FanHouse Buddy Ryan

NFL Coaches Fight Club: the Tournament. Because we have nothing better to do than predict what might happen if head coaches started punching each other in the face.

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I didn't go to Jets minicamp to listen to Rex Ryan Tuesday. Decided to go Wednesday instead. But it looks like I missed all the fun. During his news conference, the Jets' trash-talking head coach fired back at Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder for comments Crowder made last week about him.

"I don't know this Channing Crowder," Ryan said, unprompted, in the middle of his opening remarks to the media. "But all I know is that he's all tatted up so I need to be nervous about him. He's right about one thing. I am a first-time head coach. But I've been around the game all my life. I'm no different now than I've ever been. It's just that more people are listening."

Former Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden wasn't able to keep his job following an epic late-season collapse. As it turns out, the team's four-game losing streak to close out the season was only part of the reason he was let go in favor of Raheem Morris.

According to Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times, the opinion of the fans played a key role in the decision to replace Gruden. Co-owner Bryan Glazer talked to the press at the Super Bowl media center on Monday and discussed how the Buccaneers came to their decision.

I think Anquan Boldin might be confused. He appears to believe the media is raking him over the coals for getting in an argument with offensive coordinator Todd Haley. If that was the case, it would be a double-standard, considering Kurt Warner got into a heated argument with Haley during the first half. The situations are different, though.

Warner didn't scurry off without celebrating after the game. Warner appeared like a man who just witnessed the birth of his first child. Boldin sulked on his way out to the parking lot while only offering up "no comment," like he witnessed a serious injury.

While football fans (and perhaps owners) in Washington and Cleveland are having dreams about Bill Cowher leaving the confines of the CBS studio and leading their teams to glory, the Oakland Raiders seem to be setting their goals a little lower. Perhaps more realistic, mind you, but definitely lower. Much, much lower.

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen (via PFT) Raiders owner Al Davis, supposedly, is a big fan of New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. Seriously? Kevin Gilbride? This is the name you can come up with? Granted, in the efforts of fairness, this is just a report of a name that might be considered -- but Kevin Gilbride?

Gilbride is, perhaps, most famous for the run-and-shoot offense in his days as Houston Oilers offensive coordinator -- when he was punched on the sidelines by Buddy Ryan, father of current Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan -- and going 6-16 as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers during the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan knows defense. He's the son of former NFL head coach Buddy Ryan, and his twin brother, Rex, is the defensive coordinator in Baltimore.

But the 2007 season has been a forgettable one for Oakland. Not so much the offense -- not much was expected from that unit -- but the defense, which according to Football Outsiders, ranked ninth in 2006. This season, with 11 returning starters, they're 24th.

"It has been disappointing..." [head coach Lane] Kiffin said. "We definitely felt that the defense was going to be the strength of our team this season, coming off of last season and hoping that we'd improve into this season."

So what gives? Well, there's only so much a defensive coordinator can do; missed tackles, blown assignments and underachieving can torpedo the best game plans. Whatever, Ryan's not worried about getting canned:

"I'd be out of a job for two minutes," Ryan said. "Who are we kidding? I'm not worried about it. I love the Raiders. If that happens, so be it. I've coached my ass off."

To a man, Ryan's players say it would be a mistake to fire Ryan. His system is tried-and-true, as evidenced by Oakland's success last season.

True that. There are plenty of teams in need of a defensive overhaul, and Ryan seems like the type of guy that not only relates well to his players, but he also finds a way to get the most out of them. Which explains why last year's two-win team had such a dominant defense.