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DeMeco Ryans raised up his coordinating ability another level by drawing up a masterful game plan for the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, January 22 in Lambeau Field: Bottling the Green Bay Packers to 10 points and sacking Aaron Rodgers five times to win 13-10.
Now, the defensive coordinator could get a job elevation.
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Ryans’ name has emerged as a potential head coaching candidate. And on Sunday, January 23 on the NFL Network, insider Tom Pelissero revealed that Ryans spent his Sunday interviewing for a head coaching opening in the NFC.
“Coming off that dominant performance against last night in Green Bay, 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans interviews today for the Vikings’ head coaching job,” Pelissero said.
And at 3:10 p.m. PT, the Vikings Twitter account confirmed they did interview Ryans.
What Ryans has Accomplished
It’s one thing to hold the league’s 10th best scoring offense to just 10 points.
But Ryans has gotten his unit to bottle up the points against the league’s highest scoring offense the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs as well. Here’s a list of accomplishments his defense has done:
- Sacks: The 49ers have produced five sacks in back-to-back games against Pro Bowl quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Rodgers.
- Stay grounded: Ryans’ run defense hasn’t allowed a 100-yard back in this postseason run.
- No 100-yard receiver: No wideout — including CeeDee Lamb and Davante Adams — have surpassed the triple digit mark against the 49ers’ pass defense.
And against the Packers, Ryans proved to be even more masterful at adjusting and attacking.
Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN, Rodgers endured his worst QBR mark of his illustrious career.
Ryans then played some mind games with Rodgers and the Packers, as noted by Hall of Famer and the NFL Network’s Kurt Warner. During this sequence, Ryans blitzed both of his safeties while Rodgers uncorked a bomb to his favorite target Davante Adams. However, the 49ers had an extra safety, Talanoa Hufanga, drop back and assist in covering Adams, causing the confusion on the throw.
Also, inside the red zone and facing the possibility of being down 14-3, Ryans helped put Arik Armstead in a situation where he draws the one-on-one trench battle — ensuring if there’s going to be a double team, it’ll free him up for the sack and force the field goal.
Ryans Receiving Online Endorsements for Head Coach
Ryans called a plan so brilliantly, that even his Pro Bowl linebacker Fred Warner, who forced an early fumble in the game, lauded the brain cells Ryans has as a coordinator.
Bruce Feldman, college football insider for The Athletic, recalled Ryans’ journey from standout at Alabama to now a hot name in head coaching circles.
Cameron Salerno, who covers the 49ers for the Sacramento Bee, is an endorser of Ryans.
Even a man representing Ryans’ other former NFL team the Philadelphia Eagles, play-by-play voice Merrill Reese, says Ryans is deserving of his job promotion.
Lastly, one longtime NFL beat writer who now covers one AFC team searching for a head coach is pushing Ryans’ name to the team he covers.
John McClain, who has covered the NFL for 45 years with the Houston Chronicle and serves as an insider covering the Houston Texans, has monitored the head coaching situation involving that AFC team — with the latest news pointing to Josh McCown as the proverbial favorite to take over the head coaching reins.
McClain, however, offered up this suggestion at 9:30 a.m. PT to the Texans:
“Texans are interviewing so many candidates with one year experience as coordinators they should interview DeMeco Ryans, one of the most popular and respected players in Houston history,” McClain tweeted.
McClain wasn’t through, though:
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