“I think the world of Bill Belichick,” Williams told The Boston Globe. “I think he’s one of the all-time best coaches. … With he and I, there’s a respect factor there.”
Belichick-coached teams have dominated Williams’ teams. The Patriots coach is 5-1 all-time in games against Williams.
However, Williams boasts the most recent victory in the rivalry. The Saints’ 25th-ranked defense rocked the Patriots in a Monday night game this past regular season.
Williams’ aggressive defense forced three turnovers as the Saints crushed the Patriots 38-17. Belichick says Williams’ defense mirrors the team’s offense.
“They are sort of a mirror image of their offense,” Belichick told the Providence Journal. “They give you a lot of different looks — they pressure, they man-pressure, they show pressure and drop out of it, they overload. They mix in man coverage, zone coverage.”
According to the Globe, Williams lives his life by a simple creed: “Live on the edge, play on the edge, never hurt the team.”
We’ll find out Sunday if the credo pays off.
