Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

At what point did we stop being a finesse team? Some critics argue that the Saints are dirty football players who take cheap shots. We battle hard in the trenches and lay "remember me hits"on the ball carrier. Gregg Williams is known for aggressive tough play on the defense and I think it rubbed off on the offense during training camp. The first few practices the defense dominated the offense. The entire team came out of training camp tougher than they went in. When did the Saints stop playing finesse football and start playing with swagger?:cool:

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

A quote from brian billick in America's Game 2000 Ravens - " anytime you win a game defensively, you take on that reputation, dirty, rough, raunchy."

Plus one thing that gregg williams said, is that it was really underrated what a great group of guys we already had here. Gregg williams brought in a attitude and a scheme and 16 wins later weve got a lombardi trophy.

I think it also helped that payton insisted we develop a running game, that made us grind out tough yards. Overall 2009 offseason seems to have been fantastic from what the results showed.

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

Nah, they are very good a finesse.

Here are a few examples...
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sportspros...x601-17081.jpghttp://nbcsportsmedia3.msnbc.com/j/a...87.hmedium.jpg

It takes finesse to time those hits. They contribute to these type results.
http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/upl...n-Campbell.jpg
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/1009...harper_576.jpg
http://media.commercialappeal.com/me..._ball_t607.jpg
http://media.nj.com/super_bowl_blog/...633d_large.jpg

It takes a lot of finesse to pull all that off in the NFL.

TAKEAWAYS require finesse.

;-]

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

Don't think you can ever play finesse on defense. I know where you are coming from though. It FEELS as if we are hitting more and that is due to GW's aggressive stance. But we have always had guys who could hit; alas to the detriment of their tackling.

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

We are still a very finesse team even on D. There is a lot of technique and scripting that goes into our play on both sides of the ball.

Cheap shots aren't intentional. Take the beating Warner took late in the game instead of taking Warner to the ground they rallied around him and held him up instead of taking him down completely.

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

We didn't come out this season to be a finesse team. We weren't trying to be pretty. We weren't trying to impress anybody. We came out this season to play football and put a Lombardi trophy in the case. Thats what we did. End of story.

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

Late hits, remember me shots are not cool.
Late hits, you penalize yourself with a fine and /or your team loses yards.
I AM sure Payton and staff are not going for late hits.
Now, a young man of 24, 26 ,6"5 at 325-375 lb. playing football going full speed cannot stop on a time like a little 5"2 75 lb. ballerina.
All defensive lineman on every team, including the so-called classy Colts, aim to play aggressive defense.
What are the Saints defense supposed to do? Blow a kiss to the opposing team's offense.
I am not picking on any of you here, but I am kind of tired of hearing other teams, fans, say Saints play dirty defense.
The Saints defense plays in techinque no more aggressive or less aggressive than any other team. I do not see any other team's defense trying to blow a kiss to Brees or to any other qb.
Yes, Coach Gregg was wrong saying about remember me shots. The Colts and other teams could send some remember me shots to Brees as well and we sure don't want that.
My point is that pro football is a very physical sport .

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

The guy interviewing him is the one who coined the phrase before and during the interview, not Coach Williams.

I don't think he was wrong at all. You are the one who is incorrect and paraphrasing him incorrectly.

The media did spin it the way you've described so you are not alone.

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

I think I prefer people calling them a dirty team as opposed to a powder-puff team...

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

Who cares if we're labeled as finesse? We just won the Superbowl. If that's what it's called, then I hope we bring our best "finesessesesesesesesesesesessesesss" again next year.

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

lol its a new day and age.....

as much as i like the 6 inches and a cloud of dust, the league just isnt like that anymore

so we are finesse.....who cares

we are the best finesse team to ever play and we are going to continue to be that way until drew, payton, and the rest of our super bowl champions retire

however.......there isnt much more that i like hearing than being called DIRTY

its almost as good as SUPER BOWL CHAMPS

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

Thanks. I did hear one of the Saints at media talking about this. He said the words, r m shots
.
Payton did send Williams some sand and peanut biutter,too funny.

Remember, I do not think the Saints are playing dirty defense.
I don't see any other team's defense playing flag football or blowing kisses to each other.

Saints, lonely at the top. When they got up, some teams, fans, and even NFL (Cease and Desist Orders) came out to get you.

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

Personally I don't think we are a dirty team. I think we are very physical with an aggressive attitude. The media is listening to the players we beat whine and have taken their darlings side. I'd like to think that we have the right mix of finesse and nasty and that helped make us Superbowl champs.

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

The media all about HYPE and sensationalism, as we all know. This crappola is coming first from them. Consider the source! ;)

Re: Finesse Football? Not anymore.
 

I don't see what the big deal about people thinking that the Saints are a finesse team. Two plays into a contest, reality will come abruptly against delusion. Nothing worse than becoming afraid during a contest.