Rob Ryan, now attached at the hip with brother Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills, is more than thrilled to be moving on from the New Orleans Saints.
Speaking with Jenny Vrentas of MMQB, the “other” Ryan brother made no bones about his happiness to see that chapter of his life in the rear view mirror.
“I have always been a guy who is going to work my tail off, and I think I have always advanced the head coach’s plan,” Ryan said. “But at the end of the day, the last two years in New Orleans were a waste of time for me.”
In addition to the general sentiment that coaching in New Orleans was a bad decision, Ryan indirectly threw Saints head coach Sean Payton under the bus.
“I want to give everything I have to a team that I want to be a part of, with a head coach I want to be a part of. Not only is Rex a great head coach, but he is also a great defensive coach. He’s going to be the best coach that I can work for, anytime. And I have worked for Belichick, who is the best head coach in football, in the history of the game.”
He also hinted that the defensive schemes run in New Orleans weren’t completely of his design. He alleges Payton influenced how things were schemed, something the head coach finds laughable.
It sure sounds like Ryan is admitting his heart wasn’t in what he was doing the past two years with the Saints — something that seemed self evident, based on the fruits of his labor.
Saints fans are probably just as glad to see him go as he is to be gone. Ryan’s defenses in 2014-15 in New Orleans were among the league’s worst. The Saints ranked No. 31 in total defense and No. 28 in scoring defense in Ryan’s first season. They then finished No. 31 in total defense and were dead last in scoring defense in 2015, with many analysts considering the unit to be the worst in NFL history against the pass.
Bills fans aren’t likely encouraged by these numbers. Perhaps Rob’s influence will have a different tenor this time around, now that he’s with his brother. For their sake, let’s hope they don’t look back in a year or two and consider his tenure in Buffalo to be a waste of time.