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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The postgame cheer from inside the New York Jets locker room could be heard in the stadium hallways. The reason for the roar: The Jets were keeping their coach. Shortly after Sundays 20-7 victory over Miami to conclude an 8-8 season, Jets owner Woody Johnson told the team that Rex Ryan would return for a sixth season in 2014. "Everyone in the locker room was ecstatic," quarterback Geno Smith said. "It felt as if you won the Super Bowl. Having our head coach back, a guy we enjoy playing for, its great." Ryan was given the news before the game. Hes 42-38 in the regular season with the Jets, and his future had been in doubt even though hes popular with players, has a 4-2 post-season record and has a year left on his contract. The Jets will sit out the playoffs for the third year in a row. "Ill say this: I love being the head coach of the New York Jets, plain and simple," Ryan said. "You put everything youve got into it. I never wanted to go out this way. Weve missed the playoffs three straight years, and that bothers me, no question." Players had expressed their support for Ryan in recent days and did so again after the finale. "Everybody wanted Rex back," linebacker Calvin Pace said. "Hes the right man for the job." Players celebrated the win in the finale by soaking Ryan with a bucket of sports drink. The victory gave the Jets their first two-game winning streak, but Johnson said the decision to retain Ryan was made before those victories. "Were on the ascent, and a lot has to do with our coach," Johnson said. General manager John Idzik, who is completing his first year with the Jets, denied that he wanted to hire his own coach rather than continue with Ryan. "We were together from the beginning," Idzik said. "I know theres speculation throughout the season otherwise, but we always worked together. Hes been tremendous to work for and work with. Hes a leader, a motivator. Hes a teacher. Hes a great coach, too." It was not clear if Ryan will coach through his existing deal or be given a contract extension. Neither Johnson nor Idzik would discuss details related to Ryans contract. Ryan was animated throughout Sundays victory. When Smith scored on a 7-yard, third-down keeper up the middle with 3 seconds left in the first half for a 14-7 lead, Ryan ran on the field to celebrate with his players. When running back Bilal Powell threw a 30-yard completion to set up the Jets first field goal, Ryan punched the air as he sprinted along the sideline. The coach was eager for his team to atone for a 23-3 loss to the Dolphins on Dec. 1. "Quite honestly, we owed them," Ryan said. "This team is getting better. This was going to be a proving ground for that. This was a team that whipped us. That was the main driving force." Smith had been benched during that loss. In the rematch, the rookie led three long scoring drives, ran for a touchdown and threw for 190 yards. "After the benching, I had to dig deep -- a lot of soul-searching, the first time it ever happened to me in my life," he said. "Quite honestly, I dont like it. That was part of the decision-making of the coaches. I just had to continue believing in myself." Ryan and Idzik will now look forward to building next seasons team with plenty of issues to consider, starting with Smith. The Jets must determine whether he can be their quarterback of the future, and whether theyll draft another player to compete with him or sign a proven veteran. New York will likely part with quarterback Mark Sanchez and receiver Santonio Holmes to save money on the salary cap, and there are several potential key free agents, including right tackle Austin Howard, right guard Willie Colon and kicker Nick Folk. Expectations were extremely low for this years team. One major factor was the trade of the Jets best player -- Darrelle Revis -- to Tampa Bay, a big blow to Ryans defence. There was also a dearth of game-changing talent on offence, and an underwhelming yet closely contested quarterback competition between Sanchez and Smith, a second-round draft pick. That was settled only when Sanchez was lost for the year with a shoulder injury in the third preseason game. New offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg was forced to try to develop Smith on the fly. After a solid first few games, Smith became a turnover machine before bouncing back in his last four outings of the season, in which the Jets went 3-1 to finish .500. Notes: Jets reserve CB Kyle Wilson left the game in the first half with a knee injury and didnt return. ... Rookie Dee Milliner made two interceptions, and 35-year-old Ed Reed added one to prevent a Miami comeback. Wholesale Saints Jerseys . A quick first step to get to the hoop for a layup. A rousing dunk on the break off a high outlet pass saved by teammate Ramon Sessions. Saints Jerseys 2021 . Hes even