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New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said Saturday the coaching staff is included among those who need to step up their game heading into Monday night's matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Everyone, including the staff, has had a hand in the defense's inability to come up with stops with opponents facing the third- and fourth-and-long situations.

"We've got to fix it," Ryan said. "Whatever it is, we have to fix it. Hell, it's everybody. We're trying everybody. We're meeting with Sean (Payton), talking to Sean about philosophy. We have to fix this.

"It can't just be we play good and then we blow this. It's costing us games and we have to fix this."

Getting off the field wasn't just an issue for the Saints against Cincinnati last week, the defense also has failed in similar situations against Detroit and San Francisco, both losses. In the Saints' six defeats, opponents have converted third or fourth downs a whopping 19 of 27 times (70.4 percent).

"There've been a lot of different games when this situation has come up," Ryan said. "We lose contain. We misplay a ball in the air. We have the wrong leverage on a play.

"At the end of a game, we have to be more aware of the situation. We have to be better technique-wise and we have to do a better job of coaching. That's just the way it is."

Ryan also addressed the Saints' run defense and said New Orleans was "going to be tested" by the Ravens.

The Bengals rushed for 186 yards vs. New Orleans and San Francisco had 144 on the ground. The Saints had given up an average of 80.8 yards rushing in their previous four games. Despite the dip the past two weeks, Ryan remained confident in the defensive philosophy and approach.

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hagan714

A Letter to Rob

Rob you own almost all the blame.

YOU need to stop using WE so freely

You keep the players you wanted.
You got rid of the players you did not.
You sign the FA you wanted.
You drafted the players you wanted.
You had all training camp to get their heads screwed on right
You have had 12 weeks to iron out the kinks
You have had over a year now to adjust the mess and stop the decline
You have failed

Now after 12 weeks we all see what a great job you have done build this defense across the board

ABOVE All ELSE

You have made some of the worse bone headed defensive calls in the 4th quarter to put you up there with some of the stupidest DC in saints history.

So before you start using the WE phrase so much you need to look in the mirror long and hard. You are not the DC your father was and Rex can coach circles around you on the defensive side of the ball

Unless you pull out a miracle here in the next two years, yes i fear your return, the days of you making a living by riding your family name in the NFL will be coming to an end.

To the Forum
Sorry I was doing pretty good till i read this

Ryan said. "Look, we're a sound defense, that's just the way it is.

that's just the way it is ?!!!!! say what? no it is not.

No way should he be allowed to cop out like this. next up the media is going to give him the injury pass again. He is not stepping up and taking the blame for crappy play calling. bump and run on third and almost 20 with safety help over the top? third and ten and a gaping hole up the middle in the defensive set? thats to name a few. crappy defensive play calling plan and simple

This is turning into Dallas all over again

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

DrewDat

I hate to say it but Rob is screwing us...why do we continue to get DC's that are frowned upon???

RailBoss

It's just not happening for us, there was a glimmer early on but Hagan is right it has turned to shades of Dallas.

|Mitch|

Hindsight is always 20/20... I didn't hear any complaining last year...

hagan714

sorry rob i went off before he was hired. he was way down on my list of DC for the saints

For forums sake i placed a gag order on myself during training camp. i was already to eat some crow early on. which i have no issues with. But i had faith in my #1 complaint about Rob. Lack of flexibility an adjustment on the fly.

when the defense started it's slide after the pats laid the ground work to beat up on ROB's defense and Rex refined it I still stayed pretty quite during the decline and the lack of adjustments made.

I started off the year pretty much the same. after atlanta i started letting loss a bit.

Now the gag is completely off. 1 year since the start of the decline is fair I think.

The only thing that can save him is to draft the best CB in the draft no matter how far the saints have to reach in round 1. even then that may not be enough. Go man cover corners early and often.

So if this defense has it's best chance to start recovering in 2015 i say 2 out of the first 3 picks need to CB.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

halloween 65

Hagen is correct, it is the DC's job to right the ship and he has had time and I am not defending Ryan at all, I just don't understand more a question than anything. I just have to think that with a new DC (Ryan last season or any DC) why don't they get to bring in their own people, Vitt and Johnson were not his people and what have they produced to begin with. Don't get me wrong Ryan is the culprit here because he is the DC but he was set to fail having to eat those 2 to begin with. I just wonder what a Bill Cower would say to Loomis or Payton if he wasn't allowed to bring in his own people as DC. Can't make chicken salad with chicken sh!t!! Those 2 should have been long gone. I do expect Ryan to be fired at the end of the season. I also wonder if we were ever going to transition into a 3/4 D in the first place. I think it's been a bunch of bullcrap. Either get a defense that gives us a chance to win or our window with Brees is done.

joker-saint

I have to agree with you on this one. Last year Rob is our knight in shining armor, then our team has a bad losing streak the next year and all the finger pointing begins. Give the dude a break. If the defense had stayed healthy be wouldn't be into the third string players and pulling dudes off practice squads from other teams. Stop finger pointing and start supporting your team!!!! I for one still believe they can right the ship. Just ask Cortana. Who Dat!!!!

hagan714

i believe the ship can be righted also. my faith is with SP and the offense to get the wins

jlaw8920

Completely agree with joker-saint. There is only so much you can do with what the Saints have left. The only people in the secondary that would start for another team would be Vaccaro and Lewis. P-Rob is a 50-50 chance to show up for a game.White has the worst man to man coverage I've ever seen and gave up that crucial catch against Bengals because he decided go for an interception instead of batting down the ball.

It's a no win situation right now, throw more people in box, then they tear apart White and Robinson. Put less people in the box, average a lot of running yards.

Yes we have had some dumb calls to close out games but if you want to throw blame at Rob Ryan, you also have to point fingers at Sean Payton. Often bad clock management and trying to get fancy when running out time forces the Saints to give the ball back.