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Revisionist History on Ryan’s Time in Dallas
BY ROB PHILLIPS on NOVEMBER 17, 2013 • ( 1 )
Admittedly, I waited a week for the smoke to clear and the smell to dissipate after 49-17 in New Orleans. If I’d taken this stance immediately after the Cowboys’ latest franchise record for defensive futility, after Rob Ryan dropped celebratory F-bombs on national TV with his new players, his four-letter language would’ve looked saintly compared to the venom spewed at me on Twitter.
Well, still at the risk of getting zero Christmas cards from y’all, here goes: I still believe the Cowboys were justified in letting Ryan go back in January.
First, a disclaimer: I’m not defending the job Monte Kiffin’s done as defensive coordinator. As bad as the injuries are, the results have been worse. Since Week 1, even at their healthiest, the defense hasn’t been able to hold an above-average NFL quarterback below 400 yards and/or 40 points. (A rusty Robert Griffin in Week 6 was the only exception.) With growing attrition, bad has devolved into borderline helpless with six games left. Even Jerry Jones, after watching Ryan’s Saints shut down Tony Romo, publicly questioned his decision to fire Ryan last January and replace him with Kiffin/Rod Marinelli.
However, there’s some revisionist history regarding Ryan’s two seasons in Dallas. Personally, I liked Rob but I understood the rationale in moving on from the “Sweet Live Ass” era. Allow me to play devil’s advocate based on these three points:
1. The numbers don’t support Ryan, either. Yes, Kiffin’s defense ranks near the bottom in just about everything. Here are Ryan’s rankings in 2011 and 2012 compared with the Cowboys’ disastrous 2010 season that cost Wade Phillips his job:
Statistically, Ryan’s units were equally average and showed little overall improvement from 2010. He dealt with a ton of injuries last year, particularly in the secondary with guys like Michael Coe, Eric Frampton, Sterling Moore and Charlie Peprah forced to play significant snaps. That should be taken into consideration, yet no one’s giving Kiffin much slack this year for losing 8 of 11 preseason starters and shuffling through 20 different defensive linemen.
2. Bluster and bravado only work if you win. Rob and Rex are great for quotes, and they know their football. But their tough-guy, s***-talking attitude rings hollow if their players aren’t dominant. Clearly, based on the chart above, the Cowboys weren’t dominant on defense the last two seasons. You’ve probably heard me say this over the years: the last thing a franchise as polarizing as the Dallas Cowboys needs is extra bulletin board material for the other team.
I truly believe a major reason they’ve been .500 for over a decade is they get everyone’s best shot in a parity-driven league where the line between good and bad is so thin to begin with. Opponents play harder against them because they don’t like hearing about “America’s Team” all week. In my opinion, Rob’s brashness was a bad fit for a team big on TV ratings but not overall talent.
3. Ryan wasn’t the lone scapegoat. I hear this one a lot, and it’s only half-true. Yes, Ryan was the highest-ranking Cowboys coach to lose his job in January, and no, Jerry Jones the owner didn’t accept front-office blame by firing Jerry Jones the GM. (That. Will. Never. Happen.) Jason Garrett did keep his job because Jerry claims to have learned lessons about patience with head coaches. But Garrett’s authority in the locker room was up for public debate amid Jerry’s promise to make things “uncomfortable” at Valley Ranch. He’s no longer the Cowboys’ play-caller. He has replaced multiple offensive assistants, including his own brother John. With Jerry’s influence, both coordinator positions changed along with most of the coaching staff. Ryan wasn’t the only guy who fell on the sword.
Many argue Ryan would’ve kept his job if the Cowboys had beaten Washington in last year’s season finale for the NFC East title. Quite possibly, but I’m willing to bet the Cowboys’ defensive struggles in the last two season finales – both win-the-division-or-go-home games – factored heavily into his departure. Dallas gave up 59 combined points to the Giants and Redskins and couldn’t stop RG3 on one leg. You think that ticked off Jerry just a little? Garrett and Tony Romo take all the blame for losing do-or-die games; why can’t the defense share it?
I understand the Cowboys’ reasons for changing defensive coordinators, but after 10 games, the stats say they picked the wrong replacement and the wrong scheme. From the beginning, skeptics wondered whether it made sense to play Kiffin’s zone-based scheme after investing so heavily in man corners Brandon Carr and Mo Claiborne. DeMarcus Ware needed to rush more than cover, but his history of neck/shoulder issues made some question him putting his hand on the ground 60 snaps a game.
We did see a much more disciplined, productive unit in August: less confusion, more takeaways. Looked good to me. Now in November, all that optimism has dissolved. Hindsight is 20-20, and one thing is certain: Jerry admits his eyes hurt from watching Rob Ryan thrive in a place that seems to fit his swashbuckling ways much better: Bourbon Street.
BY ROB PHILLIPS on NOVEMBER 17, 2013 • ( 1 )
Admittedly, I waited a week for the smoke to clear and the smell to dissipate after 49-17 in New Orleans. If I’d taken this stance immediately after the Cowboys’ latest franchise record for defensive futility, after Rob Ryan dropped celebratory F-bombs on national TV with his new players, his four-letter language would’ve looked saintly compared to the venom spewed at me on Twitter.
