Gregg Williams vs. Brett Favre
by Dave Cariello on Jan 22, 2010 6:00 AM CST
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PrintBased on the current results of the poll I put up yesterday, many of us are in agreement that shutting down Brett Favre will be more important for the Saints to win than letting Adrian Peterson run wild. That task, of course, undoubtedly falls on the shoulders of the defense; a defense led by coordinator Gregg Williams.
The other day I was having a conversation about the team with Larry, my stores regular UPS driver and a season ticket holder. Larry mentioned he had heard somewhere that Gregg Williams was pretty successful at shutting down Brett Favre in the past. My interest was piqued so I decided to dig deeper.
Gregg Williams and Brett Favre have been active in this league for quite some time so naturally their paths have crossed a few times. By my calculations there were four games in which Williams was on the coaching staff, whether as a defensive coordinator or head coach, of a team that faced Brett Favre. Below are those four games and Favre's statistics in those games. Check it out.
December 20, 1998
Tennessee Oilers 22 @ Green Bay Packers 30
Defensive Coordinator
Date
Opponent
Att
Cmp
Yds
Cmp%
Yds/Att
TD
TD%
INT
INT%
LG
Sack/Lost
Rating
12/20
Tennessee
22
14
253
63.6
11.50
3
13.6
0
0.0
68t
2/10
142.6
Dec. 22, 2002
Buffalo Bills 0 @ Green Bay Packers 10
Head Coach
Date
Opponent
Att
Cmp
Yds
Cmp%
Yds/Att
TD
TD%
INT
INT%
LG
Sack/Lost
Rating
12/22
Buffalo
33
15
114
45.5
3.45
1
3.0
2
6.1
20
2/10
39.2
Oct. 31, 2004
Green Bay Packers 28 @ Washington Redskins 14
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Date
Opponent
Att
Cmp
Yds
Cmp%
Yds/Att
TD
TD%
INT
INT%
LG
Sack/Lost
Rating
10/31
@ Washington
32
20
289
62.5
9.03
1
3.1
3
9.4
48
1/16
63.2
Oct. 14, 2007
Washington Redskins 14 @ Green Bay Packers 17
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Date
Opponent
Att
Cmp
Yds
Cmp%
Yds/Att
TD
TD%
INT
INT%
LG
Sack/Lost
Rating
10/14
Washington
37
19
188
51.4
5.08
0
0.0
2
5.4
60
2/19
43.5
The first thing you'll notice, and this is the bad news, is that Gregg Williams has never found a way to beat Favre. Plain and simple. Every single time Favre has played a team coached by Williams, he has won. There isn't much arguing with that. But the second thing you'll notice is that one of these games is not like the others. Obviously, Favre had a pretty good day against the Tennessee Oilers over eleven years ago. The other times though? Not so much. Gregg Williams has owned Brett Favre in the last three games he has had to plan for him.
In those three games since 2002, Brett Favre was sacked five times and had an average passer rating of 48.6. That's got to bode well for the Saints. The most important stat, however, is that in those three games Favre has thrown a total of seven interceptions. Seven!
So can we expect that kind of production in the interception department from Williams once more, this time with the Saints defense? All signs point to yes; the Saints average interception rate of 4.53% is third best in the league this season and markedly better than any of the other Redskins defenses that Williams used against Favre in the past.
We all know how important of a role turnovers will play in the outcome of Sunday's NFC Championship game - the winner of the turnover battle is almost always the winner of the game - so if the past is any indication of the type of production we will see from a Williams-led defense, then it stands to reason that the Saints offense need only to hold onto the ball and avoid making the very same mistake for victory to be almost assured.
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Coincidentally...
SI story on the importance of interceptions in playoffs.
Williams never managed to beat Favre because his teams never had a good enough offense. That’s why he was thrilled to come to New Orleans. If we can hold Favre to a passer rating in the 60’s, pressure him, sack him, and pick him off multiple times, I GUARANTEE the Saints will win.
This is not your father’s Gregg Williams offense.
BURN THE BLACK PANTS!!!
Well no crap dude..
