Buddy Ryan has passed away, dead at the age of 82. He’s had a notable impact on NFL defenses over the past 50 years.
Ryan, of course, is best known for his work in Chicago in the mid-80s. The Bears allowed under 200 points in both the 1985 and 1986 seasons – two of the seven lowest totals in NFL history. Ryan was their defensive coordinator for only one of those seasons (taking the head coaching job in Philadelphia), but he helped laid the foundation for that aggressive defensive system.
| FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED IN 16-GAME SEASON | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Pts |
| 2000 | Baltimore Ravens | 165 |
| 1986 | Chicago Bears | 187 |
| 2000 | Tennessee Titans | 191 |
| 1978 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 195 |
| 2002 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 196 |
| 1978 | Denver Broncos | 198 |
| 1985 | Chicago Bears | 198 |
| 2006 | Baltimore Ravens | 201 |
| 1992 | New Orleans Saints | 202 |
| 2005 | Chicago Bears | 202 |
| 2001 | Chicago Bears | 203 |
| 1994 | Cleveland Browns | 204 |
| 1993 | New York Giants | 205 |
| 2001 | Philadelphia Eagles | 208 |
| 1978 | Dallas Cowboys | 208 |
| 1996 | Green Bay Packers | 210 |
| 1990 | New York Giants | 211 |
| 1991 | New Orleans Saints | 211 |
| 2001 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 212 |
| 1988 | Chicago Bears | 215 |
| 1999 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 217 |
| 1996 | Carolina Panthers | 218 |
| 1981 | Philadelphia Eagles | 221 |
| 1980 | Philadelphia Eagles | 222 |
| 2008 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 223 |
Ryan’s body of work began much earlier. He was a defensive line coach for the Jets in the ‘60s, helping that defense stifle the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Then he worked with some of the great Purple People Eaters defenses in the early ‘70s. When the Vikings released Alan Page, he already had a nice working relationship with Ryan, so they reunited in Chicago (where Ryan took over as a defensive coordinator in 1978).
Ryan also put together a feared defense with the Eagles in the late ‘80s, and now his aggressive style lives on through his sons, Rex and Rob.
To me, I don’t think Chicago’s defense in 1985-86 was the best ever. What made it special, I think, was the combination of attitude, memorable characters, and they way they went out just trying to destroy opponents. Prior to beating the Patriots 46-10 in the Super Bowl, they won both of their other playoff games with shutouts.
But the Bears weren’t the best, I think, because the league pretty quickly learned how to beat that defense. The trick with the 46 was that the Bears had great talent and were coming hard after the quarterback on every play. But teams later had success against that system by simply spreading them out. So for me, the Chicago defense of the mid-80s belongs in the discussion of the great defenses, but I would stop short of calling them the best. There have been a lot of great defenses, including the Steel Curtain, which had a much longer run in the ‘70s. The Ravens, Bucs and Steelers have had a lot of good defenses in the last 20 years. And the current Seahawks have done something that none of those previous defenses could, allowing the fewest points in the league four years in a row.
Ryan had some success as a defensive coordinator but could never quite get over the hump as a head coach. His Philadelphia teams won 10-11 games in his final three seasons, but they went 0-3 in the playoffs in those seasons, with two of the losses at home. And Ryan went 8-8 and 4-12 in his two seasons as a head coach in Arizona.
—Ian Allan