NFC South: Three New Faces, Three New Defenses

(Photo by Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images)

In the eyes of many national pundits, the NFC South is known as a defensive division.  The reason why is a bit of a mystery though, as it's been several years since Atlanta and Carolina fielded defenses that merited any sort of praise whatsoever, and even longer since the days of the Dome Patrol in New Orleans.

The reality is that aside from Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the South is about offense. It's about big play offense too, whether that's predicated on the running game (Falcons), the passing game (Saints), or a little bit of both (Panthers). 

Last year the Saints, Falcons and Panthers finished first, sixth, and 10th in total offense. On defense, only the Buccaneers cracked the top ten with a ninth place finish. 

So this "defensively oriented" division has some work to do if it wishes to earn it's reputation.  And three of the teams have new defensive coordinators in 2009.

Each one has their own distinct set of challenges, but each has a lot of potential to draw on for success. This article will look at each new coordinator, what it will take for them to succeed, and the risks they face.

Gregg Williams, New Orleans Saints

Williams two previous stops couldn't be more different.  When he arrived in Washington in 2004, he inherited a defense that had finished in 25th place in 2003.  The Redskins brought in a couple of new linebackers and Williams built his blitzes around that unit, transforming the defense into the NFL's third best. 

However, in Jacksonville he inherited 2007's 12th ranked defense, and it never seemed to grasp his schemes en route to a disappointing 17th place finish in 2008.

Williams generally runs a 4-3 defense, but within that basic set he's willing to do whatever it takes to get the most out of his personnel.  He will try and build a defense that suits his players' talent, and put them in a position to succeed.

Williams' base set is similar to Buddy Ryan's old 46 defense, with one safety cheating up and the other providing double coverage on one of the opposing teams' receivers.  This means that the quarterback has to guess right or throw into double coverage, and the increased pressure will reduce the time he has to make that decision. 

But base set in a Williams defense doesn't mean a lot, as he may blitz from anywhere at any time, and players will change positions and assume roles that aren't intuitive given where they line up at the play's start.  The safety may play as a linebacker, while the linebacker blitzes or drops into coverage. 

The actual defense will be disguised until the play starts, and if the offense doesn't guess right it's looking at a high potential for broken play, a sack, or a turnover. 

The defense is vulnerable to the big play, but it should produce a lot of turnovers and has the potential to really get inside the quarterback's head.

It requires a very solid core of players to be effective.  Players in his defense need to be smart and versatile because they're required to learn and play multiple positions.

Those positions also make a lot of pre-snap reads in Williams' scheme, so intelligence, cognitive learning ability and instincts are highly valued assets.  This is especially true for the middle linebacker, the nickel corner, and both safeties.

In Washington, Williams had Michael Barrow, Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot and Sean Taylor.  He changed the way the Redskins blitzed, letting the line focus on the run while the linebackers brought pressure. 

In Jacksonville, the pieces looked to be already in place.  Mike Peterson was an elite player who had superb instincts and quickness, and in the secondary he inherited former first round pick Reggie Nelson and Brian Williams.  They also had defensive end Derrick Harvey to provide pressure from the line.

But sometimes talent and instincts don't translate to heady play.  Where Mike Peterson may have been more athletic and instinctive than Barrow, he never mastered the defense and as a result the entire unit suffered.

Williams has had big success, but past results don't guarantee future success.

Why Williams will succeed

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