Last year, an average 697 yards were allowed per game in the NFL, which was the most ever. That record topped a record set the previous season, which broke the record set the season before that. This shocking trend of leaking defenses could be a product of a number of things, not the least of which is increasingly restrictive rules against excessive contact.

In the 2012 season, the New Orleans Saints were the absolute worst of the bunch, hemorrhaging yards and giving up “franchise bests,” “league firsts” and “career records” all over the place. Sean Payton was serving his time in the press box and off the sidelines for the infamous Bounty scandal, and Steve Spagnuolo was running the Saints defense clean into the ground. The Saints finished 7-9 and didn’t make the playoffs.

All seemed lost, and then the Dallas Cowboys made the mistake of firing Rob Ryan. He was jobless for no time at all, and went to work for the St. Louis Rams. For all of about 25 minutes, that is. He quit and decided to head to New Orleans to be the defensive coordinator for the Saints.

Rob Ryan went to work and brought the Saints from dead last in total defense rankings to fourth, helping to bring them just eight points shy of an appearance in the NFC Championship game last season.

He’s back for the 2014 season and we can expect more of the same.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ryan gave the best quote to sum up not only his strategy for next year, but his entire ethos:

“I’m always ready to get weird.”

How does Rob Ryan plan to get weird, other than by buying everyone in bars a drink after games? By putting the best 11 players available on the field at all times, regardless of size or position.

Safeties can be bigger than corner backs, who are often bigger to guard wide outs. They can be faster than linebackers, who normally plug holes to stop running backs and square up to or slip past offensive linemen. They can also line up anywhere from 20 yards back from the line of scrimmage to right up on it, so as to put pressure on the quarterback. It’s simple: he puts the best horses in the game and lets them run. Nuts to positions and conventions.

Rob Ryan is as matter-of-fact as it gets. If he wants to let his silver locks flow in the wind, that’s his business. If he wants to buy beer for his fans or ride a float wearing a Drew Brees jersey, that’s his business. If he wants to line Kenny Vaccaro up to blitz the quarterback from the edge, THAT’S HIS BUSINESS. He’s gonna get weird, and it couldn’t be better for the Saints.