Gregg Williams Likely Leaving New Orleans, Heading to St. Louis

I’ve been questioning for awhile whether or not Williams was the right man for the job anymore. But I don’t hate him; and it’s a 50/50 shot that this hurts us rather than helps us. I just hope we can convince Spagnuolo that New Orleans is a much better place to coach than Philadelphia.

I think I understand where you’re coming from, expecting gratitude for what Williams did, and I don’t want to get banned but you’re making a demand here that isn’t quite you, not quite your style at all.

Who should the Saints look to replace him with?

despite his crucial role in bringing New Orleans it’s first ever Super Bowl championship

I suspect you’re overrating his contributions that season.

I like GW alot too many people dont remember what ir was like before him
I dont blame him for our D woos he did the best with what he was given
Until we get some serious defensive players like what I saw saturday on the other team we will continue to struggle with whom ever we hire

I feel this is the best thing for the Saints. He turned over a new leaf for the defense and it should pave the way for the future. The players might not be coached by him anymore but they won’t forget his aggressive and relentless style of play. I had the utmost respect for the guy so I’m not “hating” him, but I do agree it was time to move on. A much more traditional style coach might bring out the best talent of the players.

I admit that the defensive breakdowns that ended this game and ended the game last year in Seattle have left a bad taste in my mouth, but overall, he improved our team’s defense enough that under him, the Saints went 13-3, 12-4 and 13-3 in three regular seasons, all involving playoff appearances and one Super Bowl Title. That’s not too shabby. Okay, sure, two of those playoff appearances ended with the Saints losing to one unquestionably inferior team and then losing a game in which the Saints had leads twice in the final five minutes. And the Saints have had one of the top offenses in the league for a number of years. We all know this defense was not designed to shut anybody down completely. I think Williams did well with the pieces he was given. But I don’t think we can’t find another capable DC, either.

In 2009, I bought into the relentlessness because I knew we didn’t have the talent on defense. I figured this was just a stop gap measure until better players were brought on board. In 2010, we actually did play much more soundly on defense, despite not a lot of changes personnel wise. This season was basically the one giant step back that wiped out two seasons of progression. Still without a lot of help personnel wise, though. So, part of that is probably on Loomis, for not giving Williams the pieces to work with. Maybe he felt handcuffed here. Maybe that’s part of the reason he decided to try something new. I can’t say I haven’t felt that way before at a job. If I could, I may have never moved to Cincy.

I hear alot of talk about him headed back to the Eagles
What do people think of him

We complained about the “No Catching Mother F*******” all year, even heard Williams complain about DB’s not catching potential interceptions. Maybe it’s not a deficiency in Gregg’s coaching style that caused the Saints defense to drop off but simply a lack of concentration/effort from players. What if that’s why Williams is leaving? As much as New Orleans and its fans are sick of Williams, did we ever stop to think that Williams might be sick of New Orleans?

….but I have to respectfully disagree with you.

Yes, GDub was mostly responsible for creating the attacking defense that helped the team win SB XLIV…but it was also under his watch that the D deteriorated to the point that they couldn’t tackle Marshawn Lynch in that debacle in Seattle, and they transformed Jake Locker into the next Joe Montana in Tennessee, and couldn’t find any way to cover Vernon Davis last Saturday and defend for a mere 1:40.

Given that, he had to go, and I’m not surprised that Coach Payton might have showed him the door anyway had Jeff Fisher not gotten the Rams HC job.

Thanks for your service, GDub, but we need a new leader. Now, if only he could come with some actual players…

Williams got more out of a mediocre (at best) core of defenders than we could ask for from any coordinator. He was not perfect, but he will be extremely difficult to replace.

in 2009 we had a pass rush. We didn;’t have great pass rushers, but we had a pss rush for some strange reason from our interior 4. Smith, Hargrove, McCray, Ellis, Charleston (?) etal – they did better at getting sacks than Smith, Jordan, Ellis, Franklin, Galette, Charleston etal.

It’s all about the pass rush. We have the worst pass rush out of all of these playoff teams
Ravens
Giants
Falcons
49ers
Steelers
Lions
Broncos
Packers
Patriots (yes, evem them)
Cincinnati (I think)
Texans
and also these teams
Vikings
Jets
Eagles
Panthers (maybe)
Redskins (maybe)
etc

in 2009, we had a better pass rush than many teams. Thus, our defense was better. Fujita was the second best LB we have had since 2006. And, of course, Sharper helped. But, it was all about the pass rush. That’s not GWs fault.

