After nearly two full seasons, the Buffalo Bills decided to relieve Rex Ryan of his head coaching duties Tuesday.
Many Bills players were outspoken about Ryan’s firing, including defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, who said Ryan’s defensive scheme was “too much detail for a lot of guys.”
On CBS Sports Radio’s “DA Show,” former Ravens and Jets linebacker Bart Scott gave his two cents on Dareus’ comments. Ryan was Scott’s defensive coordinator during his time in Baltimore, and the two reunited in New York when Ryan coached the Jets.
Scott didn’t react kindly.
“Instead of reading his playbook, he was too busy lighting up,” Scott told the “DA Show,” as transcribed by Sporting News. “Are you serious? First of all, I’ve been in this system my entire career. Eleven years, I’ve been in this system. As a defensive lineman, you only have like four (or five) fronts. Man, if you can’t remember five fronts, I don’t know what to tell you, bro. We can’t put the playbook in crayon.”
Scott continued his rant, claiming there’s no excuse for Dareus not to have an understanding of the playbook.
“I played with at least four teammates that were dyslexic, and they picked it up,” Scott added. “So Marcell Dareus needs to be reevaluated. I don’t know what his Wonderlic was, but for him to say that defense was complicated, I don’t know.”
It certainly has been a rough season for Dareus, as he was suspended for the first four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images
