FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- After last season's debacle, Rex Ryan vowed to take a hands-on approach with regard to the day-to-day operation of the team. So, after seven games, how has that manifested itself? The Jets' coach said he's more involved with the offense than in the past.

"I feel really tied in with our offense, understanding our offense," he said Thursday. "It's not that I never understood it before, but I'm really more tied in with these guys. I've spent more time with some of our offensive players than I have in the past, and I think that's helped us. They understand I'm the head coach and I'm spending time with everybody."

Ryan gave a general sense of how he divides his time during the week:

Monday/Tuesday: He said he's "heavily involved" with his assistant coaches in the defensive game planning.

Wednesday: He attends the defensive meetings with players and coaches.

Thursday: This, Ryan said, "is my offensive day." He spends time with coordinator Tony Sparano and he also attends the offensive meetings with players and coaches.

There's no doubt that Ryan is more philosophically aligned with Sparano than the previous OC, Brian Schottenheimer, but there are still times when you wonder if Ryan truly is involved in the offense. One of those times was last Sunday, when Sparano used Tim Tebow at quarterback to start a drive from the Patriots' 18 with 2:01 remaining in the game. Ryan should've never allowed that to happen.