SAN DIEGO -- The New York Jets probably lead the NFL in mea culpas, and that's never a good thing.

One week after Geno Smith began his postgame news conference by apologizing for cursing at a fan, Rex Ryan took the podium late Sunday in a steamy interview room at Qualcomm Stadium and took the heat for the 31-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers. He said it over and over and over: Blame me.

"It's a complete ass-whipping and it was me that got his ass kicked," said Ryan, who told his players the same thing in the locker room. "It's on me."

No doubt, Ryan stunk -- it was a four-letter coaching performance made Mike McCoy look like Don Coryell. Ryan should've been joined at the podium by general manager John Idzik, who constructed a flawed roster that was exposed by the Chargers, but that's not how it works in the scapegoat business. Idzik will hide in his bunker until the end of the season and, barring a miracle turnaround, he'll repeat what Ryan did Sunday.

He'll blame the coach.

End of Rex.

Ryan has survived three straight non-playoff seasons, living a Nine Lives existence in New York, but this time he looks like Dead Coach Walking. The Jets (1-4) have dropped four in a row for the first time under Ryan, Peyton Manning is coming to town, and you wonder if Ryan has enough firepower to blast his way out of this mess. They'd have to win eight out of 11 to finish with a winning record, and does anybody believe that will happen? This is a team that needed 52 minutes on Sunday before it crossed midfield. The Jets can't get touchdowns, let alone wins.

"At this stage, it seems like too great a challenge, too great a task when you get beat like that," Ryan acknowledged. "But I know it's not."

Part of the problem is the Jets don't know who they want to be, and that became evident when Ryan declared after the game he's sticking with Smith at quarterback. It raised the question: Is the season devoted to developing Smith or are they trying to win now?

If it's the latter, they'd start Michael Vick next weekend against the Denver Broncos. Smith, by his own admission, was "pathetic," resulting in his halftime benching. If the Jets don't think Vick can be better than a pathetic Smith ... well, they wasted $4 million on him. Why is he here?

Obviously, Idzik wants to ride it out with Smith before deciding if he's the quarterback of the future. That won't help Ryan, whose future is now. He's stuck between a Smith and a hard place.

But let's face it, the problems run deeper than Smith. The Jets broke down in all phases, as they were outgained 439-151 in total yards. The problems were too numerous to mention. The offense had no chance, especially with Eric Decker (hamstring) sitting out. With no one to fear on the perimeter, the Chargers crowded the line of scrimmage, overplaying the run and blitzing at will. The Jets were undermanned at receiver, in part, because Idzik dropped the ball in the offseason. Where was fourth-round pick Jalen Saunders? Oh, right, he got cut.

The Chargers got a career day out of fourth-string running back Branden Oliver, an undrafted rookie from Buffalo. He gained more yards from scrimmage (182) than the entire Jets team. How come the Jets can't find a guy like that? Ryan dismissed the notion that the roster lacks talent. Of course, if he admitted that, he'd be insulting his GM.

Idzik's roster mistakes notwithstanding, Ryan doesn't get exonerated for this debacle. By his own admission, his team was ill-prepared. He played with extra defensive backs to stop Philip Rivers, conceding the run -- and it backfired. Ryan's team lacked fire, it lacked aggressiveness. It didn't play smart. The Jets played as if they would've rather been at the San Diego Zoo. That's on Ryan, who also flubbed a couple of his defensive calls, according to defensive end Sheldon Richardson.

"I apologize to our fans -- those that are left," Ryan said. "This is on one person. It's certainly not on the quarterback. It's on me. I really got outcoached."

It's one thing to kiss Bill Belichick's rings, quite another to pucker up to McCoy. It's that kind of season.