Buddy Ryan is Dead at 82

[Manster7588]

Bingo.

And his family is still trading on that one year hit.

Yep, even his kids are overrated on 1986.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

A one hit wonder.

Well he was the guy that Walt Michaels used to create the blitz packages in SB3. Could argue that was the most important reason for the biggest SB upset and beating one of the most dominant teams in NFL history. And what he did creating that D in Philly was amazing.

Hugely dominant D though, just came about right at the time the WCO was spreading through the league which was able to take advantage of it's weaknesses, so it evolved through guys like Wade Phillips... who sort of combined that aggressiveness and penetration and reduced the 2 gap read/react responsibilities of his 3-4 defense. But one of the best D-cords ever in getting pressure on the QB, and getting takeaways.

 

[Iggloo]

Calling Buddy a one-hit wonder is wrong. He was successful as a defensive genius with numerous franchises including the Jets, Bears, Eagles and Cardinals.

Now, was he deeply flawed as a head coach? Obviously, which is why he produced top 5 defenses in Arizona and Philly and still couldn't win a damn thing that mattered.

He is obviously a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator though and there should be such a thing. Ask Belichick or anyone who knows defense and they would tell you this. He had enormous influence on the game. He was also a tremendous judge of defensive talent, finding the likes of Clyde Simmons from Eastern Kentucky and Seth Joyner from UTEP in the sixth and eighth rounds etc.

As for running up the score on the Cowboys, the full story of course is that this happened during the strike season and Landry had a team of scabs that ran up the score on Buddy's Eagles earlier. So when Buddy got his real players back, he had a little payback for Landry. Buddy really hated Dallas for some reason. It wasn't an act. Fans loved that.

 

[Iggloo]

In terms of "solving" the 46 defense, Shula famously did it in beating the Bears to end their hopes of matching Miami's perfect season.

How? Slant patterns, and other quick routes that let the QB get the ball out before the blitz hit him. It didn't always work, but yes, offenses learned from Shula how to do it.

The game plan that night focused in large part on Moore, a longtime star for the Dolphins nearing the end of his 13-year career. Shula had spotted what he thought to be a weakness in the Bears' vaunted '46' defense and essentially used the 5-foot-9 Moore as a tight end to exploit it.





In the '46' formation, Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan would put six players, including two linebackers, at the line of scrimmage, with at least one of them typically blitzing. This would leave large parts of the field open for receivers but also led to nearly constant pressure on the quarterback, and more often than not teams found themselves unable to capitalize on the space.





"The big thought was, 'How do you combat that?' because nobody had solved that issue before," Moore said. "One of the things that they were able to do was force you to try to throw a 35-yard fade route with a free blitzer in your face at a press corner where a guy's got tight coverage. Chances are a quarterback is throwing off his back foot, and they were destroying teams because nobody could hit it. So we decided that we weren't going to do the same things everybody else had been doing."





It didn't take long for Shula's plan to prove effective, as Miami took a 7-0 lead on its first possession, a drive that ended with a 33-yard touchdown from Dan Marino to Moore, who ended up on an island with Bears free safety Gary Fencik on the play.

One & Done: The night the Miami Dolphins doused the Chicago Bears' perfect season 1985

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Calling Buddy a one-hit wonder is wrong. He was successful as a defensive genius with numerous franchises including the Jets, Bears, Eagles and Cardinals.

Now, was he deeply flawed as a head coach? Obviously, which is why he produced top 5 defenses in Arizona and Philly and still couldn't win a damn thing that mattered.

He is obviously a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator though and there should be such a thing. Ask Belichick or anyone who knows defense and they would tell you this. He had enormous influence on the game. He was also a tremendous judge of defensive talent, finding the likes of Clyde Simmons from Eastern Kentucky and Seth Joyner from UTEP in the sixth and eighth rounds etc.

As for running up the score on the Cowboys, the full story of course is that this happened during the strike season and Landry had a team of scabs that ran up the score on Buddy's Eagles earlier. So when Buddy got his real players back, he had a little payback for Landry. Buddy really hated Dallas for some reason. It wasn't an act. Fans loved that.

What he did in Philly was amazing on defense. Sure Kotite got to really see that D come together the year he left, but that was an 85 bears caliber D (just without Cunningham they lost the entire offense). But leaving the offense to just basically letting Randall do his thing hurt them IMO.






As for HOF positional coach, that is tough. Over guys like Holmgren and Seifert who were good head coaches as well?

Don Coryell, Wade Phillips? Kiffin? Arnsparger? Bengtson? Norv Turner? Marchibroda? Dan Reeves? Buddy Parker? Tom Moore? Martz? Heck you could make an argument for Josh McDaniels here.

I'm fine leaving them off for now. He showed the difference in difficulty between being a great coordinator and a great head coach.

To me it's like being a great backup who can come in and win a game for the team when it matters. Some like Morrall, Dilfer, Doug Williams, and Hostetler had a HUGE impact for their teams, but do you make a spot for them?

Just my opinion on it. I wouldn't be totally against it either if it happened.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

In terms of "solving" the 46 defense, Shula famously did it in beating the Bears to end their hopes of matching Miami's perfect season.

How? Slant patterns, and other quick routes that let the QB get the ball out before the blitz hit him. It didn't always work, but yes, offenses learned from Shula how to do it.


One & Done: The night the Miami Dolphins doused the Chicago Bears' perfect season 1985

Well that was just one game remember. Vince Tobin was still running that 46 when Marino faced them the next time a few years later and threw for 113 yards and Miami got 7 points. To me, it was more having arguably the best prime QB ever in the history of the league. Kinda like how the Giants didn't so much expose the 07 pats, but had the amazing talent that put an all time performance together in that game.

