So long, Gregg Williams. We'll miss you. Seriously. We might. We're not sure.
The archrival Saints have just gone down against the San Francisco 49ers 36-32, in a game dripping with awful early 90s NFC West deja vu. And just like their implosion last January in Seattle, again post-championship New Orleans was bounced from the playoffs by giving up big plays on defense late in the game on the road.
It's hard to argue that San Francisco could've won the game without the Saints' five turnovers, which is precisely how New Orleans paved their way through the playoffs and to a Super Bowl win three seasons ago. Credit Gregg Williams' blitz-heavy scheme, but it's the same defense that's now unravelled in back-to-back road playoff games, and made heroes of Marshawn Lynch (Seattle) and now Vernon Davis (San Francisco).
Much like Mike Mularkey for the Falcons last week, Williams' name was in the air before the game for a new job - this one following longtime friend Jeff Fisher to the new St. Louis Rams staff as D.C. - and like Mularkey, Williams' unit cost his team the game. So the question is - would the Falcons (and the rest of the NFC South) benefit from Williams leaving the Big Easy, or is it better to let the Saints consistently beat themselves in the playoffs?
The short answer is that the Falcons need to improve their pass protection, so losing a sneaky, bring-the-house attack twice a year would help. But if you're an Atlanta fan (or Who That, or whatever that colloquial gang chant is), you can't help but notice a trend developing...