Rob Ryan's Time With Saints Drawing to a Slow, Painful Close

Very little has changed on the defensive side of the football for the New Orleans Saints this season, and it all points to the lack of progress made by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. 

After the Saints started the season 0-2, I wrote that Ryan was the team's biggest problem and not its solution on defense. 

Two months later, the narrative remains the same.

The Saints have lost three straight home contests. The latest came Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

During those three losses, the Saints defense gave up 394.7 yards on average. Only two teams—the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons—surrender more yards per game throughout the course of the season than the Saints' effort in recent weeks. Each of the Saints' recent opponents scored 27 points as well. 

This three-game home stretch was supposed to be a prime opportunity for the Saints to take over the NFC South as its dominant team. Instead, the defense let the team down. 

The biggest indictment of any coach is a lack of improvement from his players. 

Ryan's defense surrendered 568 yards in the team's opening game against the Falcons. The unit has now come full circle after the Ravens manufactured 449 yards. 

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

While the number isn't as drastic as it was to start the season, the fashion in which the Ravens gained those yards was very telling. 

Baltimore dominated the Saints' talented defensive front at the point of attack on its way to amassing 215 rushing yards. Ravens running back Justin Forsett set a new career high with 182 rushing yards. 

A lack of discipline and effort from those playing in the trenches directly reflects on Ryan.

With the Saints trailing the Ravens 27-20 in the fourth quarter, a 20-yard touchdown run by Forsett proved to be the final straw to break the coordinator's back. The defense completely lost gap control and gave the sixth-year running back and open lane toward the end zone. 

It was a completely unacceptable effort with the game on the line, as NFL Philosophy tweeted: 

Once Forsett broke the game open, the calls for Ryan's finely coiffed head began even from those who have been reluctant to do so like the The Times-Picayune's Larry Holder: 

Ryan's presence on the sideline has been a distraction most of the season. 

It started with a sideline tiff between the coordinator and his head coach, Sean Payton, during the second game against the Cleveland Browns. 

The situation only improved marginally for a period before Ryan's position with the team returned to unsettled ground. 

CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora called the dynamic between the two coaches into question during Monday's contest:  

Even with the problems the Saints offense experienced in recent weeks, Payton continues to keep it on track as the team's play-caller on that side of the ball. Quarterback Drew Brees and the crew racked up 525 yards of total offense. Even with Brees' pick-six to Ravens safety Will Hill, the offense played well enough to win the contest. 

But the Saints defense couldn't get off the field on crucial downs, which proved to be another indictment of Ryan. 

Despite being very thin in the secondary, the coordinator remained overly aggressive in his play-calling, particularly on third down. His blitz-heavy scheme was repeatedly burnt by Baltimore's veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco. 

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The Ravens finished the contest 9-of-13 on third-down conversions. 

For some unknown reason, Ryan continued to gamble with heavy blitzes, despite having a third-string free safety, an undrafted rookie at cornerback and a hobbled Keenan Lewis in the secondary. These players can't be relied upon to succeed in press coverage with very little help on key downs. 

When those blitzes don't get to the quarterback—and Flacco was quick to connect with his hot reads—those overwhelmed defensive backs were exploited due to poor judgement by their coordinator. 

"If you don't execute, that's what happens ... they keep drives going," linebacker Curtis Lofton said after the game, per NOLA.com.

Lewis even admitted that the defense is currently a train wreck. 

"

Every time we come out, it's something new. Sometimes we have problems with the pass. Sometimes we have problems with the run. Sometimes we have problems with both. We've got to fix everything.

"

However, Ryan's saving grace—at least in the short term—is New Orleans plays in the NFL's worst division. As poor of a job as Ryan has done, the 4-7 Saints may still be considered the favorite to win a division title.

Whether or not the Saints do make the playoffs is inconsequential in the long term, though.

Ryan's time with the franchise is drawing to a close. His inability to build on last season's success while proving to be a liability this season should be enough for Payton and Saints brass to make a quick decision regarding the defensive coordinator's future. 

At this point, it's very likely Ryan will be searching for his fourth job in six years. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFC South for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.