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By Gerry Fraley / Dallas Morning News
MOBILE, Ala. — Rob Ryan, in his first public appearance as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, is on the prowl at the Senior Bowl.
Ryan breaks away from the pack to watch defensive drills on his own from different angles. He keeps what appear to be copious notes when players such as Cal defensive lineman Cameron Jordan or Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy make eye-opening plays.
If it is a defensive play, Ryan is watching. Do not get in his way.
Only Ryan knows what he is thinking about the talent at the Senior Bowl or his latest assignment: fixing a Cowboys defense that allowed 24.1 offensive points per game, the sixth-highest total in the league last season.
Coach Jason Garrett put Ryan and all other assistants into the cone of silence until further notice. Garrett said he might let Ryan speak next week. Garrett apparently is unaware of a more compelling football show in town then.
Ryan’s actions speak loudly. The smoldering intensity that comes through as he watches college seniors in one-on-one drills speaks to why Garrett needed a Ryan-type as defensive coordinator.
The Cowboys have turned into a “finesse” defense that did not make life difficult on opposing quarterbacks. That identity will change under Ryan. That much is a given.
Ryan is well-versed in all aspects of the 3-4 defense. He received glowing recommendations from those whom Garrett sought out for input. He has an illustrious football pedigree. He had a dynamite job interview with Garrett.
Most of all, Rob Ryan has a demonstrated ability to get some junkyard defenses to play relentlessly. The Cowboys need a booster shot of that Ryan passion if they are to go anywhere on the road to defensive improvement.
The Cowboys have not had a defensive coordinator like Rob Ryan since the equally fiery Mike Zimmer departed after the 2006 season.
“It’s easy to see the passion he has for it,” Garrett said Tuesday. “His ability to convey that to the other coaches on the staff, to his players {ellipsis} it’s the atmosphere you want to create throughout your team, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. He has a track record of doing that.”
Garrett tip-toed around the question of whether the Cowboys lacked passion on defense last season, trotting out his bromide of “like in everything in football, you want to get better in all areas.” The numbers tell the story.
The Cowboys, with Pro Bowlers from wall to wall on defense, gave up 30-plus points in eight games last season. When situations turned bad, the defense would give way. The defense went flat under former head coach Wade Phillips, whose approach is the polar opposite from that of Ryan.
Cleveland, with a faceless defense, gave up 30-plus points in only one game, the finale of a 5-11 season. No matter how bleak the situation, the defense never buckled. The Browns defense reflected the ferocity of the coordinator, hitting everything that moved.
It has been that way throughout Ryan’s career as a defensive coordinator. During Ryan’s time with Cleveland and Oakland, the team record was 30-82, but his defense has rarely been blown out.
In the last three seasons, Ryan’s undermanned defenses allowed 30-plus points in 12 games. The Cowboys, stocked with high-profile talent, gave up 30-plus points in 16 games.
“They had some success in some places where maybe they were in a rebuilding-type situation,” Garrett said of Ryan’s work as defensive coordinator with Oakland and Cleveland. “The defense showed up.
“One of the things that everybody talked about, one of the things you see on tape, is how his players played for him. It’s a hard, tough atmosphere. Guys work at it, but at the same time they enjoy playing football for him.”
The problem for the Cowboys has been that opponents have enjoyed playing against their defense. Rob Ryan is already looking for the means of changing that.
Bad company
Four teams gave up 30-plus points in only one game this season: Super Bowl contestants Green Bay and Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Rob Ryan’s Cleveland defense. The clubs with the most games of 30-plus points allowed:
Team.................Number..............Record
Buffalo...................9.....................1-8
Seattle..................8......................0-8
Houston.................8.....................1-7
Cowboys................8.....................2-6
Carolina.................7......................0-7
Denver..................7......................0-7
MOBILE, Ala. — Rob Ryan, in his first public appearance as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, is on the prowl at the Senior Bowl.
Ryan breaks away from the pack to watch defensive drills on his own from different angles. He keeps what appear to be copious notes when players such as Cal defensive lineman Cameron Jordan or Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy make eye-opening plays.
If it is a defensive play, Ryan is watching. Do not get in his way.
Only Ryan knows what he is thinking about the talent at the Senior Bowl or his latest assignment: fixing a Cowboys defense that allowed 24.1 offensive points per game, the sixth-highest total in the league last season.
Coach Jason Garrett put Ryan and all other assistants into the cone of silence until further notice. Garrett said he might let Ryan speak next week. Garrett apparently is unaware of a more compelling football show in town then.
Ryan’s actions speak loudly. The smoldering intensity that comes through as he watches college seniors in one-on-one drills speaks to why Garrett needed a Ryan-type as defensive coordinator.
The Cowboys have turned into a “finesse” defense that did not make life difficult on opposing quarterbacks. That identity will change under Ryan. That much is a given.
Ryan is well-versed in all aspects of the 3-4 defense. He received glowing recommendations from those whom Garrett sought out for input. He has an illustrious football pedigree. He had a dynamite job interview with Garrett.
Most of all, Rob Ryan has a demonstrated ability to get some junkyard defenses to play relentlessly. The Cowboys need a booster shot of that Ryan passion if they are to go anywhere on the road to defensive improvement.
The Cowboys have not had a defensive coordinator like Rob Ryan since the equally fiery Mike Zimmer departed after the 2006 season.
“It’s easy to see the passion he has for it,” Garrett said Tuesday. “His ability to convey that to the other coaches on the staff, to his players {ellipsis} it’s the atmosphere you want to create throughout your team, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. He has a track record of doing that.”
Garrett tip-toed around the question of whether the Cowboys lacked passion on defense last season, trotting out his bromide of “like in everything in football, you want to get better in all areas.” The numbers tell the story.
The Cowboys, with Pro Bowlers from wall to wall on defense, gave up 30-plus points in eight games last season. When situations turned bad, the defense would give way. The defense went flat under former head coach Wade Phillips, whose approach is the polar opposite from that of Ryan.
Cleveland, with a faceless defense, gave up 30-plus points in only one game, the finale of a 5-11 season. No matter how bleak the situation, the defense never buckled. The Browns defense reflected the ferocity of the coordinator, hitting everything that moved.
It has been that way throughout Ryan’s career as a defensive coordinator. During Ryan’s time with Cleveland and Oakland, the team record was 30-82, but his defense has rarely been blown out.
In the last three seasons, Ryan’s undermanned defenses allowed 30-plus points in 12 games. The Cowboys, stocked with high-profile talent, gave up 30-plus points in 16 games.
“They had some success in some places where maybe they were in a rebuilding-type situation,” Garrett said of Ryan’s work as defensive coordinator with Oakland and Cleveland. “The defense showed up.
“One of the things that everybody talked about, one of the things you see on tape, is how his players played for him. It’s a hard, tough atmosphere. Guys work at it, but at the same time they enjoy playing football for him.”
The problem for the Cowboys has been that opponents have enjoyed playing against their defense. Rob Ryan is already looking for the means of changing that.
Bad company
Four teams gave up 30-plus points in only one game this season: Super Bowl contestants Green Bay and Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Rob Ryan’s Cleveland defense. The clubs with the most games of 30-plus points allowed:
Team.................Number..............Record
Buffalo...................9.....................1-8
Seattle..................8......................0-8
Houston.................8.....................1-7
Cowboys................8.....................2-6
Carolina.................7......................0-7
Denver..................7......................0-7