But it's an amazing game, watching it now, it was LOTS of shotgun. Lots of deep routes, especially Duper early on, Clayton later (and the tipped pass to him on the big play). Long 7 step drops when he was under center. But Marino before he was a statue was huge too. He was moving in the pocket (no one did that better in the pocket) designed bootlegs and Marino rolling out, anticipating throws... The first TD to Moore was underneath on that cross and he made a few guys miss... That was big, but for the most part it was Marino slinging it 20+ yards downfield and connecting. That's where they won, just doing it where every other QB was failing at it.


The WCO really was the scheme change where teams went horizontal. That's what other teams could copy to beat the 46.

 

[Iggloo]

Oh, just because you knew how to beat the 46 didn't mean you actually could. You had to execute and Marino did it because he was a HOFer with a quick release but other teams got crushed.

 

[Iggloo]

I think more coordinators should be in the hall, and while I don't agree with all the names on your list clearly Coryell should be in there. That's a no brainer IMO.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Did he even land the punch?

If not it's the thought that counts.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Oh, just because you knew how to beat the 46 didn't mean you actually could. You had to execute and Marino did it because he was a HOFer with a quick release but other teams got crushed.

But really Marino was beating them by doing what other QB's were getting killed doing he was just doing that at an elite level. It was more the WCO that really put the horizontal in the game plan where film study wouldn't solve it, but they were attacking a weakness.

As for the others... You can argue cases..

Reeves really revolutionized the offense with Staubach playing for efficiency, consistently using the shotgun to give the QB time (countering the blitz which every team uses today), all things that are key today. Really one of the best offensive minds in the NFL.

Arnsparger easily... Without the huge name talent coached what? 3 or 4 defenses that were best in the league?
Bengtsons Packer D during their dynasty? Talking long term amazing defenses, that's up there with the Steel Curtain easily. They were just amazing and dominant in those championships.

Tom Moore? He had Peyton like Buddy had Singletary to run it, but also had the great Scott Mitchell year in Det right after he took over. The year Bradshaw won MVP was just after he took over...

 

[Niner Outlaw]

My boss knew Ryan from his time in Gainseville and Marshall. Said he was an awful human being and a A-hole as a a coach.

 

[PDay8810]

That's your first post PDay on the death of Buddy Ryan? Not very Landry like IMO. But hey, that's the place Cowboy fans seem to be these days...i thought you were better than that, being old school and all.

as long as you're the one being the judge here...I'm good.

 

[fordman84]

My boss knew Ryan from his time in Gainseville and Marshall. Said he was an awful human being and a A-hole as a a coach.

Mitzi is now going to ask you to provide photos as well as a DNA sample showing you knew someone that knew Buddy Ryan.

What a fucking clown.

 

[GNG]

A defensive genius... RIP Buddy.

 

[PhoenixEagles1]

yep....petty shit.

That want petty at all. It was poetic justice. Buddy was a jerk but his players adored him. That was the strike season when they had scab players filling in. Dallas had several star players that didn't support the union and ran up the score on scab players. When Buddy got his boys back he sent them a message. The Dallas Cowboys and Landry deserved that 110%!

 

[PhoenixEagles1]

Bingo.

And his family is still trading on that one year hit.

One hit wonder? He came to Philly and promptly created the last defense to go #1 vs the run, #1 vs the pass, and #1 over all. He was a prick but if he was your coach you loved him. Much much more then a one hit wonder. He built 2 of the greatest Ds ever.

 

[PhoenixEagles1]

RIP

I think he was quite innovative with the 46, and deserves credit for fielding the nastiest defense I ever saw... but the 46 was quickly solved after 85, and largely relegated to a goal line and short yardage defensive formation. They soon spread it out and found they couldn't run it as a base - it's demise corresponded with the rise in single back, spread,and run & shoot offenses - fielding just three DBs was mismatch heaven for these types offenses. Perhaps this is why Buddy seemed to have had such disdain for Kevin Gilbride.

I wouldn't say he revolutionized defense, as his formation as a base didn't endure the test of time. For example: Tom Landry's 4-3 and Chuck Fairbanks/Bud Wilkerson(college) 3-4 base has endured the test of time and truly revolutionized modern defense.

I will say this, despite it's brief run, I've yet to see a single year's defense that was as dominant as Buddy Ryan's 46 in 1985.

Incorrect. A half decade later he built an equally tremendous D in Philly. The last team to go #1 vs the run and #1 vs the pass.

 

[TP76]

The 46 isn't used as base anymore, 8 men in the box has been relegated to a sub package - goal line and a short yardage run defense. The 4-3 and 3-4 are still going strong 40+ years later as base. The more aggressive passing offenses coming out at the time killed it.

So what exactly is incorrect?

 

[PDay8810]

That want petty at all. It was poetic justice. Buddy was a jerk but his players adored him. That was the strike season when they had scab players filling in. Dallas had several star players that didn't support the union and ran up the score on scab players. When Buddy got his boys back he sent them a message. The Dallas Cowboys and Landry deserved that 110%!

whatever....I happen to think Landry never ran the score up on anybody and certainly never faked running out the clock with a big lead to throw a 50 yard TD pass.

I'll say this much....you & buddy ryan have much in common to me.
Move on king

 

[PDay8810]

The 46 isn't used as base anymore, 8 men in the box has been relegated to a sub package - goal line and a short yardage run defense. The 4-3 and 3-4 are still going strong 40+ years later as base. The more aggressive passing offenses coming out at the time killed it.

So what exactly is incorrect?

that Buddy Ryan couldn't carry Tom Landry's jock strap with regards to defensive innovation?