The Jig Is Up For Rob Ryan

Rob Ryan, like his equally rambunctious brother Rex, is an enjoyable personality in the NFL. He is not, however, a good defensive coordinator.

The Skins absolutely hammered New Orleans Sunday in a 47-14 win. The Saints’ defense made Kirk Cousins look like the greatest quarterback in the league as he completed 20 of 25 pass attempts for four touchdowns and 324 yards. This morning, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reported that Ryan’s head was going on a spike:

Head coach Sean Payton insisted in today’s press conference that no one had been fired, but added that he and general manager Mickey Loomis would look over the staff:

Ryan’s firing should happen as soon as possible. Through nine weeks, the Saints ranked last in the NFL in terms of defensive DVOA, by a significant amount. Yesterday’s game will likely make it worse. Their pass defense has been so abysmal that it’s dragged down their merely mediocre run D.

There’s blame to pass around, though. New Orleans starts Brandon Browner at defensive back, who could get flagged even if his hands were tied behind his back. On this play in yesterday’s game, watch him go for the hit on Washington offensive guard Spencer Long instead of making any attempt to tackle Matt Jones, the ball-carrier:

Browner has a league-high 15 accepted penalties this season, so it’s difficult for the rest of the defense to make a stop when one of its players gives up automatic first downs. Browner isn’t the defensive coordinator, though. Ryan’s responsible for the entire unit, and the last two seasons have been horrible.

Maybe Rob Ryan can get another job elsewhere, but excluding Mardi Gras celebrations, there’s no reason for him to still be in New Orleans.

Photo: AP

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