Rex Ryan: Jets will play hard after bye week

His team may be 2-8, but Rex Ryan is confident the Jets will "play our tails off" when they return from their bye week.

That's a good thing, considering he'll be on the hot seat again if his team can't string together some wins.

"How many do I need to win, personally? Well I need every one I can get," Ryan joked.

On a serious note, Ryan reiterated that "it isn't about me." But Calvin Pace believes he and his teammates can possibly save Ryan's job if they win out.

"I'm for Rex any day of the week," the outside linebacker said. "I hate to hear him take all the blame, because he doesn't play football . . . We can win all the games, but a lot of it is up to us."

Muhammad Wilkerson has made his frustrations known regarding his recent Pro Bowl snubs. But could 2014 be his year? The defensive star (41/2 sacks, 48 tackles) currently has 91,610 votes and is second among defensive tackles behind Buffalo's Marcell Dareus (104,416). Last year, Wilkerson was listed as a defensive end and compared to 4-3 pass-rushers with much higher sack totals. And although he led the team with 101/2 sacks, he did not make the cut. Wilkerson was, however, the only Jet to be named All-Pro.

Geno time?

Asked if benched quarterback Geno Smith will play again before the end of the season, Ryan said, "I think Geno is going to get plenty of opportunities, whether it's this year or whenever." That doesn't sound too promising, but the coach insisted he still believes in Smith. "I think he is going to be an outstanding quarterback."

Rex praises Mark

Ryan said he was "proud" of Mark Sanchez, who completed 20 of 37 passes for 332 yards and two TDs for the Eagles on Monday night in his first regular-season start since December 2012. "He played extremely well," Ryan said.