Buddy Ryan is probably looking down and smiling at the defense the Oakland Raiders have begun assembling. The Raiders finished in the middle of the NFL pack in 2015, and while that’s very impressive, it’s much better than their 2014 bottom feeder performance (as some NFL odds suggested).
Smart drafting largely accounts for their improving fortunes; and if all goes according to plan, the Oakland Raiders’ pass rush could be dominant this season.
Early round draft picks like Jihad Ward and Shilique Calhoun could make a big difference, especially when teamed up with veterans like Malcolm Smith, Mario Edwards, and Justin Ellis. The football world as a whole is yet to recover from Buddy Ryan’s passing. The colorful coach promoted an aggressive style of defensive play that led the Chicago Bears to overwhelming success during Super Bowl XX, and he’s beloved throughout the league for all that he accomplished.
Reggie McKenzie and Jack Del Rio are by no means trying to replicate Ryan’s old 46 defense. Instead they favor a unique, less aggressive scheme. Nevertheless, the final result of their efforts strive to likely bear the fingerprints of Ryan, especially with the emphasis on getting to the quarterback.
Buddy Ryan always thought that quarterbacks were not only overpaid, but overrated and rather pompous. And it was always his belief that his team needed to make every effort to punish the opposing team’s quarterback, hitting them as hard and as often as possible.
This, according to Ryan, was the only way to dominate and intimidate the enemy. Funny enough, Ryan’s dislike for quarterbacks was such that he hardly even liked those on his own team.
Neither McKenzie nor Del Rio thinks that Derek Carr is overrated or pompous, of course, and most people on the Oakland Raiders seemingly get along.
McKenzie and Del Rio do appreciate Ryan’s defensive philosophy though, which strove to create chaos in the backfield before putting the quarterback down. These basic elements of his coaching concepts have survived and the Raiders seem eager to implement them in their defensive strategies.
Buddy Ryan’s legacy isn’t without its critics, with some people suggesting that his defensive philosophies cannot work in the NFL today. In fact, some have called him a bully whose havoc-inducing tactics would result in fines and suspensions today.
Even his supporters cannot deny the rough and gritty, possibly even brutal, aspects of Ryan’s defensive strategies. Strangely enough, though, that rough and gritty edge is exactly what Del Rio and his colleagues are looking to nurture.
The goal is to craft an intimidating and formidable unit that can strike fear into the hearts of opponents. Whether or not they can build a philosophy that truly honors and mimics Ryan’s approach remains to be seen.