F.L. front office, Idzik has been exposed to several prominent coaches, like Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren, Pete Carroll and Jon Gruden. By now, he knows what qualities he values most in a head coach. Whether Ryan possesses those qualities - or enough of them - is unclear. The last time Idzik spoke to the news media, on Nov. 4, he said that "it's been a joy to work with Rex" and praised Ryan as "our leader" and for having "pulled it all together." But since then, the Jets have lost four of five games to fall to 6-8. Before the season, Idzik remarked how he does not like using the term "rebuilding." He prefers "building." It is just semantics. The 2013 season was about positioning the Jets - with more cap flexibility and a ration of draft picks - for the future. Idzik gutted the team, purging high-priced players, trading Darrelle Revis and filling several roster spots with draft selections and low-cost free agents who have had varying degrees of success. That is the team Ryan was given, and though he has never complained about it - and would never complain about it - he was thrust into a difficult situation when he was asked to win games with a diminished group. "Rex is my coach," said guard Willie Colon, who has been one of Ryan's staunchest supporters. He's one of the main reasons I came here. I love the guy to death. I love his passion, I love his heart, and I think if he doesn't come back it'll be a step back for us. Does Idzik laud Ryan for squeezing six victories - with the potential for two more - out of a depleted roster with loads of new starters, or does he penalize him for failing to stop another late-season slide? Does Idzik factor in the challenge of playing a raw rookie, Geno Smith, at quarterback, or does he view it as part of life in the zero-sum N.F.L.? Does Idzik consider the injuries to Santonio Holmes and Jeremy Kerley that sapped an already meager receiving corps, or does he wonder why their replacements could not perform at a comparable level? Context is everything. There is another possibility, too. Perhaps Idzik has already reached his decision - be it the day he was hired, sometime in training camp or at the season opener. For all the speculation that Ryan needs to save his job, what if it were never really in danger? Or conversely, what if he never had a chance to stay on? The answer should come in two weeks. Or maybe it won't. "I believe I'm the right guy for it," Ryan said. Now again, I'm not the guy making that decision. If I was, it'd be easy.