New Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was asked during his introductory press conference last week what defense he was going to play.
Very fair question, and a key one, wouldn’t you say?
Of course. Common sense tells you that.
But instead of answering it by indicating if he was going to use a 4-3 alignment or a 3-4 or a mix of the two, which will probably be the case since that is what all teams really implement when you get right down to it, he instead tried to get cute — and condescending and disrespectful and boorish and uppity and silly and stupid and “too cool for school.”
It was not a fair response, to put it mildly.
“I’m going to play the Browns defense,” Williams said.
“The Browns defense”?
Hmmm.
OK.
Now, Coach, just to be clear, and at least a little specific since, like it or not, you do have a responsibility to the long-suffering Browns fans to be open, honest, forthright, transparent and fair, I have a follow-up question – actually, a bunch of them — to your no-answer to the previous question. That is:
Will it be the same Browns defense that was horrible – the worst in the NFL, really, and the worst in club history – this past season?
Will it be the same Browns defense that couldn’t stop anyone from running and passing on it?
Will it be the same Browns defense that couldn’t tackle to save its soul?
Will it be the same Browns defense that couldn’t even get lined up properly on way too many occasions?
Will it be the same Browns defense that missed enough assignments to choke an elephant?
Will it be the same Browns defense that couldn’t rush the passer?
Will it be the same Browns defense that was abysmal in the red zone, in the green zone, in the blue zone, in the no-fly zone, in the no parking zone, in school zones, in hospital zones, between the 20s, between the goal lines, in the first half, in the second half, just before halftime, just after halftime, at the start of the game, at the end of the game and anytime?
Because if it is, Coach, then you’re going to be out of a job sooner rather than later.
Coach, you’re just a guy right now – another guy who has been paraded in here and hired to get this defense, which has been miserly bad throughout the expansion era, to the point where it is an asset and not a liability to the team overall. And until you show us that you’re different – and, more importantly, your defenses – are different, then we will be totally underwhelmed and unimpressed by those goofy little games you seem to want to play in a press conference.
And Coach, there’s one more thing you need to know. It is that when you are convinced that you are always the smartest guy in the room, what ends up happening – always – is that just the opposite is actually true.