Thats like saying. If I can read minds, have an extra 10 grand, and can get work off for a few weeks, i PROMISE I’ll win the World Series of Poker!
by Jepp The Viking on Jan 22, 2010 12:40 PM CST up reply actions
"Williams never managed to beat Favre because his teams never had a good enough offense."
I was just about to type the same idea. I can’t wait for game time!
Forget the nickel and dime, you'd better bring a half- dollar to deal with this team.--Tony Moss, NFL editor
Here is the point I like
Greg has controlled Favre in 3 out of 4 games, the teams lost because they could not generate enough offense to outscore Favre even if he was ‘controlled’…Saints can!
Gris Gris Man, Voodoo Surgeon General and Master of Witch Doctory
by Gris Gris Man on Jan 22, 2010 8:59 AM CST up reply actions
You have to remember that
GW runs the defense not the offense. His defense has always done well against Favre. But the teams he ran before never had a good enough offense to win the games. I think GW and Sp have a game plan that will nuetralize the pass rush of the Vikings and Keep their Offense at bay. And their injuries on the D-line are key. Even if Edwards and K. Williams play they won’t be 100% and the only thing you’ll really have to worry about is Allen. And I think he can be nuetralized with chips from the Rbs and TEs enough to give Brees time.
Brees only needs 2 second to make a throw. He reads through his progressions faster than any QB besides Manning. And I think we all need to have faith in Bushrod. He really only had 1 bad game against Dallas and thats because he didn’t get chip help at all in that game for some reason. Plus our boys were just tired you could tell. But they never gave up and almost came back to win it.
We can win this game you guys…. I know we can.
Get ready to FEEL DAT BREES!!!
by born in areacode 318 on Jan 22, 2010 9:32 AM CST up reply actions
Your argument is slightly flawed
I see where you’re going with this, and I like it, but you saying:
“So can we expect that kind of production in the interception department from Williams once more, this time with the Saints defense? All signs point to yes; the Saints average interception rate of 4.53% is third best in the league this season and markedly better than any of the other Redskins defenses that Williams used against Favre in the past.”
doesn’t take into account that Favre is operating with a new team and offense, and his INT rates are the lowest they’ve EVER been. I think you can also argue that the players around Favre are markedly better than any offense he’s ever had around him, and that could counteract the usual turnover output. That’s certainly been the case all year.
Anyway, I’m going to pretend I didn’t just write that because I can’t stand Favre, I love the Saints, and I want us to win. So yeah, he’s going to throw five picks.
Yeah
it’s not as easy as I make it. But you’re just supposed to turn a blind eye. Geez, don’t you know anything! :-)
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by Dave Cariello on Jan 22, 2010 10:00 AM CST up reply actions
hey you made a good point though
Gregg Williams has been pretty consistent at rattling Brett Favre’s cage. Not many defensive coordinators can say that.
Waiting for...
that Vikings troll to come in here, refute what Dave just typed with nonsensical jargon and cap things off by saying “and the Vikings deserve this more!” in 3…2…1…
"Gowin on fourth and 14 will punt it away. He hangs it very high, angling it for the near sideline...HAKIM DROPS THE BALL!!! HAKIM DROPS THE BALL!! Brian Milne might've fallen on it at the ten yard line! It's the New Orleans Saints' football! Brian Milne, the most unlikely hero of them all, falls on the fumble, the muff by Hakim! There is a God after all!" -- Jim Henderson
by hakimdropstheball on Jan 22, 2010 12:07 PM CST reply actions
apparantly we only "moderately" want to win
"We'll have a plan that doesn't involve pooping our pants." --Vikings punter Chris Kluwe on stopping Reggie Bush
by DrewBreesManCrush on Jan 22, 2010 12:09 PM CST up reply actions
Lets just hope
The Vikings beat the ***t out of themselves, using Saints players, as he predicted being a possibility.
