Why Cowboys opponents should be afraid of Rob Ryan's 'exotic' 3-4 defense

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BY GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News


ARLINGTON – A Rob Ryan defense can fluster even a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger , going for his third career Super Bowl victory on Sunday, faced a Ryan defense four times in the last two seasons. The Steelers won three of the games against Cleveland, but Roethlisberger admitted it was a mind-bending experience.

"It’s confusion," Roethlisberger said on Tuesday. "For me, it was chaos. For them, I’m sure it’s organized chaos. If you have players that can play within that system, you’re going to get a great defense."

Ryan has moved on from the Browns, joining the Cowboys as defensive coordinator. His 3-4 defense is only a distant cousin twice removed to the 3-4 defenses that will be used by Pittsburgh and Green Bay in the Super Bowl.

"Totally different," Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said.

The biggest difference is along the line.

Ryan plays his linemen head up on blockers and asks them to control two gaps. Pittsburgh and Green Bay both ask their linemen to control only one gap, giving them more opportunity to get into the backfield.

Ryan also likes to become "exotic," on third downs, Arians said. According to Arians and Roethlisberger, Ryan showed more variety than ever in those situations this season.

That could show as 10 defenders in a standing position. That could show with linebackers at the line and linemen dropping 12 yards off the line of scrimmage in pass coverage. It could mean as many as eight defensive backs in the game.

The approach did not help Cleveland’s talent-poor defense this season. The Browns ranked 28th in third-down conversions against, allowing opponents a 42.9 percent success rate.

"They have a very sound first- and second-down package in their base defense, which these players should be able to have the skill to adapt to right away," Arians said. "But I think they’ll bring an exotic (touch) to them."

Arians and Roethlisberger praised Ryan for getting the maximum out of his defense.

Pittsburgh routed Cleveland, 41-9, in the final game this season. The previous three meetings were competitive, with Cleveland keeping the Steelers out of the playoffs in 2009 with a late-season 13-6 victory. Roethlisberger completed only 18-of-32 passes for 201 yards and no touchdowns in that game.

"He brings a lot of passion to the defense," Arians said of Ryan. "The way he coaches and the way his brother (New York Jets coach Rex Ryan) coaches, I have a great respect for both of them. They’re bright and know what they’re doing."

Every game was a physical challenge, Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller said.

"When we played the Browns, we had to be ready for a tough, hard-hitting game," Miller said. "They always played with a very physical style."

 

[superpunk]

Ryan plays his linemen head up on blockers and asks them to control two gaps. Pittsburgh and Green Bay both ask their linemen to control only one gap, giving them more opportunity to get into the backfield.

I wonder if this is legit or if this guy is just making shit up. I feel like he's right about Green Bay, although I haven't watched them enough or read any comments from their players/coaches to know if they one-gap or two-gap it mostly. But I do not feel like Pitt plays a one-gap pressure style with their linemen, and what Casey Hampton said in the other piece seems to suggest the same;

"I don't know if he's quicker, but he is a little smaller," Hampton said jokingly at Super Bowl media day on Tuesday. "We're just different type of players. He's the type of guy that gets up the field. He's a nose tackle, but they play him different. They let him get in the gap and kind of go. They want me to hold up guys and let my linebackers eat. So we just play a different type of game, but he's a hell of a player."

Wade's defense one-gaps, Parcells' was a two-gap, I feel like Pitt's is two gap too.