Williams and Spagnuolo: Similar, yet different

FinSaint · 01-21-2012, 04:21 PM

This is kind of long, but it is his bio from the Vikes' site:

Traditionally a strength of the Vikings defense, the defensive lines of the past 5 seasons under Karl Dunbar have earned a place in team lore for being equally as tough against the run as they are at rushing the passer. The foundation of the Vikings defense has been recognized annually with All-Pros and Pro Bowlers.

One of the keys to a successful defense is stopping the run, and the Vikings have been very good at that over the past 5 seasons. They led the NFL in rushing defense from 2006-08, ranked 2nd in 2009 and 9th in 2010. The Vikings finished 8th in total defense in 2010, the 3rd year in a row finishing in the NFL’s top 10 after finishing 6th in both 2008 and 2009, marking the first time since 1992-94 that the Vikings ranked in the NFL’s top 10 for three-straight seasons.

Under Dunbar’s direction, the Vikings have had 3 different linemen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams and Jared Allen, earn Pro Bowl honors. Kevin Williams and Allen were both named Associated Press All-Pros in 2009.

Dunbar’s tenure with the Vikings is his 2nd as a coach in the NFL after he worked as a defensive line coach for the Chicago Bears in 2004. An 8th-round draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers and legendary head coach Chuck Noll in 1990, Dunbar went on to play with New Orleans (1992-93) and Arizona (1994-95). He also spent a season each with Orlando and Rhein in the World League.

The Vikings defensive line flexed its muscle in 2009, leading the NFL in sacks with 48 and ranking #2 against the run. The Vikings allowed only 5 rushing TDs, tied for the best total in the NFL. The line benefitted from the emergence of DE Ray Edwards, who ranked 2nd on the team with 8.5 sacks and set a Vikings playoff record with 3.0 sacks against Dallas in the NFC Divisional Playoff win. Allen became only the 2nd player in NFL history, joining Hall of Famer Reggie White, to post at least 14.0 sacks in 3 straight seasons.

The 2008 Vikings became the 1st NFL club since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to rank #1 in rushing defense for 3 straight seasons. By acquiring Allen via trade, the standout DT tandem of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams became even more effective. The trio all earned Pro Bowl honors in 2008, the 1st trio of Vikings defensive linemen to be recognized since 1969 and the days of the Purple People Eaters.

The Vikings pass rush in 2008 was keyed by Allen’s 14.5 sacks, the most by a Viking since 1997. Kevin Williams tied for the sack lead among NFL DTs with 8.5, his best total since 2004. The benefit was seen in the Vikings total defense ranking #6 in the NFL, the highest mark for the club since the 1994 season.

In 2007, the Vikings held opponents to 1,185 yards on the ground, or an average of 74.1 yards per game. The Vikings’ tough interior was anchored by DTs Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, who both earned Pro Bowl honors for the 2nd-consecutive season. Kevin Williams notched his 4th career interception, setting a team record for the most career INTs by a defensive lineman.

The outstanding 2007 performance came on the heels of a record-setting 2006 season when the Vikings defense allowed just 985 rushing yards, or 61.6 yards per game. That total set a team record and ranked 2nd in the NFL since the 1970 merger behind only the Baltimore Ravens’ 970 yards allowed in 2000.

As the assistant head coach/defensive line coach in 2005 for his alma mater, LSU, Dunbar was reunited with head coach Les Miles, whom he worked under at Oklahoma State in 2002-03. The Tigers won the SEC West in 2005 and upset Miami in the Peach Bowl to end the season.

The 2005 season was Dunbar’s 2nd tour of duty at LSU, as he had previously worked with the Tigers’ strength and conditioning program in 2000-01. He returned to the Tigers in 2000 under head coach Nick Saban and helped kick-start the team to an 8-4 finish and a win in the Peach Bowl. The following season the squad went 10-3, won the SEC title for the 1st time since 1986 when Dunbar was a freshman defensive lineman, and won the Sugar Bowl. In 7 seasons as a player and coach with LSU, Dunbar helped amass a 60-24-1 record, win a pair of SEC titles and play in 6 bowl games.

During Dunbar’s 1st stint in the NFL with the Bears in 2004, he helped tutor a young and talented line that included rookie 1st-round pick Tommie Harris and 2nd-rounder Tank Johnson. Harris started all 16 games, the first Bears DT to accomplish the feat since 1975. The Bears’ ranked #2 in the NFL in total defense in 2005 and saw Harris earn a Pro Bowl berth.

Dunbar tutored Vikings’ All-Pro DT Kevin Williams at Oklahoma State during his senior season and helped him become the 1st OSU defensive lineman to be a 1st-round draft pick (9th in 2003) since Leslie O’Neal (8th in 1986).

A standout player at LSU, Dunbar was a starter for his final 3 seasons and earned 2nd-Team All-SEC acclaim as a senior in 1989. Dunbar was part of Tiger teams that won or shared a pair of SEC titles in 1986 and 1988, posted a 31-15-1 record and played in the Sugar, Gator and Hall of Fame bowls. As a senior in 1989, Dunbar was LSU’s co-captain with QB Tommy Hodson. He was also a linemate at LSU with former Vikings Pro Bowler Henry Thomas.

Dunbar (5/18/67) graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He and wife, Pamela, have 3 children – Karmichael MacKenzie II, Mickel Angelle and Nickolette Alyse.

