Saints Defense Hopes to "Bear-Hug" Opponents with "46"

Attack will replace read and react in New Orleans.

Although, when was the last time a new defensive coordinator actually vowed, "attack less", be "less aggressive",  and be "more passive and reactive" anyway?

Who the hell knows?

Anyway, no more "Vanilla" defense in The Big Easy. More like a double scoop of "Monster Mash" if the new coordinator Greg Williams, a disciple of the legendary Buddy Ryan, has his way.

It was 23 years ago Ryan's Chicago Bears "46" defense terrorized Raymond Berry's New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Ironically, the Superdome was the scene of the crime. It was not a part of the city's crime statistics that year although it damned well should have been!

It was a mugging all the same right there on Poydras Street in broad daylight.

The Bears defense forced six Patriots' turnovers resulting in 24 Chicago points that day back in '85 and evoked much moaning, groaning and knashing of teeth on the New England sideline.

Chicago's "46" scared poor Pats' QB Tony Eason out of his wits. His knees turned to jelly. In the post-game conference, Eason's lips were moving but no sound was coming out.

"I looked into his eyes and he looked a little bit rattled," said legendary linebacker Mike Singletary after the game. "I saw him thinking, 'Man, I hope we're not in for one of those.'"

C-r-u-u-u-u-n-c-h.

Zero one....Zero two...Zero three...Zero Four...Kaboom!

"Oh my God! What the hell happened?"

Yeah, Eason was a basket case before halftime. He never completed a single pass in the face of all that havoc and his replacement Steve Grogan did not fare much better. Perhaps, they drowned their sorrows at one of those "Houses of Ill Repute" on Bourbon Street later that night. Although no documentation of that exists.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is determined to instill that same sort of brashness and swagger in the 2009 New Orleans Saints. Angry 300 pound defensive linemen flying in from all angles.

Creating turnovers. Making trouble. Wreaking havoc! Highway-to- Hell. Bad-to-the bone.

A defense that's soundtrack would consist of some old-fashioned kick ass Southern fried and southernized rock-n-roll.....Lynrd Skynrd. ZZ Top. Marshall Tucker. Allman Brothers. Definitely not Supertramp or Fleetwood Mac.

Pick up any of those guides to football and you will find that the "46" is named after  Bears FS Doug Plank's jersey number. Plank often lined up as a linebacker on a defense that frequently utilized four DL's, four LB's, and three DB's in its rotation.

In layman's terms, three defensive lineman play over the center and two guards, preventing the guards from helping out the center, thus, making the center's job more miserable and unglamorous than it already is.

No defenders lineup directly over the OT's. The outside linebackers play on the same side of the line. The strong safety is so far up that he is practically a fourth linebacker.

At the snap of the ball, all of these maniacs make a mad dash in the direction of the quarterback. 

Explode into the line! Hit and lift! Hit and lift! Bull your necks! Drive your legs! Never stop! Explode! 

The "46" is an attacking man-to man style defense that's success is predicated on fast defensive ends who can attack the QB before he shred the secondary—a vulnerable secondary with the CB's in man-to-man coverage 90 percent of the time and only one safety to help him out.

Jason David must not be too happy about that part of it. Poor bastard.

The Chicago Bears had Dent.and Hampton.McMichael and "The Fridge. Singletary and Marshall. Conversely, the Saints have: Will Smith,Charles Grant, Bobby McCray, Sedrick Ellis and Jonathan Vilma.

On paper, the talent seems comparable. Smith is all-pro caliber. Grant is inconsistent but does not lack for ability. McCray excels at pass rushing.

Ellis, last year's No. 1 draft pick from USC, has the burst and strength to dominate up-the-middle in a "46" or a variation of that defense. Vilma is everything the Saints thought he would be—an aggressive, headhunter who slices his way to the ball carrier.

Th bad news: In a defense that places a premium on defensive ends, Will Smith and Charles Grant are suspended for the team's first four games after testing positive last summer for using a banned diuretic.

That will place a heavy burden on McCray and newcomer Paul Spicer—who started ten game for Gregg Williams in Jacksonville last year—to fill the void. McCray is up to the challenge having started eight games for the Saints last year with six sacks. Spicer is a reliable veteran who knows the system.

A Bourbon Street philosopher was overheard saying Saturday night outside of Pat O'Brien's that every man has a choice of surrendering to disappointments and wallowing in self-pity or beginning each new day with a renewed attitude and making the most of his daily circumstances.

He was holding a daiquiri in his hand when he said it. Most standing around him nodded in vigorous agreement.

One suspects Gregg Williams will not spend an inordinate amount of time wallowing in self-pity over the losses of Smith and Grant. It just is not part of his nature. Not one to be easily intimidated. Plays the cards dealt him and plays them well.

Saints observers feel for the new "46" D to be successful that Smith and Grant will need to total a combined 20 sacks and the team will need around 50 sacks overall. If the defense hangs up those numbers, the Saints offense is explosive enough to close the deal.

The ghosts of Buddy Ryan, "The Fridge", and Dent and Hampton and Marshall and Singletary still roam around the Superdome twenty three years later.

"I'm not familiar with all the defenses in the NFL," Buddy Ryan said that day 23 years ago in New Orleans, "but this is the best defense I've ever been with."

The Saints and new coordinator Gregg Williams are hoping to recreate some of that Bears "46" defensive magic in the City of Voodoo and Marie Laveau.