Coordinators in the crosshairs — 49ers’ Ryans, Seattle’s Norton looking for defensive improvement
49ers' DeMeco Ryans, Seahawks Ken Norton Jr. are getting unfavorable reviews after Week 3 losses
SANTA CLARA — The life of a coordinator can mean going from brilliant to buffoon one week and scapegoat to savior the next.
With the 49ers, there are already questions about DeMeco Ryans after the 49ers’ 30-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers, having mostly to do with Aaron Rodgers being able to complete 42 yards worth of passes in the final 37 seconds to set up a 51-yard field goal by Mason Crosby that sent the 49ers to defeat.
As for the Seattle Seahawks, who visit Levi’s Stadium Sunday, former 49ers linebacker Ken Norton Jr. is insulated to some degree because head coach Pete Carroll has long been considered the defensive mastermind, but he’ll likely be the fall guy if Seattle has more games such as their Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
“When things work, you’re a genius. When they don’t, you’re an idiot,” New York Jets Robert Saleh told reporters Wednesday. “That’s what it is. That’s the NFL forever and a day.”
Saleh, Ryans’ predecessor with the 49ers, was responding specifically to a question about his own offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur, but his point is well taken when it comes to coordinators in general and both sides of the ball.
Unlike sitting on a couch and playing Madden, coordinating is about teaching and executing play calls and schemes rather than simply dialing them up. The smallest adjustment — if Fred Warner had played five yards deeper on a 25-yard pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams for example — can mean the difference between a win and a loss.
It’s worth remembering that Saleh, before he became nationally known for his energetic sideline demeanor while the 49ers were rolling defensively, was getting his share of criticism in 2017 — more than Ryans is receiving now.
“Comparing it to Saleh’s start, to me, is apples to oranges,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We had a totally different team then. It’s not that Saleh just learned how to be a good coach and all of a sudden we did well. That took time, putting the team together. I think we have a head start this year compared to where we did four years ago.”
If Ryans is overly stressed after the Packers loss, there was no sign of it Thursday in his weekly meeting with the local media. He spoke in optimistic generalities, held himself accountable and promised his approach will not change even if the things he’s faced with each week aren’t the same.
“Every week presents its own set of different challenges,” Ryans said. “Every week, just learning as much as I can. There’s not a set way things are going to go. Trying to prepare as best we can every week for whatever can be thrown our way.”
Ryans, who said he doesn’t sleep after games, methodically reviewed film in the aftermath of the Packers loss, looking for positives and areas that need improvement, then did it again with his staff.
“Whether it’s a win or a loss, that process doesn’t change for me,” Ryans said.
The 49ers gave up a flurry of points late in the season-opening win at Detroit, and played well throughout a 17-11 win over Philadelphia in Week 2. Shanahan isn’t about to judge his first-time coordinator for joining a long list of Rodgers victims with 14 games to play. They are ranked 16th in total defense at 370.3 yards per game, and Shanahan doesn’t expect it to remain that way with Ryans in charge.
“He’s strong-minded. He’s not a yes man at all. He’s going to listen to you,” Shanahan said. “He’s going to tell you what he thinks and he’s never going to stop working at it. So, I’ve been really impressed with DeMeco in these three weeks when it’s been good and when it’s been bad. How he’s handled it during the games, how he’s handled it after the games.”
Warner dismissed any possibility the 49ers would look askance at Ryans because of early inconsistencies.
“We’re three games in,” Warner said. “That’s not even a thought. We’re focused on the Seattle Seahawks and being the best version of ourselves.”
Norton was an in-season firing by coach Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator in 2017 as the Raiders defense struggled in a 6-10 season. He was hired by the 49ers in January of 2018 as an assistant head coach/linebackers coach only to depart a week later to become a coordinator in Seattle. Last weekend, he saw his defense on the field for more than 22 minutes in the second half in a 30-17 loss in Minnesota as the Seahawks fell to 1-2. Afterward, cornerback Tre Flowers openly wondered about some scheme issues.
In talking with the Seattle media Wednesday, Norton said, “I think it’s losing and frustration. Any time you lose, everyone’s trying to find a reason. I think it’s a matter of, just `win more.’ If you just win more, you’ll have a lot less complaining.”
The Seahawks have thus far been unable to unleash safety Jamal Adams, who cost them two first-round draft picks as well as a multi-million dollar contract, as the kind of blitzing safety who helped Seattle improve last year after a woeful start on defense.
Norton, like Ryans, is seeking improvement in all areas rather than zeroing in on a specific area.
“Defense is chemistry, it’s emotion, it’s technique,” Norton said. “It’s all these things that are put together. So guys have to get used to playing together.”
Shanahan looks at the talent on the Seahawks and it doesn’t equate with their No. 32 defensive ranking, giving up a whopping 440.3 yards per game.
“I know their defense’s numbers aren’t very good, but that won’t be the case at the end of the year,” Shanahan said. “They fly around, they hit, they cause turnovers and they’re a very good team.”