The whispers and hints foreshadowed this day.
Rob Ryan tried to say it several times last season. If you listened to the former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator’s interviews last season, there were plenty of times when he made vague statements designed to make his audience wonder whether he had full control of the defense.
It started during training camp last summer, when Ryan talked about the Saints having a vision and him being the guy to advance that vision. In other words, he was trying to say he wasn’t running the defense he designed — or least not entirely.