"I do know that we have some unfinished business that we started a few years ago and we want to finish the deal."- Dulymus McAllister
I see you fail to mention
Where Gregg Williams was in JAX last year and we absolutely rolled them with a Guss Frerrote lead team and sans Percy Harvin. If you are telling me that Frerrote > Favre than I want what you are smoking so I can give some medicine to Percy.
by Jepp The Viking on Jan 22, 2010 12:44 PM CST reply actions
actually Jepp
Frerotte was 12-20 for 120 yards, no touchdowns and a pick in that game. So yes, while the Vikings rolled the Jags, Frerotte played like absolute shite. I can tell you that A. Frerotte is not better than Favre and Saintsational would never claim that and B. if Favre doesn’t throw for more than 120 yards your team will lose VERY badly. I can tell you that the Saints’ offensive is better than Jacksonville’s by about a factor of 600. Favre won in the games listed above despite awful games thanks to a good defense and a matchup against a below average offense. He’ll be matched up against one of the best offenses in history this time around, so good luck. We’ll see what happens.
sidenote
I’m pretty sure you just got pwned. at least that’s the term I think the young kids are using on their darn interwebs these days
The title of this post is "Gregg Williams vs. Brett Favre"
Not sure what Gus Frerrote has anything to do with this.
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by Dave Cariello on Jan 22, 2010 1:22 PM CST up reply actions
This post could be part 1 of a 3 part series
Part 2 would be “Williams Versus The Vikings”, and part 3, out in early February, will be “Williams Versus Favre AND The Vikings”. Part three will be brief, but dramatic.
"I do know that we have some unfinished business that we started a few years ago and we want to finish the deal."- Dulymus McAllister
by FuSoYa on Jan 22, 2010 1:29 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
there's a strawman fallacy
no one ever said he was better than Favre. And I’d like to see the stats in that game…
Don't worry I got your back cuz...
see above
12-20, 120yds, 0 TD, 1 INT. Frerotte played like crap! No wonder Jepp has run away from continuing this convo.
We'll only tell you what we're smoking if you promise to share it with your team
right befroe the game.
WHODAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dynasty - 2009 - ????
GW aside, one player could be the difference
his name is Darren Sharper. He could be the X Factor. How many times has an ex-player (Vikes) hurt his former team. Add double jeopardy b/c all the games v. Brett as a Packer, sheer experience. Sharper has an edge his teammates may not have and is highly motivated this wk…..
You think you know, and you don't know, and you never, ever will.-Jim Mora Sr.
With all due respect
Sharper saw Favre eight times as a Viking in the four years he was in Minnesota. I believe in those eight games, he intercepted one pass.
The Daily Norseman - The greatest Vikings' site on the Internet!
by Christopher Gates on Jan 22, 2010 6:19 PM CST up reply actions
Respect received and returned.....
Sharper was playing in a cover 2 defense most of those game if my memory is correct. He wasn’t free to ballhawk most of the time the way he was utilized. Given that even with handcuffs on him in those games he still stole one from Farve. I’d best my best pair of secondline shoes he’ll have at least one or two in this game.
Here's to a fresh Brees blowing in NOLA!!!
Thought some would say that very statement
he was in the games, doesn’t matter.
You think you know, and you don't know, and you never, ever will.-Jim Mora Sr.
There is another side to the story . . . rushing defense
Those teams put up 30, 28, 17 and 10 in those games. So does that mean that G Dub’s defense struggled against the run when they were shutting down Favre????
NOPE!
The most any of those teams put up on the Williams’ D was 119. In those four games Favre led teams averaged only 95 yards rushing. It was truly lack of offensive production and costly turnovers on the wrong side of the 50.
I submit for you exhibit 12,347 as to why the Vikings are in for a very VERY long Sunday.
"The key to them winning is to limit their quarterback to under 20 throws a game." -Cris Carter
take a look all, go to the past to make yourselves feel better
you are forgetting that favre is having the best season of his career, also by his own words is on the best team he’s ever been on. Don’t forget that tavaris jackson beat yall in the super dome, you got darren sharpeer now right, check his record vs favre, wlook to the present not the past alll, you should know better, lets play some football
by Canadian_viking on Jan 23, 2010 9:48 PM CST reply actions
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