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Gregg Williams, "Remember Me"
By: Brian Milici
January 14, 2012
It has been an exciting week of football in many respects. Championships were crowned in one fashion or another. The Alabama Crimson Tide looked every part of the best team ever in college football after dismantling LSU 21-0 in the Superdome. The only problem was they were not vying for that title, LSU was. Nick Saban was consumed by his earlier season defeat to Les Miles and came out throwing. He broke tendencies.
His team won and did so going away in a manner few could envision happening yet it did just the same.
Then there was the title that the Saints were hot in pursuit of which was another NFC Championship banner to hang in the Superdome. First, they had to travel to San Francisco the scene of many exciting battles between these old NFC West divisional rivals. The 49ers were riding the wave of a dominant defense, outstanding special teams, and a steady offense.
San Francisco had a steady run game, and a quarterback that while he didn't make big plays he more importantly did not create big plays for the opposition.
This was the same recipe LSU followed to such an exciting undefeated season.
The same recipe that failed them against Saban in the Superdome.
Now, the Saints and 49ers only met in the pre-season, but it too was shrouded by controversy. At least as much as an exhibition game can create. There were rumors new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh slighted Sean Payton of the Saints by not calling ahead and discussing the game.
Saints radio play-by-play man Jim Henderson reported that Payton told embattled defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to let the dogs out and blitz Alex Smith repeatedly. Smith was a quarterback at a crossroads never having lived up to his first overall selection draft status and he seemed a deer in the headlights that night. The 49ers complained openly about the blitzing after the game while the Saints dismissed their commentary as sour grapes.
There were a lot of things going on today.
You could discuss Drew Brees' record pass attempts in the post-season, the fact that the Saints played without Pierre Thomas after a devastating first quarter hit that left him defenseless and knocked out and perhaps was the harbinger of the way the game would go. One big hit on the Saints after the other. We could focus on the phenomenal job the defense did in limiting the 49ers to only 17 points when the Saints had turned it over 5 times.
Yet none of those things stand out. We've seen this script before.
The offense struggles early and the defense hangs in there when the game becomes close and the offense takes a lead the defense just needs to seal it.
Well, it's been hard to do.
We saw it earlier this season against the Titans as Jake Locker nearly completed an amazing comeback victory directing a near weaponless offense.
Tonight it was Alex Smith first confounding the Saints defense with his legs for a score, but moreso the decision to play man coverage on tight end Vernon Davis who was the sole passing threat the 49ers possessed.
The Saints corners were too much for Williams, Ginn, and Crabtree. Porter, Greer, and Robinson routinely shut down the opposing wide receivers yet we saw time after time Gregg match up safeties on Davis in man coverage.
Why?
Gregg has been enamored with Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins from the outset and they are the main cogs of his defense. They were also the main antagonists that brought about talk of dirty hits by Saints defenders and gave the defense the moniker of a cheap shot club. They played with an edge, but they rarely played physical in the manner that San Francisco exhibited today.
Within the confines of the rules we saw San Francisco man up and pummel the Saints offense from the front line on back. This has been missing from the Saints defense for Gregg's entire tenure here except that magical post-season run in 2009.
At the end of the day, the Saints marched down the field and scored to put them ahead of a bad offensive Seattle football team.
Gregg's defense was immortalized by Pete Carroll's Seahawks team that beat them despite posting a losing record on the backs of Marshawn Lynch's dominating run through, around, and over his entire Saint defense.
The very next year the Saints offense comes alive for two scintillating touchdowns to Sproles and then Jimmy Graham that would have been killshots against most teams especially on such a very good and physical defense as San Francisco boasts.
However, Alex Smith trotted onto the field and saw man coverage on Vernon Davis and he knew he was in for a good time. Few can cover such an athlete, and none wearing black and gold did tonight.
Davis had an eye-popping 7 catches for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns including the game-winner with less than ten seconds left on the clock.
The 49ers wide receiver corps? Well, they combined for 7 catches for 48 yards and no scores.
What were Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter doing at the end? Where was superb athlete Patrick Robinson?
Were they really manning up on Kyle Williams and Michael Crabtree?
Was that the best allocation of your defensive assets at that critical juncture of the game?
