Eric Mangini was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2009 and 2010, the same period in which Rob Ryan was the Browns’ defensive coordinator, and in a recent interview on ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning”, he admits that Ryan’s brash style sometimes caused him some stress.
"Rob said some things last year that just weren't covered very heavily," Mangini said, via the Dallas Morning News. "Friday for me was always the most stressful 15 minutes when he had his press conference because I didn't know what he was going to say, and someone would inevitably call me and say, 'Hey, Rob said this quarterback can't do this.' Rob was still Rob. It might have been toned down a little bit and not covered as heavily as it is now.
"I don't think that what he does is any different than what he's always done. And the players do like that. They like the fact that he has unwavering confidence in what they can do. Now, part of that deal is that it's got to get backed up."
This is particularly relevant now, as the Cowboys are coming off a 34-7 loss to Philadelphia; back before the season, Ryan sounded off on the Philadelphia Eagles, suggesting that they were the “All-Hype Team” and that Dallas would kick their, er, butts when they met. Of course, that didn’t go as planned--in Mangini's words, it wasn't "backed up"--thus the bristling among some over Ryan’s penchant for speaking his mind.
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