THE QUESTION was about the Eagles' defensive scheme, specifically its culpability in Monday night's 26-24 loss in Atlanta. DeMeco Ryan flashed that 'tweener smile of his, simultaneously friendly and condescending, and spit this out:
"It has nothing to do with the scheme," he said. "It never matters what kind of scheme, what kind of calls you have . . . No matter what scheme you're in. It's all about players making plays."
Which is interesting, because the narrative about Bill Belichick's genius and chicanery is that he schemes to beat whoever he's playing that week. Specifically, he identifies what you like to do the most, what makes your offense the most comfortable, and he seeks to take it away.