Gregg Williams shocked many of us with his intriguing method of putting two defenders on Detroit's Calvin Johnson during the regular season. He limited Calvin to a subpar game and the Lions lost because their other players could not step up.
It is a damn shame he did not employ a similar mindset and tactic here because if he had the Saints are advancing into the post-season.
Meanwhile, there are no bigger fans of Gregg Williams than the staff of the Green Bay Packers.
For the second straight year a former PAC-10 coach enters the NFL and outwits Gregg Williams' defense and sends the Saints to an early playoff exit.
Oddly enough, Alabama had trouble defending the option of the LSU Tigers in their first game, but Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart credited Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams with helping them devise a gameplan to stop LSU's option.
What was he doing helping a college team do anything?
There have been recent reports that Gregg would join his former friend and head coach Jeff Fisher in St. Louis once his contract expires after this season here in New Orleans. Why would this be the case if things hadn't soured significantly between he and Sean Payton?
Famously, Payton complained openly as he was mic'd up for the Super Bowl as Colts tight end Dallas Clark beat Saints defenders time after time for big catches at critical moments. Payton's main point of emphasis was that it is a sin to let their best player beat you.
Anyone watching today knows that was very much the case as Davis was just that for San Francisco -- so much so that a novena might be in order on behalf of one Williams, Gregg.
There will be few Saints fans who remember Tracy Porter's pick six of Peyton Manning as a lasting legacy of Gregg Williams' defensive genius, but rather the Mike Martz of defense routinely ignoring down, distance, time remaining and placement in the game, as well as proper coverage responsibilities given that in favor of the blitz.
His legacy is a few loudmouth radio comments, a couple of safeties who talk a big game and don't deliver come the post-season, and when the game is on the line he will put his defense in position to make a big play -- sadly more often for the opponent's offense than his own defense.
Goodbye, Gregg Williams.
I wish I could say we hardly knew you, but sadly we cannot.
Those "remember me" hits you bragged about will be your lasting New Orleans legacy.
Sadly they were parting shots as your defense ushered the team a quick exit in consecutive seasons to two former PAC-10 coaches with average at best offenses you made look far better than they really were or are.
By: Brian Milici
January 14, 2012
It has been an exciting week of football in many respects. Championships were crowned in one fashion or another. The Alabama Crimson Tide looked every part of the best team ever in college football after dismantling LSU 21-0 in the Superdome. The only problem was they were not vying for that title, LSU was. Nick Saban was consumed by his earlier season defeat to Les Miles and came out throwing. He broke tendencies.
His team won and did so going away in a manner few could envision happening yet it did just the same.
Then there was the title that the Saints were hot in pursuit of which was another NFC Championship banner to hang in the Superdome. First, they had to travel to San Francisco the scene of many exciting battles between these old NFC West divisional rivals. The 49ers were riding the wave of a dominant defense, outstanding special teams, and a steady offense.
San Francisco had a steady run game, and a quarterback that while he didn't make big plays he more importantly did not create big plays for the opposition.
This was the same recipe LSU followed to such an exciting undefeated season.
The same recipe that failed them against Saban in the Superdome.
Now, the Saints and 49ers only met in the pre-season, but it too was shrouded by controversy. At least as much as an exhibition game can create. There were rumors new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh slighted Sean Payton of the Saints by not calling ahead and discussing the game.
Saints radio play-by-play man Jim Henderson reported that Payton told embattled defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to let the dogs out and blitz Alex Smith repeatedly. Smith was a quarterback at a crossroads never having lived up to his first overall selection draft status and he seemed a deer in the headlights that night. The 49ers complained openly about the blitzing after the game while the Saints dismissed their commentary as sour grapes.
There were a lot of things going on today.
You could discuss Drew Brees' record pass attempts in the post-season, the fact that the Saints played without Pierre Thomas after a devastating first quarter hit that left him defenseless and knocked out and perhaps was the harbinger of the way the game would go. One big hit on the Saints after the other. We could focus on the phenomenal job the defense did in limiting the 49ers to only 17 points when the Saints had turned it over 5 times.
Yet none of those things stand out. We've seen this script before.
The offense struggles early and the defense hangs in there when the game becomes close and the offense takes a lead the defense just needs to seal it.
Well, it's been hard to do.
