What If Buddy Ryan Coached The Eagles Longer?
Buddy Ryan has one of the best NFL coaching resumes for a head coach to never win a playoff game. Ryan was the head coach of the Eagles from 1986 through 1990. During his time with the Eagles, Ryan compiled a 53-45-1 record with three playoff appearances. What if the Eagles got to benefit from the entire Buddy Ryan experience if he head coached for more seasons in Philly?
Buddy Ryan’s resume speaks for itself. He was the defensive coordinator for the Jets (1968-1975), Vikings (1976-1977), Bears (1978-1985), and Oilers (1993). Between the gap after coaching the Bears and before coaching the Oilers, Ryan was the head coach of the Eagles. Buddy Ryan passed his first-year coaching in the NFL with flying colors. He led a defense that allowed seven points against the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III to give the Jets an upset victory 16-7. Ryan created multiple blitz packages as had a philosophy that a defense must attack the offense’s strength and centerpiece, the quarterback.
After his time with the Jets for eight years, Buddy Ryan moved on to become the defensive coordinator for the Vikings. Although his time in Minnesota was only for two years, Ryan made a profound impact. He coached the “Purple People Eaters” defensive line and worked on a defensive nickel scheme. His main goal was to disrupt the passing game which formed the early basis of the 46 defense. The Vikings made it as far as Super Bowl XI in 1976, and the NFC Championship in 1977. Buddy Ryan traveled south to the rival Bears to be their defensive coordinator. Ryan’s time in Chicago was when he became known as one of the top defensive minds in football.
Through the early 1980s, Buddy Ryan was creating the best defensive strategies with the best defensive players he could have. In 1985, everything came into fruition as the Bears went 15-1 and defeated the Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Buddy Ryan led the defense with three Hall of Famers including Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, and Dan Hampton. Buddy Ryan and head coach Mike Ditka openly had feuds, but for better or for worse it resulted in a championship victory.
In 1986, the head coaching opportunity was finally given to Buddy Ryan, and he accepted it with the Philadelphia Eagles. Buddy Ryan was already 55 years old when he took the head coaching job. Ryan would be out of coaching entirely within the next ten years. He was fired by the Eagles after the 1990 season and fired by the Cardinals after the 1995 season.
In his first two seasons in Philly, Buddy Ryan had a slow start with two losing records. In the seasons thereafter, Ryan led the Eagles to three-straight ten-win seasons which had not been done since the Dick Vermeil days from 1979-to 1981.
The Eagle’s best shot at a possible Super Bowl was in 1988. Reggie White, Randall Cunningham, Cris Carter, and Jerome Brown highlighted their top players. The Eagles rode into Chicago to play the Bears, with the winner earning a berth in the NFC Championship. Dense fog-filled Soldier Field as the game became dubbed the “Fog Bowl.” Despite Randall Cunningham’s 407 passing yards, he threw three interceptions and zero touchdowns. The Eagles fell to the Bears 20-12 and were sent back home in disappointment.
The Eagles had a winning record in Ryan’s next two seasons, but they ended in playoff disappointment. Buddy Ryan was fired to give way to Rich Kotite and later Ray Rhodes. Entire new possibilities would occur if Buddy Ryan started head coaching the Eagles after his time with the Jets ended in 1975. Or what if he never was fired and head coached the Eagles well into the late 1990s or early 2000s. The Andy Reid era could definitely be affected.
コメント