Pat Y Thinks The Saints Could Land In The Super Bowl This Year

[SaintRay]

Visited the Saints Training Camp and he pens this.....

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Saints are buying into Rob Ryan

June, 6, 2013

By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

METAIRIE, La. -- He is boisterous, daring and, even though he won't admit it, carrying a huge chip on his shoulder.

Maybe Rob Ryan, complete with his oversized personality, and the New Orleans Saints, an organization thats carrying a chip of its own, are coming together at the perfect time. If Ryan can instill just a little of himself into the defense, it might be able to stop opponents on occasion -- and that might be enough to get the Saints back into the playoffs, maybe even back to something like the 2009 Super Bowl.

If this union sounds a little like something you've heard before, its only because you have.

Watch Ryan on the practice field or talk to him for five minutes and you feel almost like you're watching or listening to Gregg Williams. Forget Bountygate for a minute and think back to when Williams arrived as the defensive coordinator in 2009.

All of a sudden, players were diving for loose balls in practice even after the whistle had blown. All of a sudden, the New Orleans defense had swagger and produced turnovers at a rapid rate. All of a sudden, the Saints had the only Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

That could happen again. It was easy to see an aggressive attitude from the defense as I watched minicamp practices the past couple of days. You could see innovation with the defense sometimes lining up with six defensive backs and no down linemen.

And you could see and hear the chip on the shoulder from the Saints and from Ryan.

New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan "makes the job fun," one Saints player said. "Everyone buys in."

The Saints have moved beyond Bountygate, but they're still ticked off that they went 7-9 in 2012. The defense is particularly perturbed after ranking No. 32 last season and turning in one of the worst statistical performances in history.

Then, there's Ryan's chip.

"Anybody who has followed me, we were No. 3 in the league for 10 weeks of the season until every single player on the team was hurt and then I got fired," Ryan said. "We should have been No. 1. But thats OK. I learned [from it]."

Ryan was talking about last season in Dallas, when he was let go as defensive coordinator. When asked if he had a chip on his shoulder because of it, Ryan said, "Not at all."

Yeah, right. Like Williams and a lot of other successful coaches, Ryan has a big ego. Theres nothing wrong with that. Ego can drive and push a coach and help him bring out the best in his players.

The Saints need to bring out the best in their defense. Everyone knows they have a great offense. Even a middle-of-the-pack defense could put them in Super Bowl contention. But Ryan isn't shooting for the middle of the pack.

He wants an aggressive defense and he wants it to be one of the best in the league. He wants the defense to take on his personality.

"He doesn't have to really instill it," middle linebacker Curtis Lofton said. "He just does it by being himself and saying the things he says, like, 'We're going to be a great defense and you guys are great players.' As a player, that gives you confidence. When you're a confident player and your coach believes in you, you want to make him right. Thats how he gets the aggressiveness part."

With Ryan, the Saints are switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme. Much has been made of that, and there were plenty of exotic looks from the defense in minicamp, which should mean there will be even more exotic looks when the regular season gets here. Thats a welcome change from a defense that was bland -- and bad -- under former coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Ryan's doing all sorts of innovative things, like moving Will Smith, Junior Galette and Martez Wilson from defensive end to outside linebacker and putting safeties Malcolm Jenkins, Roman Harper and Kenny Vaccaro on the field at the same time.

But Ryan is doing more than installing a scheme. He's trying to build a new culture on the defense.

"We're in the attack business," Ryan said. "We say we're in charge of discipline."

So far, there are plenty of signs the culture is changing.

"The thing I like about Ryan is he's exactly what he preaches," defensive end Akiem Hicks said. "You have to appreciate that."

And what does Ryan preach?

"Hard work," Hicks said. "Hard work and he stays on you."

As last season went down the tubes, several players anonymously complained to the local media that Spagnuolo was unwilling to change and wouldn't listen to input from players. It doesn't sound like that will be a problem with Ryan.

"Rob makes the job fun," Lofton said. "He finds ways to lighten things up. He's very aggressive. In his system, everyones going to get some burn, so everyone buys in."

The Saints have plenty of individual talent on defense, but the production hasn't been very good since the Super Bowl season. But that will change if the defense continues to buy into Ryan.

His personality could give the defense a personality again. If that happens, the Saints could be champions again.

[REV.2000]

JUST ANOTHER ONE OF DEM' RYAN BOYS KICK'IN UP DUST. I THINK PY SAID SOME OF THE SAME STUFF LAST YEAR. I SAY BRING IT ON!

[Shredman]

[Willy Mo]

well, it was statistically impossible their defense could get any worse. most yards allowed ever. no surprise there's improvement

[st. diehard]

well, it was statistically impossible their defense could get any worse. most yards allowed ever. no surprise there's improvement

Surprisingly, they weren't last in points allowed.

[McMVP]

well, it was statistically impossible their defense could get any worse. most yards allowed ever. no surprise there's improvement

That D was seriously 'bad'

[Shredman]

That D was seriously 'bad'

The O wasnt Stellar like in yrs past either

and they lost their L Tackle and C Ivory this season, and really did little to Replace them....

I think they will be better , But SB ??? or even Div Champ ?????

Unlikely ....

[SyCo]

i guess patys credible again

[Tuggle'2]

Reminds me of last year around this time when Pat said the same thing about Carolina.