We saw it earlier this season against the Titans as Jake Locker nearly completed an amazing comeback victory directing a near weaponless offense.
Tonight it was Alex Smith first confounding the Saints defense with his legs for a score, but moreso the decision to play man coverage on tight end Vernon Davis who was the sole passing threat the 49ers possessed.
The Saints corners were too much for Williams, Ginn, and Crabtree. Porter, Greer, and Robinson routinely shut down the opposing wide receivers yet we saw time after time Gregg match up safeties on Davis in man coverage.
Why?
Gregg has been enamored with Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins from the outset and they are the main cogs of his defense. They were also the main antagonists that brought about talk of dirty hits by Saints defenders and gave the defense the moniker of a cheap shot club. They played with an edge, but they rarely played physical in the manner that San Francisco exhibited today.
Within the confines of the rules we saw San Francisco man up and pummel the Saints offense from the front line on back. This has been missing from the Saints defense for Gregg's entire tenure here except that magical post-season run in 2009.
At the end of the day, the Saints marched down the field and scored to put them ahead of a bad offensive Seattle football team.
Gregg's defense was immortalized by Pete Carroll's Seahawks team that beat them despite posting a losing record on the backs of Marshawn Lynch's dominating run through, around, and over his entire Saint defense.
The very next year the Saints offense comes alive for two scintillating touchdowns to Sproles and then Jimmy Graham that would have been killshots against most teams especially on such a very good and physical defense as San Francisco boasts.
However, Alex Smith trotted onto the field and saw man coverage on Vernon Davis and he knew he was in for a good time. Few can cover such an athlete, and none wearing black and gold did tonight.
Davis had an eye-popping 7 catches for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns including the game-winner with less than ten seconds left on the clock.
The 49ers wide receiver corps? Well, they combined for 7 catches for 48 yards and no scores.
What were Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter doing at the end? Where was superb athlete Patrick Robinson?
Were they really manning up on Kyle Williams and Michael Crabtree?
Was that the best allocation of your defensive assets at that critical juncture of the game?
Gregg Williams shocked many of us with his intriguing method of putting two defenders on Detroit's Calvin Johnson during the regular season. He limited Calvin to a subpar game and the Lions lost because their other players could not step up.
It is a damn shame he did not employ a similar mindset and tactic here because if he had the Saints are advancing into the post-season.
Meanwhile, there are no bigger fans of Gregg Williams than the staff of the Green Bay Packers.
For the second straight year a former PAC-10 coach enters the NFL and outwits Gregg Williams' defense and sends the Saints to an early playoff exit.
Oddly enough, Alabama had trouble defending the option of the LSU Tigers in their first game, but Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart credited Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams with helping them devise a gameplan to stop LSU's option.
What was he doing helping a college team do anything?
There have been recent reports that Gregg would join his former friend and head coach Jeff Fisher in St. Louis once his contract expires after this season here in New Orleans. Why would this be the case if things hadn't soured significantly between he and Sean Payton?
Famously, Payton complained openly as he was mic'd up for the Super Bowl as Colts tight end Dallas Clark beat Saints defenders time after time for big catches at critical moments. Payton's main point of emphasis was that it is a sin to let their best player beat you.
Anyone watching today knows that was very much the case as Davis was just that for San Francisco -- so much so that a novena might be in order on behalf of one Williams, Gregg.
There will be few Saints fans who remember Tracy Porter's pick six of Peyton Manning as a lasting legacy of Gregg Williams' defensive genius, but rather the Mike Martz of defense routinely ignoring down, distance, time remaining and placement in the game, as well as proper coverage responsibilities given that in favor of the blitz.
His legacy is a few loudmouth radio comments, a couple of safeties who talk a big game and don't deliver come the post-season, and when the game is on the line he will put his defense in position to make a big play -- sadly more often for the opponent's offense than his own defense.
Goodbye, Gregg Williams.
I wish I could say we hardly knew you, but sadly we cannot.
Those "remember me" hits you bragged about will be your lasting New Orleans legacy.
Sadly they were parting shots as your defense ushered the team a quick exit in consecutive seasons to two former PAC-10 coaches with average at best offenses you made look far better than they really were or are.
Sucks when you talk a lot of trash and then your guys can't back it up huh?
