Like an angry dog, a volcano growls before it bites, shaking the ground and getting noisy before erupting. After seven months of stewing on "the run", with no mini-camps, no OTA's to vent, Saints defensive coordinator Greg Williams finally gets go Mt St. Helens on his players. Though his full squad wont be available until August 4, the local media have witnessed the noise makin' ground skakin' signs already. Scolding any defensive player in sight, rookie or vet. Putting them through up/down drills until they drop.
Like a volcano, if you are in its path when it erupts, you're doomed. Saturday, it was the media in the path of the hot gas and debris. In defense of freshly signed strong safety Roman Harper, Williams blasted the media for criticizing Harper for the three blown coverages which lead to three Seattle touchdowns in the Saints playoff loss. "You don't know ball if you criticize him for that game, he made two mistakes that game , two mistakes, I can say that about 99% of the players. he is a young player, getting better. A two time pro bowler. I'm a better coach with him on my team."
Now you, I and Williams knows that is pure BS. But he says it knowing he won't dare be challenged on it. I don't know if some in the local media are intimidated by him, a fan of him or they just had deadlines to meet, but they stood there and took that scolding like kids from the schoolyard bully. No follow up, no challenges.
Coach, how big were those two mistakes?
Coach, what caused those two mistakes, bad coaching or bad technique?
Educate our lack of ball knowledge, coach.
Just two mistakes, coach?! That's one more than Lincoln's body guard!
Clearly Williams is projecting his feelings about Harper. He knows Harper is a weakness in pass coverage. But in the us against them world of coach to media, he cannot and will not say it publicly.
But I can.
While good in run support and blitzing, Harper is weak in man to man coverage. While most teams use the strong safety to cover the tight end, the Saints use a linebacker. In cover two, he lacks the ability to locate the ball and adjust. In short, the further from the line of scrimmage, the less affective he is. Is he a quality NFL strong safety,yes, but when I think strong safety, Troy Polamalu or Bob Sanders comes to mind. A sixth year player in the NFL is not young. If that player hasn't improved his weaknesses and honed his positives by now, he most likely won't. In 2010 Harper appeared in the Pro Bowl as an alternate. He was selected as a back up for the 2011 game. This indicates an upward trend. We'll see. But for now all we have are visions of number 41 chasing air as Sealttle receivers celebrate in the end zone. He also had the last chance to make a stop on that infamous run that sticks in the craw of Williams and the Saints Nation, but whiffed.
Williams knows that if the Saints are going to make another Super Bowl run, his defense will be the deciding factor. He also knows his defense improved statistaclly in 2010 but came up short in the vital catagory of forcing turnovers. His defense's last performance left him wanting. That run has been on his mind and in his belly the entire off-season. Mt Williams is due to erupt August 4. Someone get a seimometer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoNA61R0MyI&feature=player_detailpage
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