<font class="Box_42844163_Headline"> <font size="6">Defense takes Saints from hunted to hunters</font></font>
<span id="blurb_body"></span> <div> <span id="blurb_body">It's not even June and I can tell you that the Saints Defense is a lot better than they were a year ago. There are several factors contributing to the quick turnaround. New coordinator Greg Williams, the Saints commitment to defense in the last two drafts, and the health of key defensive players are all keys. But, because the players have to prove themselves all over again may be the biggest reason of all.
Greg Williams has no ties to his new group of players in New Orleans. Yes, he has coached some of his defenders in other places, but this is like a clean slate for both Williams and his defensive unit.
The attitude, intensity and demand for much better play have been amped up by William, and although it's very early, it seems the team has adopted their boss's demeanor. Gary Gibbs is a good coach, but was not a vocal one, as we rarely if at any time saw his emotions spill out on the field.
Coach Sean Payton has a guy in place who's going to get the best from his players, or those players will be shown the door. "They've been flying around and you can see that there's a big emphasis in turning the ball over, getting your hands on the ball and trying to take the gray area out of whether it was complete or not, and whether it was a fumble or not."
Payton went on to explain how important it is for the Saints to get better in forcing turnovers. "Anything that's on the ground, they're doing a good job of getting to the ball, and I think that's a big first step in playing good defense. I think Gregg and the staff have done a good job of starting with that emphasis of speed to the ball and getting hands on the ball."
Again, I throw up a caution flag. We have to remember that what we saw were OTA's, but you could tell that this team is trying to develop some swagger. Teams don't just show up on Sunday's and dominate � it all begins in practice.
Many have written and said that to expect Greg Williams to completely turn the defense around is asking too much. That's coming from cats who don't know football.
Williams has a lot on his side. He has a strong resume'�as strong as any in the NFL. And, he his players know, if they don't shape up they will be shipped out. Let's use an example or two to explain that last statement.
How did a 1-15 Dolphins team win 11 games the next season and win the AFC East? How did a 4-12 Falcons team go from 4-12 to 11-5? And, how did the Ravens go from 5-12 to 11-5? It was because of fear and respect.
All of those great rags to riches stories started with head coaching changes. Players from Miami, Atlanta and Baltimore new that they had new bosses in town and what they had done prior meant absolutely nothing.
Look at our very own Saints in 2006. The club went from 3-13 to 10-6 and advanced to the NFC Title Game in a year's time. So, asking Williams to turn the Saints Defense from the hunted to the hunters is not asking too much.
Saints Quarterback Drew Brees can see the difference already. "Certainly they're trying to build a confidence and swagger. They're installing a lot of stuff. Guys are flying around. Certainly they're trying to prove to the new coach and everybody else that they deserve a significant role on the defense."
When Charles Grant and Will Smith got those huge paychecks, Coach Williams was not on the Black & Gold sideline. All this new Defensive Coordinator cares about is what they do from the day he walked into the building. Yes, Who Dat Nation, you should be excited, because Greg Williams is a coach who knows you have to have a very short memory in this game�the past is the past.
Can he make our future better? I think he can and I think he will. And, if he doesn't see big improvements right away, look for a lot of new faces on the defense over the next year. The current players are here on a trial basis only.
Fear of losing your job, because of lack of performance and respect from your boss, are two very good motivators. Millions of non-football players experience that daily. The Saints Defense is not "millions," just 11 men and their backups. But, let that reality sink in�and the Saints Defense could be the story of the 2009 NFL season!</span> </div>
<span id="blurb_body"></span> <div> <span id="blurb_body">It's not even June and I can tell you that the Saints Defense is a lot better than they were a year ago. There are several factors contributing to the quick turnaround. New coordinator Greg Williams, the Saints commitment to defense in the last two drafts, and the health of key defensive players are all keys. But, because the players have to prove themselves all over again may be the biggest reason of all.
Greg Williams has no ties to his new group of players in New Orleans. Yes, he has coached some of his defenders in other places, but this is like a clean slate for both Williams and his defensive unit.
The attitude, intensity and demand for much better play have been amped up by William, and although it's very early, it seems the team has adopted their boss's demeanor. Gary Gibbs is a good coach, but was not a vocal one, as we rarely if at any time saw his emotions spill out on the field.
Coach Sean Payton has a guy in place who's going to get the best from his players, or those players will be shown the door. "They've been flying around and you can see that there's a big emphasis in turning the ball over, getting your hands on the ball and trying to take the gray area out of whether it was complete or not, and whether it was a fumble or not."
Payton went on to explain how important it is for the Saints to get better in forcing turnovers. "Anything that's on the ground, they're doing a good job of getting to the ball, and I think that's a big first step in playing good defense. I think Gregg and the staff have done a good job of starting with that emphasis of speed to the ball and getting hands on the ball."
Again, I throw up a caution flag. We have to remember that what we saw were OTA's, but you could tell that this team is trying to develop some swagger. Teams don't just show up on Sunday's and dominate � it all begins in practice.
Many have written and said that to expect Greg Williams to completely turn the defense around is asking too much. That's coming from cats who don't know football.
Williams has a lot on his side. He has a strong resume'�as strong as any in the NFL. And, he his players know, if they don't shape up they will be shipped out. Let's use an example or two to explain that last statement.
How did a 1-15 Dolphins team win 11 games the next season and win the AFC East? How did a 4-12 Falcons team go from 4-12 to 11-5? And, how did the Ravens go from 5-12 to 11-5? It was because of fear and respect.
All of those great rags to riches stories started with head coaching changes. Players from Miami, Atlanta and Baltimore new that they had new bosses in town and what they had done prior meant absolutely nothing.
Look at our very own Saints in 2006. The club went from 3-13 to 10-6 and advanced to the NFC Title Game in a year's time. So, asking Williams to turn the Saints Defense from the hunted to the hunters is not asking too much.
Saints Quarterback Drew Brees can see the difference already. "Certainly they're trying to build a confidence and swagger. They're installing a lot of stuff. Guys are flying around. Certainly they're trying to prove to the new coach and everybody else that they deserve a significant role on the defense."
When Charles Grant and Will Smith got those huge paychecks, Coach Williams was not on the Black & Gold sideline. All this new Defensive Coordinator cares about is what they do from the day he walked into the building. Yes, Who Dat Nation, you should be excited, because Greg Williams is a coach who knows you have to have a very short memory in this game�the past is the past.
Can he make our future better? I think he can and I think he will. And, if he doesn't see big improvements right away, look for a lot of new faces on the defense over the next year. The current players are here on a trial basis only.
Fear of losing your job, because of lack of performance and respect from your boss, are two very good motivators. Millions of non-football players experience that daily. The Saints Defense is not "millions," just 11 men and their backups. But, let that reality sink in�and the Saints Defense could be the story of the 2009 NFL season!</span> </div>
