Rex Ryan Just Saved the NFL
Defensive Schemes Dreamed Up by the Jets Coach Power the Chiefs, Saints and Bills Too
The three teams running a "Ryan" defense rank among the top four in sacks in the AFC. "I don't need the validation. I know we're decent coaching defense," Ryan said on Monday.
A quick history lesson: Buddy Ryan, a famed defensive mind who engineered the 1980s Chicago Bears' fearsome defense, is credited with a number of innovations, including the "Bear Front," in which defensive linemen take positions across from the opposing team's guards and centerallowing for maximum versatility on the outside of the line. Buddy used that as the basis for creative blitz packages. His sons, Rex and Rob, took those blitz packages and made them hum.
This is how it works: Ryan wants his defense to put as many men near the line of scrimmage to confuse the offense. Typically, this begins with one or two absurdly large men in the middle of the defensive line. Dontari Poe, the Chiefs' 346-pound defensive lineman, has been the most effective in this role.
Then there are two quicker linemen on the outside of the line looking for one-on-one matchups with an offensive tackle, which they can usually win. In New Orleans, Junior Galette and Cameron Jordan are the speed rushers. All it takes is one offensive lineman to commit to the wrong side of the field, and those players will have a clear shot at the quarterback.
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