hagan714

Can Saints' Rob Ryan afford another down season?

@MikeTriplett: It's definitely safe to assume that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan can't survive another season like last year. But if it's that bad again, then there's no guarantee Dennis Allen automatically takes over since some of the blame would fall on him, too. They'll both have their fingerprints on this year's D.

Sean Payton decided to keep Ryan this year because he likes his passion, his work ethic and his ability to inspire players, among other qualities. But Payton made it clear that the scheme had to become more simplified so players are doing less thinking and more reacting. That's a critique that has followed Ryan throughout his career. As Payton recently told NOLA.com, "We've got to find ways to let them play, without splitting the atom on every snap. Let's go. Let's get them lined up and let them play fast. That starts with me as a point of emphasis with Rob."

Allen, meanwhile, is an extremely-detailed teacher and a calming influence who will help communicate Ryan's scheme to the players - especially in the secondary. I wrote about how they'll fit together in this "Odd Couple" feature earlier this summer. The Saints are intent on cutting down on all the mistakes that plagued them last year, such as assignment errors and missed tackles.

Can New Orleans Saints' Rob Ryan afford another down season? - New Orleans Saints Blog - ESPN

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

saintsfan1976

In short, no.

Will he? Man, I seriously doubt it... Combine the 2013 scheme with Dennis Allen and new talent and you've got yourself a top 15 defense.

jeanpierre

Bigger question - Can the Saints Afford Another Fail Defense?!?

halloween 65

Not at all.

dizzle88

Probably not.

2013 was our golden chance with Rob, I just don't think we were tough enough in the playoffs on offense.

Our D did everything in that Seattle game to get us a win whilst our offense couldn't manage a first down.

saintsfan1976

O line was outmatched that day.
Armstead was a rookie in his what, 3rd game?
Grubbs and Goodwin were man-handled all day.

Graham was 1 for 6 for 8yds.
Offense was 25% on 3rd downs (normally 43%)
We ran 6 screen plays, gaining positive yards on 1....

Yeah, that was a bad day for our offense even without mentioning Lynch ran for 140yds

dizzle88

Exactly, plus most of Lynch's yardage came near the end when our offense had 3 consecutive 3 and outs.

Can't ask the D to hold up when your O is putting them straight back out there every 30 seconds.

saintsfan1976

Not that we're still holding on to that loss or anything....

CheramieIII

No and he shouldn't be around for this one either. A good defensive coach builds defense without superstar players. My jury is still out on Ryan. The only reason I'm reserving judgment is because he's in the Black and Gold.

Saint in Aus

We are going to be pretty clear on where we sit after the first five games next year; Cardinals, Tampa, Panthers, Cowboys and Eagles. You want at least 3 wins (preferably 4) or it is probably going to be another long season.