Defensive Back Logan Ryan
Q: How do you sum up this season right now?
A: Adversity. In terms of adversity this season, for sure. I don't think it met many peoples' expectations, not mine. I don't know, I haven't had time to recap it yet. I'm sure tomorrow, whenever we have another press conference, I'll have more thoughts on that. I really was just focused on that game. Just a lot of adversity and see how we handled it and see how we handle it going forward.
Q: Back in August, was it hard to think you'd be sitting here in January at 4-13?
A: No, I don't think anyone thought that. Definitely was not the expectation. Didn't go our way – for not getting it done, for a lot of reasons, it didn't go our way. Obviously, in my career I haven't been in this position before, I've spoken on that. That's a good thing, but I'm learning the other side of it now. I'm learning the other side of the spectrum and trying to get some meaning in between. I've been in Super Bowls years ago, who cares? Now, playing a game out of playoff contention, it's different. I think at least it gives me perspective on both sides of it and I think a lot to learn from this season.
Q: I don't think you have much experience with this, but does this feel like a team where a coaching change could be made? Does this feel unsettling or unsettled to you right now, this situation?
A: I mean, the one thing I know about the league is there's always changes. There's always changes, it's inevitable in this league. The roster is going to change. That was the last game we played together with those players, with my teammates collectively. I'm not going to speak on anything that I don't know about. I don't think anyone could predict that, but I know that there will be change because there's always change on rosters and guys like that, so it's always tough. Some guys played their last game in the NFL today, that's always tough. Nothing's guaranteed in this league, so just grateful for the opportunity to take the field with these guys. Didn't get the reward at all this year, but some guys and most of the guys put in a lot of work this year. Unfortunate it didn't go our way, but that's just how it goes sometimes.
Q: What do you think as a defensive player when you see your offense running QB sneaks from the three-yard line, third-and-eight?
A: I mean, the game is built on field position. At the end of the day, it's built on field position and if they felt like they wanted space to punt, that happens, to flip the field and play good defense. Regardless, however the offense is playing, it's just the margin of error for the defense goes up or down. How well the defense is playing gives the offense more margin for error. There have been teams that have won with dominant defense and mediocre offense, and we just weren't dominant enough to win that way this year. Obviously, with the injuries that we've had on this team, especially on offense, that they weren't going to be the highest-scoring offense this year. When you lose your quarterback, you lose a lot of your skill players, you lose half your O-line, you're not going to have that production that you might have predicted. But I saw the Jacksonville Jaguars carry their team to an AFC Championship. I've seen it happen. You've just got to find a way to win. I felt like we didn't get a good rhythm and find a good way to win fast enough this year, and obviously with everything going on, COVID and injuries and whatever they may be that everyone is dealing with around the league, we just didn't get our rhythm and didn't find our way to win soon enough this year.
Q: They had the lead 12-7 and then they came down and scored on you. What did you see in their offense and what did they do?
A: That was the worst part of the day, in my opinion. Offense gave us an opportunity to make it a game there. Schematically, they just stretched and cut back on us. Until I watch the film, I don't know why or how or what it may have been, but I just think schematically they have some scheme runs that were able to stretch and cut back. (Washington Running Back Antonio) Gibson is a good runner and he was just able to stretch out our defense and cut back, get downhill. We don't want to have vertical seams in our run defense. That's not what we're looking for, but until I watch the film, I'm not going to know why or how. I just think it was a schematic thing, that they had some good plays called to run the ball. They didn't give us a lot of opportunities in the air the second half – Zay (Safety Xavier McKinney) got his hands on the ball. We were able to get some sacks. I think they really just kept it on the ground and played a field position game like we talked about and just close the game out. We've got to get a stop on that drive and that's just why I'm not up here pointing fingers, not pointing blame. There are plays we could have made on our side to make that a game going into the fourth quarter there.
Q: If (Head Coach) Joe (Judge) did get fired, what would you think of that?
A: I'm not going to answer hypotheticals. When you ask me next season or whatever – but 'if', I don't know.
Q: Would it upset you?
A: It's a hypothetical question, so I don't know.
Q: You brought up a team like Jacksonville, they had three premium pass rushers getting to the quarterback. In order for this defense to get where you want it to be, how much do you think that that's something that needs to be addressed?
A: I don't know. (Linebacker) Azeez Ojulari has been a good addition to our team. We'll need (Linebacker) Blake Martinez to be that – he's a huge piece of what we do. When you lose a player like Blake and Pep (Defensive Back Jabrill Peppers), our defense changes. Our defense changed. We have to run it differently and that's just adjusting throughout. (Linebacker) Tae Crowder had to step up this year, we kind of got a lot of other guys in that other linebacker position through addition – (Linebacker) Jaylon Smith has been here a month, B-Mac (Linebacker Benardrick McKinney) has been here two months, (Linebacker) Reggie Ragland has been in the first year of our scheme. In order to be that type of defense, you need your key players on the field. Unfortunately, when we had some of those injuries, it just changed what we had to do. We've got to figure out a way faster to get on the same page so we could be a dominant defense. I do think we have personnel to be that. We're going to have a high pick in the draft or so, some high picks in the draft, obviously. I do think that you can try to win that way. All I can control is when I'm on the field and that's predominantly on defense, so that's what I care about.
