National Football League

Buzz: Hindsight for Jerry Jones

Published Nov. 11, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

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Sam Gardner

The New Orleans Saints pounded the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night, in large part because of a stifling performance by the Saints defense, which held the Cowboys to just nine first downs and 193 total yards (while the New Orleans offense racked up 625 yards of its own).

Appropriately, the architect of that Saints D, which has undergone one of the most dramatic one-year turnarounds you’ll ever see, is former Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Ryan was just fired by Dallas in January, so naturally, Sunday night’s showing has Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looking and feeling kind of silly.

Speaking with the Dallas Morning News after Sunday’s loss, Jones admitted that the decision to fire Ryan isn’t looking too smart at the moment.

“We thought that it was best for us to go in the direction that we are and that doesn’t look good right now,” Jones told the paper. “Hopefully we can make it look good. But I have all the feelings that you have anytime you want to look back at a decision, and I realize when some of them work you have to have a few things go along with it, and candidly we’re having some of the same things that Rob had last year.

“He had a lot of people, frankly; to be fair to Rob, he lost a lot of guys on defense (because of injuries). We’ve lost more this year. That’s the game, though; that’s the NFL.”

As if that’s not enough, Jones also heaped enormous praise onto Ryan, making it clear that he’s not exactly thrilled with the job Monte Kiffin has done so far.

“We had our reasons for making our change, and Sean (Payton) did a good job of getting Rob down here,” Jones told the Dallas Morning News. “He’s as smart as he can be. He’s from an outstanding football bloodline. That’s why we hired him two years ago with the Cowboys is because he’s that good of a football coach.”

Ryan, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to miss Dallas as much as Dallas misses him. He was busy buying drinks for fans — and maybe a guy in a Cowboys hat? — at Ms. Mae’s after the game.

Now, for some links:

• The Atlanta Braves are moving to the 'burbs.

• Ben Roethlisberger denied that he ever requested a trade from Pittsburgh.

• You know you want to see the Seahawks’ “What Does The Fox Say?” parody:

• Via Deadspin, this little Seahawks fan can bust a move:

• Looking where you’re shooting is overrated, anyway:

• Who wants to buy Terrelle Pryor’s Big Ten championship ring on eBay?

• The NBA and NBPA donated $250,000 to disaster relief efforts in the Philippines.

• Turn down your volume and watch Texas A&M react to the news that they won’t be practicing during their bye week:

• The USWNT bus broke down at the stadium after practice in Orlando on Saturday, so naturally, they just got a ride back to the hotel from some fans:

• Via The Big Lead, this guy:

• Barack Obama and Alonzo Mourning went golfing at the course where "Caddyshack" was filmed.

• The Timberwolves beat the Lakers for the first time in 23 meetings.

• You’re doing your push-ups wrong:

• Kyle O’Quinn of the Orlando Magic tries incredibly hard to not get a delay-of-game penalty:

• UCLA’s Myles Jack got it done on both offense and defense against Arizona.

• Patty Mills and Boris Diaw sing “Killing Me Softly” at a karaoke bar:

• Phil Knight, traitor?:

• John Cena admitted to pooping his pants during a wrestling match once.

• Sixers fans booed Andrew Bynum in his return to Philly, and Bynum called it “ a little weak.”

• If this is what the Vanderbilt game looked like, imagine what the crowd will be for Georgia Southern in a couple weeks:

• Fresno State beat UC-Irvine on a half-court buzzer beater in overtime:

• The Missouri Southern State coach who was killed in a movie theater parking lot had been at a movie with his killer’s estranged wife.

• Minnesota broke the Governor’s Victory Bell trophy after beating Penn State.

• And then coach Jerry Kill danced:

• Washington Capitals video coach Brett Leonhardt filled in in net at practice on Friday, and this happened. Imagine if he hadn’t been wearing a cup:

• After Oregon’s loss to Stanford, someone gifted former Ducks running back LaMichael James a new shirt:

• LeBron’s wife is opening a juice bar in Miami.

• A UCF receiver who was carted off after a vicious hit in Saturday’s win over Houston was released from the hospital.

• SB Nation interviewed a guy who made a chain mail hockey jersey in honor of the San Jose Sharks.

• Jordan Weethee of VMI has ups:

• He’s not the only one to throw down a monster dunk this weekend, though:

• But neither of these guys managed to rip the rim right off the backboard:

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