Where Does Gregg Williams Fit Into Saints History? (1 Viewer)

[DerrickB]

Or alternatively, how do you view Gregg Williams?
I ask this because the 15th anniversary of XLIV is creeping up and with that comes the accolades from that early ‘06-‘11 era.
Brees gets into the HOF and the Saints Ring of Honor with Payton following him at some point.
Various players getting inducted into the Saints HOF. Even some executives.
But what about Williams. Does he get excluded from any of this because of the events of the offseason of ‘12? Or does he get a welcome back.

Everybody makes mistakes.

 

[Madmarsha]

In a glass case of emotion.

 

[Bayouboy]

Live by the sword (Superbowl), die by the sword (2011 SF).

Literally the highest of highs and lowest of lows for me with this franchise. I still contend the 2011 Saints were the best ever. The end of the San Francisco game still haunts me.

 

[Dome50]

The amount of mileage he got out of a defense that really didn't have elite talent outside of Vilma, Greer, and Sharper is actually crazy when you sit down and look at it.

Will Smith was at the end of his career and no longer the force he used to be.
Charles Grant? LOL.
Sedrick Ellis was basically a bust.
Hargrove was talented but troubled.
Bobby McCray was a situational roleplayer.

Vilma was genuinely elite.
Fujita was average to above average, but definitely not in the league's elite.
Shanle... absolutely no one will call him elite, great, or even good.

Darren Sharper had one final gallon of elite gas in the tank.
Greer was genuinely elite.
Porter was as likely to lose the game as he was to win it. 2009 he won more than he lost gambling, but when you look at his career, he was not good.
Roman Harper was a downhill in the box strong safety (an extinct position) with zero pass coverage awareness.
Malcolm Jenkins was a rookie.

Gregg Williams was able to turn that into one of the scariest defenses in the league for exactly one season, which honestly was one season more than they had any right of being good.

He called a brilliant 2009 season and constantly had his players, including guys like McKenzie and McAllister signed off the streets balling out of their minds.

It is perfectly fine to hate him and hope he falls down a flight of stairs covered in legos, but you gotta give him credit where it is due, and 2009 was basically his perfect year.

This is a good point and people tend to forget that the 2009 roster, while beloved, was far from a cast of All-Pros. Same with the offense. We had peak Brees and some All pros at guard, but beyond that, no pro bowl level RB's, TE's or WR's (though Colston should have been one). Get you a good quarterback, protect him, call the right plays and then compliment him with a solid but unspectacular defense that can get you some turnovers and your got a superbowl recipe.

Will always be one of Payton's biggest failures to me that he couldn't compliment his offense with a middle of the pack defense more consistently.

 

[dutar76]

The amount of mileage he got out of a defense that really didn't have elite talent outside of Vilma, Greer, and Sharper is actually crazy when you sit down and look at it.

Will Smith was at the end of his career and no longer the force he used to be.
Charles Grant? LOL.
Sedrick Ellis was basically a bust.
Hargrove was talented but troubled.
Bobby McCray was a situational roleplayer.

Vilma was genuinely elite.
Fujita was average to above average, but definitely not in the league's elite.
Shanle... absolutely no one will call him elite, great, or even good.

Darren Sharper had one final gallon of elite gas in the tank.
Greer was genuinely elite.
Porter was as likely to lose the game as he was to win it. 2009 he won more than he lost gambling, but when you look at his career, he was not good.
Roman Harper was a downhill in the box strong safety (an extinct position) with zero pass coverage awareness.
Malcolm Jenkins was a rookie.

Gregg Williams was able to turn that into one of the scariest defenses in the league for exactly one season, which honestly was one season more than they had any right of being good.

He called a brilliant 2009 season and constantly had his players, including guys like McKenzie and McAllister signed off the streets balling out of their minds.

It is perfectly fine to hate him and hope he falls down a flight of stairs covered in legos, but you gotta give him credit where it is due, and 2009 was basically his perfect year.

Bump

 

[DK]

Without Greg Williams Saints wouldn’t have a Super Bowl…. Believe what u want Payton never got us back without Greg……

 

[Lendro Furioso]

It disgusted me that he was suspended “indefinitely” but was in fact reinstated before SP.

I’ll fondly remember the 48 point slaughter we delivered on the Rams with him as DC. Shoulda been 60!

 

[Cajun Mike]

Goodell on a power play.

 

[kansast]

Think what went down was BS. He’s a New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Champion defensive coach. I Don’t recall any saints defensive player playing dirty on the field. Yeah they beat up on Favre in the playoffs. Which paid off in the end

 

[SaintsFanInLA]

A Super Bowl winning coach who also had the biggest most STUPID play-calling that cost us another possible Super Bowl with playing man coverage against the 49ers; a team that NEVER had a TD scoring drive under 3 or 4 minutes ALLLLL season but allowed them to march 80 yards in little over a minute.

 

[Scorpius the Allfather]

Live by the sword (Superbowl), die by the sword (2011 SF).

Literally the highest of highs and lowest of lows for me with this franchise. I still contend the 2011 Saints were the best ever. The end of the San Francisco game still haunts me.

We could win 5 Super Bowls in a row and I'll still be haunted by the 2011 loss.

 

[David Robbins]

Gregg Williams = Buddy Ryan

Same ego.

 

[jbourque]

Brilliant defensive coach who put his players in position to win by playing to their strengths. One thing you could count on was we were going to blitz and bring pressure.

 

[Saint Jack]

We could win 5 Super Bowls in a row and I'll still be haunted by the 2011 loss.

For me, it helps that the Saints won the championship two years before.
If the Saints were still on a drought, I’d agree with ya.

 

[blackadder]

Or alternatively, how do you view Gregg Williams?
I ask this because the 15th anniversary of XLIV is creeping up and with that comes the accolades from that early ‘06-‘11 era.
Brees gets into the HOF and the Saints Ring of Honor with Payton following him at some point.
Various players getting inducted into the Saints HOF. Even some executives.
But what about Williams. Does he get excluded from any of this because of the events of the offseason of ‘12? Or does he get a welcome back.

I think GW was critical. There probably is not a Super Bowl victory without his contribution. The defense was not dominant overall. Middling but opportunistic. The turnovers generated were crucial and came at critical moments in that season.

And to clinch it, GWs game plan for the Super Bowl was credited with keeping Manning just enough off balance. He created 4 game plans to change looks by quarter.

You can argue the defense was really the critical difference maker that year to get all the way over the top to win the Super Bowl.