holding a bat on one of his 2014 baseball cards. So far, hes playing like his picture. https://www.saintsjerseyssale.com/ . Western and the second-ranked Laval Rouge et Or (7-0) once again received 20 and 10 first-place votes from the Football Reporters of Canada panel, respectively. Rounding out the Top 10 are the Calgary Dinos (7-0), Queens Gaels (7-1), Guelph Gryphons (7-1), Montreal Carabins (5-2), Bishops Gaiters (5-2), McMaster Marauders (5-3), Manitoba Bisons (4-3) and the Saskatchewan Huskies (4-3) Western crushed York 50-10 last Saturday in its league finale to secure first place in the OUA standings and a bye in the first round of the conference playoffs. Cheap Saints Jerseys . Winnipeg trailed by five points in the final minute when quarterback Drew Willy completed a 13-play, 75-yard drive with Feoli-Gudinos 18-yard touchdown catch on third down to lift the Bombers to a 34-33 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night. Fake Saints Jerseys . -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday.TORONTO – Kevin Pillar is back with the Blue Jays and hes planning on the experience being different this time. A little more than two months removed from a banishment to Triple-A after he threw a televised fit in the dugout, angry hed been pinch hit for in the eighth inning of a June 24 game versus the White Sox, Pillar spent his time with the Buffalo Bisons playing good baseball and showing the organization hed learned from his mistake. “I think it had to be more proving stuff maybe off the field. Maturity, emotionally and, yeah, I went down there and I did what I thought I was capable of doing,” said Pillar. “I was a good teammate. I tried to be a leader in the clubhouse, help that team make the playoffs.” Pillar accomplished his goals. In 100 games with Buffalo, with two recalls to the Blue Jays mixed in, he hit .323/.359/.509 with 10 home runs and 39 doubles. The key, now, is to translate his consistent minor league success into production at the big-league level. Drafted way down in the 2011 draft, the 32nd round, Pillar has had a taste of the major leagues far sooner than anyone would have expected. His next task is to prove hes a contributor at the games highest level. “I think it just comes with time and just getting comfortable, not only with myself here, with my teammates but facing the pitchers,” said Pillar. “A lot of the guys Im seeing for the first time. When youre fortunate enough to play everyday, even at the Triple-A level, you run into the same guys and youre able to establish a game plan against them.” Pillar got the call up on Monday night. He was packing his bags for Buffalos upcoming road trip and noted he was stuffing as much as possible into his suitcases in anticipation of a September call-up. The rosters expand to 40 on September 1. When Pillar arrived at Rogers Centre on Tuesday afternoon, he stopped by manager John Gibbonss office. The two needed to talk, if only briefly, to bury the hatchet. “It was mostlly about the last time I was here and we moved on from it, said it was water under the bridge,” said Pillar.dddddddddddd “We didnt really talk much about expectations and Im sure the expectation is for me to play when he tells me to, (be a) defensive replacement, pinch-run. Just go out there and help the team win.” “This is an emotional business and things happen,” said Gibbons. “You cant hold grudges and hold that against the guy. The guys a good player, he earned his right back here and we need him here because he can help us. If you punished everybody every time something went wrong or you had a disagreement or things like that, you probably couldnt field a team. Its good to have him back.” ANOTHER ENDORSEMENT FOR NORRIS On Tuesday night, pitching prospect Daniel Norris was making his fourth start since his promotion to Triple-A Buffalo. Kevin Pillar was a teammate for Norriss first three outings. Pillar offered a ringing endorsement. “Daniel Norris is as good as advertised, if not better than advertised,” said Pillar. “Hes been pretty unbelievable in his three starts. Two of his starts, hitters didnt really have much of a chance. He had a little bit of a control issue last time and he was still able to strike out nine in six innings and give up no runs. He gives our team a chance every time he goes out on the mound.” A second-round pick in the 2011 draft, Norris has shot up the food chain in 2014. He began at Single-A Dunedin, going 6-0 with a 1.22 ERA in 13 starts and making the Florida State League All-Star Game. At Double-A New Hampshire, Norris went 3-1 with a 4.54 ERA in eight starts. That was good enough for a promotion to Buffalo, where hed posted three wins and a 1.08 ERA in three starts heading into Tuesday. Norris is being considered for a spot in the Blue Jays bullpen when rosters expand on September 1. His innings will be watched, regardless, as hes thrown about 120 already on the year. ' ' '