The New Orleans Saints’ 49-17 whooping over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night caused Jerry Jones to admit after the game that firing Rob Ryan doesn’t look so good at the moment.
Not only did the Cowboys surrender 49 points and allow an embarrassing 625 yards, but their offense was held to just 17 points and a paltry 193 yards. Both of those statements have serious implications for Ryan.
Ryan was fired as defensive coordinator of the Cowboys after his unit finished 24th in the NFL in points allowed and 19th in yards allowed last season. The team went 8-8 and there were going to be consequences, so Jones decided to ax Ryan.
Ryan hilariously responded that he would be unemployed “for like five minutes,” and he ended up hired by the Saints a month later.
Entering Sunday night’s game, the Saints ranked fifth in the league in points allowed per game (18.3), while the Cowboys ranked 15th (23.2) and are sure to plummet after the disastrous defeat. Ryan stuck it to Jones by stifling the Cowboys’ offense, and then he got to watch Monte Kiffin’s defense get torched by Drew Brees.
“We had our reasons for making our change and Sean [Payton] did a good job of getting Rob down here,” Jones said after the game, via the Dallas Morning News. “He’s as smart as he can be. He’s from an outstanding football bloodline. That’s why we hired him two years ago with the Cowboys is because he’s that good of a football coach.
“We thought that it was best for us to go in the direction that we are and that doesn’t look good right now. Hopefully we can make it look good. But I have all the feelings that you have anytime you want to look back at a decision and I realize when some of them work you have to have a few things go along with it and candidly we’re having some of the same things that Rob had last year.”
Jones was alluding to some of the injuries the Cowboys have endured this season. DeMarcus Ware missed a few games for the first time in his career. The team released nose tackle Jay Ratliff, who didn’t play in a game. Anthony Spencer’s on IR. Mo Claiborne, JJ Wilcox and Jason Hatcher didn’t play against the Saints. And the defense turned to crap once Sean Lee left the game with an injury. But Lee and Ratliff missed most of last season too, as Jones mentioned, and Ryan had to overcome those challenges.
Maybe firing Ryan was the right move for the Cowboys. Maybe if Jones fired Jason Garrett and himself as GM it would also help. But I can tell you that hiring Kiffin, whose defense stunk it up at USC, was not a smart move. Dallas’ defense lived off of turnovers early in the season. There was only so long that was going to last.
And you think beating the Cowboys didn’t feel good for Ryan? He celebrated the same way he has many times after wins this season — he bought drinks at Ms. Mae’s in New Orleans:
#RobRyan just bought me a drink at #MsMaes! #WhoDat #GeauxSaints #Saints pic.twitter.com/GAY3PSo2Es
— Mary B. Sonnier (@ChefMarySonnier) November 11, 2013
What delightful fellows, those Ryans are.