[Shredman]

Reminds me of last year around this time when Pat said the same thing about Carolina.

well he is Partial to Panthers, he always wants them to be the Elite, he was their beat writer for along Time... 2008 , and the first of 2009, you could not even read his shyt.... you guys think I say Homer Shyt ? he was worse , and he got Paid for it lol

2010 he became a little more readable

then last yr

he was on Cams Nutz like every other Car Homer.... wont be long, he will again be Hanging on Cams Nut Sack, as soon as he shows some form of Life on the Field, Pat will be right there....stroking the shaft lol

[lilhoney]

FWIW, both the Ryan boys are boisterous with a chip on their shoulder because in the end, they are both living off a name they will never live up to.

I don't see any team Rob has made better. Like a player, a coach can grow and get better. But as for the here and now,Rob is a lot of hot air and little more. maybe he can grow in to that talk but It won't because the league suddenly believes his BS, It will because he stops with the BS and does something,

One thing for sure he had more talent at Dallas than he does in NO, so he had better stop talking and start doing. There is a reason his HC phone isn't ringing like it usually does quickly with a really good D coach.

That reason is probably because he isn't really that good of a D coach.

[Big_L]

well he is Partial to Panthers, he always wants them to be the Elite, he was their beat writer for along Time... 2008 , and the first of 2009, you could not even read his shyt.... you guys think I say Homer Shyt ? he was worse , and he got Paid for it lol

2010 he became a little more readable

then last yr

he was on Cams Nutz like every other Car Homer.... wont be long, he will again be Hanging on Cams Nut Sack, as soon as he shows some form of Life on the Field, Pat will be right there....stroking the shaft lol

I think this is so funny, Shred calling out someone for calling players elite...

[Guest Masbinacci]

i guess patys credible again

There is very few writers i like. But this guy is junk. Even when the guy talks falcons, i smh.

Ledbetter sucks to.

[jb 3.0]

Hey Ray, you have to remember who penned that article. The guy was feeling a ton of pressure to write something other than how incredible the Falcons are. Why this man gets paid by ESPN is beyond comprehension! 90% of what he posts on that NFC South blog is strictly cut & paste. A lazier sports journalist, you'll never find.

This said, he does bring up some good points. If he'd only do it more often. Most of his own articles, you'd swear were written by Shred.

I believe, he's correct on the Saints D being massively improved, but I wouldn't put them in the Super Bowl, just yet. You'd need to discuss that with Pat Y. & Shred.

[meezy0236]

Hey Ray, you have to remember who penned that article. The guy was feeling a ton of pressure to write something other than how incredible the Falcons are. Why this man gets paid by ESPN is beyond comprehension! 90% of what he posts on that NFC South blog is strictly cut & paste. A lazier sports journalist, you'll never find.

This said, he does bring up some good points. If he'd only do it more often. Most of his own articles, you'd swear were written by Shred.

I believe, he's correct on the Saints D being massively improved, but I wouldn't put them in the Super Bowl, just yet. You'd need to discuss that with Pat Y. & Shred.

JB, massively improved for this D would be 29th ranked . With that being said , I agree I wouldn't go so far as to say SB, but I could see them making a push for the division title, if said defense has improved.

[SaintRay]

Hey, I just posted what old Patty wrote.

No way I can proclaim them ready for another title run at this point. But give me 4 weeks into the regular season and we'll know plenty. A new D scheme will take some time to install.

But I remember Wade Phillips flipping the Texans D 2 years ago and Williams doing the same thing in New Orleans in 2009. It can happen.

[Johnny_Redskin]

Not a fan of the Ryan brothers. They get a lot of press based on their looks and comments, Are they really a game changer coaching wise?? I think not. That being said like someone said above "brees and Payton need little help". I think New Orleans will be good, but Atlanta will be better.

[SuperAINTSfan]

Hey Ray, you have to remember who penned that article. The guy was feeling a ton of pressure to write something other than how incredible the Falcons are. Why this man gets paid by ESPN is beyond comprehension! 90% of what he posts on that NFC South blog is strictly cut & paste. A lazier sports journalist, you'll never find.

This said, he does bring up some good points. If he'd only do it more often. Most of his own articles, you'd swear were written by Shred.

I believe, he's correct on the Saints D being massively improved, but I wouldn't put them in the Super Bowl, just yet. You'd need to discuss that with Pat Y. & Shred.

The only good parts we get from him are the player quotes! lol

[JabooAlwaysWins]

hate it break it to you guys but Rob Ryan's defense isn't that great...

[Falcon Man™]

Ray, I guess you were right when you said Pat Y sucks. He is all of the sudden completely relevant when he sucks the Saints teet...

[DD: Objective Elite]

i guess patys credible again

At least until he writes a positive article on the Falcons, then he's back to being a clueless nincompoop.

[meezy0236]

hate it break it to you guys but Rob Ryan's defense isn't that great...

Well the thing about that is, they don't need the defense to be that great

Edited June 7, 2013 by meezy0236

[meezy0236]

At least until he writes a positive article on the Falcons, then he's back to being a clueless nincompoop.

Where is anyone saying Pat Y is credible for this article?

[SuperAINTSfan]

Where is anyone saying Pat Y is credible for this article?

in DDs brain!!!

[DD: Objective Elite]

Where is anyone saying Pat Y is credible for this article?

I thought when you linked an article to RC you are giving the writer credibility. If not, why even post it???