The Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Tuesday and some members of the team’s defense took to Twitter to express their reaction to the news.
Defensive end Jason Hatcher called it “a sad day” and linebacker Bruce Carter didn’t need all 140 characters to share his “WTF” feelings with the world. Cornerback Brandon Carr did a radio interview with WFAA on Tuesday night, allowing him more space to expand on his thoughts.
Carr noted the injuries that left the team shorthanded down the stretch, but he also said he understood why the team wanted to hold Ryan accountable for the defense’s poor performance.
“I’m not into pointing fingers,” Carr said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I go out there and try to do the job to my best ability. I believe our coaching staff put us in positions to make plays. Some of that lies on us being accountable for our own actions and not getting the job done on Sundays. Of course, some of that goes back on coaches. It’s a 50-50 split. That decision was made from higher up. As a player, you have to roll with the punches.”
Given Jerry Jones’ promise to make changes, it’s hard to be surprised by the Cowboys’ decision to part ways with Ryan. He certainly wasn’t to blame for everything that went into the subpar results from the defense and they were off to a good start before all of the injuries, but this is hardly the first time those distinctions have resulted in an NFL coach losing his job.