Gregg Williams' Top 5 NFL Defense: The Real Story on the Offensive-Minded Saints

Gregg Williams is a big name among NFL defensive coordinators. The Saints defense was once one of the league's elite. The two were united in January of 2009. Would the marriage get off to a rousing start?

It was risky to answer in the affirmative. It usually takes at least a year or two for even the best coaches to transform a defense that is clueless in defending the size and speed of the crafty playmakers on the other side of the ball.

Given the Saints' penchant for surrendering the big play before Williams' arrival, some New Orleans partisans were hoping Williams was the Rembrandt, the Monet, the Da Vinci of assistant coaches.

The Rev. Bob Harrington, the late Chaplain of Bourbon Street, once said his God has the power to raise the dead and often does. The reverend preached his brand of old time religion to many a forlorn Saints fan over the years before finally succumbing to the many temptations the street has to offer.

Perhaps with a little Divine intervention, Williams could revive the once proud New Orleans defense Saints fans hoped.

There was no questioning his credentials. He is a proven winner. The skins were on the wall. Williams  built stubborn defenses at Washington, Tennessee and Buffalo. He was influenced early in his career by the arrogant-but-lovable Buddy Ryan, architect of one the best defenses in NFL history. Ryan instilled an attack mentality in those '85 Bears.

Unlike his predecessor, the reserved Gary Gibbs, Williams has a gregarious personality and engages the local media with some witty repartee and colorful badinage.

He's known as dial-a-quote for a reason.

Here's a Williams sampler:

• "We want to be a tough defense, we want to be a smart defense, and everywhere I've been able to play, we've been pretty nasty. We've been able to play with good aggressiveness. Those are the things that I think win you football games, tough close football games—that's toughness and intelligence." 

• "There's going to be some blisters and some hurt feelings, but trust me, there will not be one player that isn't clear on what I want and what my expectations are. I can't do anything with the DNA your momma and daddy gave you, but I can make sure you're tough and play hard." 

• Buddy Ryan said it best. It's hard for a quarterback to throw with tears in his eyes. We brought the whole house" 

• Remember last year? "Gregg, you can't stop the run with that defensive line." "Gregg, these guys can't rush the passer.'"I don't know why I didn't cut my wrist and lay in a hot tub of water. Every one of them played with an attitude.”

Pretty heady stuff.

According to Psychology Today, one theory that is gaining momentum is that failure is at worst a mixed blessing that can pay off in the form of learning and growth and wisdom. Williams did not take that chance in 2009.

He parted ways with former secondary starters Mike McKenzie, Josh Bullocks and Kevin Kaesviharn and played an instrumental role in the team using its first-round selection on Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins. Look for a lot of new faces in 2009.

Given the Saints high-octane offense—an NFL-high 463 points in 2009—NFL experts thought Williams' task may be no more complex than transforming a poor defense into an average one. After all, the Cardinals gave up 26 points a game in 2008 and came within a whisker of winning the Super Bowl. 

The offense was replete with firepower—Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey and Devery Henderson—and there was no reason to expect a drop-off in point production. The feeling was that if the Saints "D" could move from the bottom third to the middle of the pack, it may be all that would be needed for a deep playoff run.

One thing was evident following Williams' first minicamp: Attack would replace read and react as the Saints' defensive philosophy.

Knock them the (....) out!

Attack! Attack! Attack!

Whip his (...)!

If you want to make this team, you better show me something that is going to force me to keep you here!

Williams' aggressive style caught the attention of his new team.

Said first-round pick Jenkins last year, "If you are going to loaf or not play hard or make a bunch of mistakes, then he doesn't want you here. He's the type of guy who is real smart, but he's not going to take no stuff from you."

"That's the type of coach I like, that can rip you but teach you. He set the tone in the first meeting with us; he said as a defense we're going to set the tone, we're not going to react to what the offense does, we're going to dictate the practice.

"You can feel his intensity. You can see it in his eyes."

And now one year later, Williams has transformed the Saints, a team know for its pyrotechnic offensive displays, into the NFL's third-ranked defense.

They haven't given up more than 300 yards since Week 3 against Atlanta.

They have allowed only four touchdowns in their last six games. The other five TD's were scored as a result of offensive turnovers.

They rank 1st in the NFL in pass defense—an incredible feat considering that their starting cornerbacks, Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer, were injured at the same time forcing them to use safeties at corner against the Steelers.

Oh yeah. 

"You can feel his intensity. You can see it in his eyes."