Wade Phillips is one of most revered defensive coordinators in the NFL today, fueling the Broncos‘ Super Bowl run last season. But, that didn't stop former NFL coach and current ESPN commentator Jon Gruden from passing along some advice.

Phillips doesn't always take himself too seriously, but he's a proud man. He can take a joke, but when his coaching tactics are questioned, he tenses up.

Despite losing in each of the last two weeks, Denver's stout defense is currently performing at a better clip than last season, at least in terms of points per game. Still, Gruden noted changes he would make after watching tape from the defeats: he'd play more zone to lighten the responsibility of their linebackers, who have been exploited by opposing running backs and tight ends between the hashes.

It's been awhile since Wade's defensive unit has received criticism. Phillips responded accordingly.

From Nick Groke of the Denver Post:

“Well, Jon Gruden hasn’t coached in a while, has he?” Phillips said. “We were playing zone on quite a few of those plays. We haven’t played as well as we wanted to, obviously, because we didn’t win. But we’re still the best pass defense in the National Football League and against a lot of top quarterbacks.”

Well done, Wade.

To be fair, Gruden has been connected to numerous coaching vacancies over the last few years, and he still religiously watches game film. But, given Denver's success, Phillips' response to Gruden's comments is understandable.