New Orleans Saints players and coaches defend Rob Ryan
By Cory Buck
The New Orleans Saints are a mess on defense. At 1-3, the team has fallen well short of the lofty expectations placed on them after a great comeback 2013 season. Many have pointed the finger at defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for the defense’s relapse after a surprisingly strong 2013. However, the coaches and players don’t want to hear it.
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“It’s not any one individual,” head coach Sean Payton said per ESPN. “It’s the Saints’ defense. Sean Payton is not getting the same results as he did last year, and every player on this team is not getting the same results … on defense.”
Cornerback Keenan Lewis concurred with Payton. “We’re gonna get it fixed. We’ve got the coaches, Coach Ryan’s got all the faith, the best coordinator in the NFL. He’s doing a great job. We just gotta listen, and we just gotta man up and get the job done.”
At the end of the day, Ryan can call all the defensive plays he wants, but he can’t tackle or execute for a defense that has been awful at tackling and execution. It’s easy to say that finding a new coordinator would be the answer, but the players aren’t changing any time soon. Now is the time for those in the locker room to step up and make their coach look smart once again.
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