SmashMouth

Gruden: New Orleans Saints can repeat - NFC South Blog - ESPN

METAIRIE, La. – There has never been a more colorful or quotable coach than Jon Gruden in the history of the NFC South.

Although Gruden’s now an analyst for “Monday Night Football’’ nothing really has changed. Gruden held court with a few reporters on the side of the New Orleans’ Saints practice field Saturday morning and was more entertaining than New Orleans coach Sean Payton, who talked a few minutes later. I’ll even go out on a limb and guess that what Gruden had to say was more interesting than anything that came out of Tampa, Flowery Branch, Ga., or Spartanburg, S.C., on Saturday.

Gruden’s doing homework for his television role, but he also is spending a few days with Payton, his longtime friend, and sitting in on meetings with coaches and players. Gruden did the same thing last year. Although recent history, including Gruden’s 2002 Tampa Bay team, suggests it’s virtually impossible for a team to repeat as Super Bowl champion, the former coach said the Saints can do it. The main reason? Drew Brees, he said.

“It starts with having a great quarterback,’’ Gruden said. “That’s the No. 1 ingredient. If you’ve got the right steak, you’ve got a chance to cook it up pretty good. You can put herbs on it or make it medium rare or whatever you want to do. You’ve got one of the great quarterbacks in the history of this game. You’ve got a heck of a good chance to repeat. I promise you that.

“Their turnaround on defense wasn’t by accident either, and they’re in Year 2 of Gregg Williams’ system. All these guys know the system, they know what to expect and they’ve got every reason to be better there as well.’’

Gruden knows the challenges of defending a championship very well. The season after the Buccaneers won their Super Bowl, they didn’t even make the playoffs. He said he learned some lessons from that experience and he’s shared that with Payton.

“I just tell him, 'You’re the expert on repeating because you know how to get there and win it’,’’ Gruden said. “No one’s gutsier than this guy. … He’s got the guts to pull it off. There’s no question. You’ve got to draw from within. Get your strength from each other and go out there every day and work. They have that work ethic in place. They have as good a football team as they did last year or better.’’

the-commish

Great to know that Chucky thinks the Saints have a decent chance to repeat.

He sounds like most of us.

Any more, I just want the Saints to repeat to make some of those idiotic Falcon fans commit suicide. And they would, too, if the Saints repeat.

TheEnigma

I'd rather the panther fans do that.

QBREES9

Grudaddys A Saints FAN

B_Dub_Saint

I freakin love gru gru. I wish he was are offensive coordinator.

breesfan27

Don't forget Viqueens Fans also!! How hilarious would that be to have TWO to their zero.

Saint_LB

I wonder where that monkey went?

QBREES9

That would be Awesome.

Rugby Saint II

I watched Gruden at camp Saturday. He was doing more than just observing.............he was coaching too. I think it's great for Payton to be able learn more from Chuckie. He certainly knows the game.

strato

This^