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Why is this man smiling? Well, for starters, his record isn't as bad as you'd think.

(Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

I tweeted this stat this morning and people lost their minds. Some thought it HAD to be wrong, as if I had pulled the numbers out of thin air. Others were furious that I would ignore the obvious, that the Giants lead in the one category that truly matters over that stretch.

But most were just flat-out floored. So for your consumption (and please, do not shoot the messenger) ...

Rex Ryan is 36-31 in the regular season since taking over at Jets head coach.

Tom Coughlin over that span? 36-31.

Look it up. Do the math. For all the controversy swirling around Ryan and the speculation that he has to make the playoffs to save his job, he has the exact same record as a head coach who will probably get his bust in Canton in a few years.

The disclaimer before Giants fans start lighting the torches: Yes, Tom Coughlin has one Super Bowl title over that stretch, and that is the ultimate trump card. The Giants got hot at the end of the 2011 season and won the Super Bowl, their second one under Coughlin.

But it should be noted: Those are the only four playoff wins that Coughlin has over the last five years. Ryan has the same number of wins in the postseason over that stretch, too.

And now I'll duck while you discuss this amongst yourselves.