Well, still at the risk of getting zero Christmas cards from y’all, here goes: I still believe the Cowboys were justified in letting Ryan go back in January.
First, a disclaimer: I’m not defending the job Monte Kiffin’s done as defensive coordinator. As bad as the injuries are, the results have been worse. Since Week 1, even at their healthiest, the defense hasn’t been able to hold an above-average NFL quarterback below 400 yards and/or 40 points. (A rusty Robert Griffin in Week 6 was the only exception.) With growing attrition, bad has devolved into borderline helpless with six games left. Even Jerry Jones, after watching Ryan’s Saints shut down Tony Romo, publicly questioned his decision to fire Ryan last January and replace him with Kiffin/Rod Marinelli.
However, there’s some revisionist history regarding Ryan’s two seasons in Dallas. Personally, I liked Rob but I understood the rationale in moving on from the “Sweet Live Ass” era. Allow me to play devil’s advocate based on these three points:
1. The numbers don’t support Ryan, either. Yes, Kiffin’s defense ranks near the bottom in just about everything. Here are Ryan’s rankings in 2011 and 2012 compared with the Cowboys’ disastrous 2010 season that cost Wade Phillips his job:
| Year | Total Defense | Run Defense | Pass Defense | Takeaways |
| 2010 (Phillips/Paul Pasqualoni) | 23[SUP]rd[/SUP] | 12[SUP]th[/SUP] | 26[SUP]th[/SUP] | 7[SUP]th[/SUP] (30) |
| 2011 (Ryan) | 14[SUP]th[/SUP] | 7[SUP]th[/SUP] | 23[SUP]rd[/SUP] | 8[SUP]th[/SUP] (25) |
| 2012 (Ryan) | 19[SUP]th[/SUP] | 22[SUP]nd[/SUP] | 19[SUP]th[/SUP] | T-3[SUP]rd[/SUP]-worst (16) |
Statistically, Ryan’s units were equally average and showed little overall improvement from 2010. He dealt with a ton of injuries last year, particularly in the secondary with guys like Michael Coe, Eric Frampton, Sterling Moore and Charlie Peprah forced to play significant snaps. That should be taken into consideration, yet no one’s giving Kiffin much slack this year for losing 8 of 11 preseason starters and shuffling through 20 different defensive linemen.
2. Bluster and bravado only work if you win. Rob and Rex are great for quotes, and they know their football. But their tough-guy, s***-talking attitude rings hollow if their players aren’t dominant. Clearly, based on the chart above, the Cowboys weren’t dominant on defense the last two seasons. You’ve probably heard me say this over the years: the last thing a franchise as polarizing as the Dallas Cowboys needs is extra bulletin board material for the other team.
I truly believe a major reason they’ve been .500 for over a decade is they get everyone’s best shot in a parity-driven league where the line between good and bad is so thin to begin with. Opponents play harder against them because they don’t like hearing about “America’s Team” all week. In my opinion, Rob’s brashness was a bad fit for a team big on TV ratings but not overall talent.
3. Ryan wasn’t the lone scapegoat. I hear this one a lot, and it’s only half-true. Yes, Ryan was the highest-ranking Cowboys coach to lose his job in January, and no, Jerry Jones the owner didn’t accept front-office blame by firing Jerry Jones the GM. (That. Will. Never. Happen.) Jason Garrett did keep his job because Jerry claims to have learned lessons about patience with head coaches. But Garrett’s authority in the locker room was up for public debate amid Jerry’s promise to make things “uncomfortable” at Valley Ranch. He’s no longer the Cowboys’ play-caller. He has replaced multiple offensive assistants, including his own brother John. With Jerry’s influence, both coordinator positions changed along with most of the coaching staff. Ryan wasn’t the only guy who fell on the sword.
Many argue Ryan would’ve kept his job if the Cowboys had beaten Washington in last year’s season finale for the NFC East title. Quite possibly, but I’m willing to bet the Cowboys’ defensive struggles in the last two season finales – both win-the-division-or-go-home games – factored heavily into his departure. Dallas gave up 59 combined points to the Giants and Redskins and couldn’t stop RG3 on one leg. You think that ticked off Jerry just a little? Garrett and Tony Romo take all the blame for losing do-or-die games; why can’t the defense share it?
I understand the Cowboys’ reasons for changing defensive coordinators, but after 10 games, the stats say they picked the wrong replacement and the wrong scheme. From the beginning, skeptics wondered whether it made sense to play Kiffin’s zone-based scheme after investing so heavily in man corners Brandon Carr and Mo Claiborne. DeMarcus Ware needed to rush more than cover, but his history of neck/shoulder issues made some question him putting his hand on the ground 60 snaps a game.
We did see a much more disciplined, productive unit in August: less confusion, more takeaways. Looked good to me. Now in November, all that optimism has dissolved. Hindsight is 20-20, and one thing is certain: Jerry admits his eyes hurt from watching Rob Ryan thrive in a place that seems to fit his swashbuckling ways much better: Bourbon Street.
