Well, they do. And it came through in their interview with Jenny Vrentas of the Monday Morning Quarterback. What do two coaches who both ran very bad defenses last year have to say? They both owned up to their coaching deficiencies, and guaranteed fans they would go back to the drawing board and improve in 2016.
Just kidding. Rob Ryan blamed the terrible Saints defense on everyone else. Who was responsible for the season or two of good defense? Rob Ryan. Who was responsible for when the defense fell off a cliff? Other people that Ryan will not name.
And the biggest history of improvement ever in the league, I coordinated that defense [the 2013 Saints]. The defenses I have taken over were ranked, like, 31st. Oh, "my numbers aren’t too good." You take over the 31st group and see how you do. And you’re given about two years to do it. There are two years that don’t have my signature on them, and it’s the last two years in New Orleans. And that’s just the truth.
For what it is worth, Sean Payton has already called this nuts.
From PFT Live, Sean Payton on Rob Ryan remarks: "The idea that it wasn’t his defense, or he wasn’t in charge of it, is silly."
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 27, 2016
What does this have to do with the Falcons? Ryan suggested other people in the organization wanted to move to a Seattle Seahawks-type defense. He claimed to have wanted to keep his exotic, blitzing defense.
It is better when you are more multiple. That’s what I believe in. That doesn’t make it right, but that’s what I believe in, and some of the great coaches in this league have done that, too. Seattle has been great, but all the other teams doing [that scheme] are finishing sh--ty like I did. Right there next to New Orleans is Atlanta, Jacksonville. That’s not sour grapes. That’s me getting pissed off. Because I am great.
If you are following along, Ryan is blaming the Saints and the Seattle defensive scheme for his years of incompetence, while throwing shade at both Atlanta and Jacksonville. I would say this is bizarre, but this is typical for the Ryan brothers every offseason.
In fact, Atlanta's defense was the most consistent part of the team despite being the shortest on talent. The offense imploded, but the defense played pretty well all season. The team finished pretty "sh--ty," but the Ryan brothers have never let much get in the way of their strong opinions.