But since we are repeating ourselves……….
1. Loomis brought in a bunch of defensive draftees and free agents without spending obscene amounts of money. I don’t know how much harder he could have tried to fill the defensive holes.
2. GW runs a very complicated defense (to make up for personnel weaknesses). His scheme’s work if executed. The problem is it takes a while for the players to learn it, much less become proficient. D-Sharp was unbelievable in 2009, otherwise the defense would have looked a lot worse.
3. 2010 was a better defense with mostly the same people, showing that more time in the system helps.
4. 2011 was a lock-out year, and a lot of new people came in: Jordan, Rogers, Franklin. Plus injuries to Vilma, Porter, Casillas. Will Smith banned for 2 games. But by the end of this year, the Saints were able to (mostly) shut down some good running games.
5. Now we’re getting a new DC. Got news for ya, expect the defense to do worse next year. Were GW staying, and personnel not turning over so much, I think the defense would get a lot better next year.

Be careful what you wish for.

rusher. None of our guys will evolve into DeMarcus Ware.

How come the Giants can have Pierre Paul, Tuck, Umeniorya, Canty and Kiwanuka? – all good pass rushers – we have nil.

I wish Williams were staying, but with the improvements in defensive personel we’ve accumulated over the last few seasons I don’t think we’ll see a huge drop-off in their level of play. It’s hard to not write off Gregg and the defense based on the losses to SF and Seattle, but taken over his tenure, I think they’re an about average group that improved each season. Biggest disappointment this season was obviously the lack of turnovers, but they played hard and tackled well. After the sting of this loss fades I think most of us will appreciate the progress the defense made under Williams. Might not hurt to watch the Superbowl on DVD again either . . . .

After this last game, I’ve run out of excuses for Gregg Williams.
Buh-Bye.

but GW is not the problem here. Look at the talent on the offensive side of the ball. Then look at our defense. I like our defensive backs. And 2-3 of our LBs are either starters/good backups. Not great but OK. No Ray Lewises, No Suggs, no Fletchers, no Urlachers or Briggs or Willis. We need a standout LB and we need a whole new DL- maybe keep 1-2 DL as backups.

I think we have a shot at Spagnolo- I wouldn’t want to go to Phila if I were him. Right now that place is too lethal as far as if the defense struggles a few games. And if Reid doesn’t win the SB, the fans will riot, Reid will be gone and then Spags would not know what is going on (but he could concieveabley inherit the Head Coaching job there).

They just showed the 2009 Saints/Pats game. That was a magical game. Wonderful year. Defense was on fire that game. Mike McKenzie!!!!

GW deserves respect for sure. I think it’s time for him to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the memories and what he brought.

He kinda looked like Dr. Strangelove?

I loved the passion GW displayed on the sideline ya just never really knew if it was gonna be feast or famine for the Saints D but i do wish hi well and I hope he does not find success within or while playing us in the future. With all that being said, we need some freakin new blood in the house someone who has the motivation, intelligence and VISION that can take this D from good stops to domination and I don not want the rest of the nfl teams to see it coming.

a disaster as a HC, had some success, but I’m starting to like him as The Choice, and he would WANT TO BE HERE, Condo in town, hangs out with former Saints, daughter a LSU, gets the culture, the Fans, and played LB. I’m sold.

I get to stare at a post with 181 unread comments. However, there is an upside. I get to be first on the news updates.

Gregg Williams Likely Leaving New Orleans, Heading to St. Louis

Gregg williams is a great coach, I wish him luck in st Louis

A reliable source tells me that Gregg got hooked up on match.com and she just happens to live in St. Louis. He’ll be back in Metairie next Monday drinking coffee and getting penicillin.

See, all this hubub about nothin’!

You’re welcome.

HE SUCKS!! I’ve had a few days to get over and I’m not! Why do some of you think he was good? The lowest-rated defensive unit ever to win a Super Bowl was the 2009 Saints, which ranked 25th. Thank -you Gregg Williams! Maybe, we should be thanking #42 D-Sharp! Ya’ll problem is that we sucked so bad on defense before he got here. Its the Eddie Murphy waiting for sex compared to a starving man analogy, let me help you… Eddie Murphy wrote:
If you’re starving and somebody throw you a cracker, you gonna be like this: Goddamn, that’s the best cracker I ever ate in my life! That ain’t no regular cracker, was it? What was that, a Saltine? Goddamn, that was delicious. That wasn’t no Saltine. That was… That was a Ritz. That wasn’t a Ritz? God, that was the best cracker I ever ate in my life. Well, we were starving and we thought GW was a Ritz! He was just a plain old regular saltine!!!

I think he’s done all the good he can here. i just dont’ think we have the personnel to play his style of defensive with a great measure of success. I wish him well and I am truly thankful for the attitude and swagger he brought to the 2009 team. Good Luck GW, but it’s time for us to move on.

watching the Rams news conference on NFL Network and it looks like GW will be the Rams DC next year….while I am disappointed with how the game ended on Saturday, I also recognize that it could have been worse had it not been for our defense holding the niners to just 13 points off of 5 turnovers…thus allowing our offense to make a game of it…absolutely LOVED the attitude and swagger that he brought to our team but it probably is time to move on…

Dave I apologize if any my posts about G.W. have been antagonizing to you, that was y no means my intent. However I do stand by the couple posts I have made regarding him.