Sean Payton Annihilates Gregg Williams in First Meeting Since BountyGate
Before the 2012 NFL Season, the New Orleans Saints got in a little trouble. And by a little, I mean Roger Goodell absolute tore into the team for “BountyGate”—defensive coordinator Gregg Williams system of paying players to target stars on opposing teams.
Williams was suspended indefinitely, head coach Sean Payton lost the entire season, general manager Mickey Loomis missed eight games, linebacker coach Joe Vitt lost six, the team was fined $500,000 and lost their 2012 and 2013 second round draft picks, and four defensive players received suspensions, including star linebacker Jonathan Vilma who missed the entire season.
Yet when the New England Patriots spied on teams, cheating to win three Super Bowls, they were given a slap on the wrist. 2012 is when my disdain for Goodell began.
Anyways, Gregg Williams helped lead the Saints to their Super Bowl XLIV victory; however, he and Sean Payton haven’t spoken since everything went down in 2012. Sunday, Williams coached his first game in New Orleans since BountyGate, now as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator.
Payton took advantage of the opportunity to embarrass his old coworker.
Drew Brees threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns as the Saints racked up 555 total yards of offense and 49 points in the big win.
As the Saints counted their seven touchdowns on Gregg’s defense, Payton could be seen dancing around on the sideline, screaming “BOOM,” and getting more into the game than Jim Harbaugh. Fist pumps, laughter, and all-around jubilee while humiliating the guy who cost him a year of football—but good luck getting him to admit it.
“I was a little excited,” said Payton after the game. “Listen, it was an important win for us.”
But you could tell he was. With a 42-21 lead in the fourth quarter, Payton even called a trick play in which wide receiver and former high school quarterback Willie Snead threw a 50-yard touchdown bomb to Tim Hightower for the Saints’ seventh touchdown of the game. Icing on the cake for Payton.
It doesn’t appear that Payton and Williams broke their mutual silence after the game. Nonetheless, revenge was served.