From what I've heard on the Vikes' side of things... Dunbar didn't get along with Frazier and, therefore, wanted out and was given that opportunity.

He was brought in by Childress, and there might have been some bad blood between him and Frazier, who inherited Childress' job.

He is a Lousiana native, so he might be interested in coming back to the state.

dizzle88 · 01-21-2012, 04:27 PM

I don't mind if spags needs to send 6 guys or so on a blitz at once, just with GW he did it literally every down, the only thing that changed is where they were coming from.
When GW did this its really easy to just pick up short gains underneath and if one person misses a tackle its a huge play for them.
With spags I'd like to think he could improve the fundamentals on our D line so we can start sending 4 man blitzes commonly, and catch them offguard with an overload blitz when they least expect it.
As long as it holds up in coverage, its fine with me

halloween 65 · 01-21-2012, 04:35 PM

We got to get 2 DT's from somewhere!!!! Oh, I'm looking forward to this...

FinSaint · 01-21-2012, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by halloween 65

We got to get 2 DT's from somewhere!!!! Oh, I'm looking forward to this...

RailBoss · 01-21-2012, 05:07 PM

Jim Johnson was probably one of the best D coordinators in the game, he made Andy Reid's life easier for many years.

Euphoria · 01-21-2012, 05:37 PM

Spags is no GW!!!

Spags D plays sound heads up smart football. They make tackles their head is in the game and no what and where to be at all times.

GW 'make a play'. Even if you give up plays make one.

Spags DOES not blitz on every down. The percentage is way down.

hagan714 · 01-21-2012, 06:18 PM

big difference in blitz package will the use of LB blitz. spage will blitz LB

FinSaint · 01-21-2012, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by hagan714

big difference in blitz package will the use of LB blitz. spage will blitz LB

And as I've understood from what I've read and from what I can remember of the games I've seen with his defense in them... he rarely blitzes DBs, which makes Harper's role going forward a tricky one and who they hire as the new secondary coach even more significant.

hagan714 · 01-21-2012, 06:49 PM

Harper is on the bubble IMO more than any other player in the secondary. spags likes to have ball hawkers at safety. 2 hard hitting FS and he is a happy man

Rugby Saint II · 01-22-2012, 05:38 PM

GW blitzed right at 51% of the time. While Spags only blitzed about 33% of the time. Seems like Spags got it done with the front four.

01-21-2012, 04:27 PM	#2
dizzle88 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 11,534	I don't mind if spags needs to send 6 guys or so on a blitz at once, just with GW he did it literally every down, the only thing that changed is where they were coming from. When GW did this its really easy to just pick up short gains underneath and if one person misses a tackle its a huge play for them. With spags I'd like to think he could improve the fundamentals on our D line so we can start sending 4 man blitzes commonly, and catch them offguard with an overload blitz when they least expect it. As long as it holds up in coverage, its fine with me W. Kovacs likes this.
	Your bonehead creator picked a fine chapter to omit from your memory bank....let me ask you, does a machine like yourself ever experience fear? - Vegeta, DBZ

01-21-2012, 04:42 PM	#4
FinSaint Site Donor 2015 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Finland... formerly Southern Virginia Posts: 4,963	Originally Posted by halloween 65 We got to get 2 DT's from somewhere!!!! Oh, I'm looking forward to this... saintfan likes this.

01-21-2012, 06:35 PM	#8
FinSaint Site Donor 2015 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Finland... formerly Southern Virginia Posts: 4,963	Originally Posted by hagan714 big difference in blitz package will the use of LB blitz. spage will blitz LB And as I've understood from what I've read and from what I can remember of the games I've seen with his defense in them... he rarely blitzes DBs, which makes Harper's role going forward a tricky one and who they hire as the new secondary coach even more significant. hagan714 likes this.

LinkBacks (?) LinkBack to this Thread: https://blackandgold.com/saints/40595-williams-spagnuolo-similar-yet-different.html
Posted By	For	Type	Date	Hits
Williams and Spagnuolo: Similar, yet different	This thread	Refback	01-21-2012 04:17 PM	2

01-21-2012, 04:21 PM	#1
FinSaint Site Donor 2015 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Finland... formerly Southern Virginia Posts: 4,963	This is kind of long, but it is his bio from the Vikes' site: Traditionally a strength of the Vikings defense, the defensive lines of the past 5 seasons under Karl Dunbar have earned a place in team lore for being equally as tough against the run as they are at rushing the passer. The foundation of the Vikings defense has been recognized annually with All-Pros and Pro Bowlers. One of the keys to a successful defense is stopping the run, and the Vikings have been very good at that over the past 5 seasons. They led the NFL in rushing defense from 2006-08, ranked 2nd in 2009 and 9th in 2010. The Vikings finished 8th in total defense in 2010, the 3rd year in a row finishing in the NFL’s top 10 after finishing 6th in both 2008 and 2009, marking the first time since 1992-94 that the Vikings ranked in the NFL’s top 10 for three-straight seasons. Under Dunbar’s direction, the Vikings have had 3 different linemen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams and Jared Allen, earn Pro Bowl honors. Kevin Williams and Allen were both named Associated Press All-Pros in 2009. Dunbar’s tenure with the Vikings is his 2nd as a coach in the NFL after he worked as a defensive line coach for the Chicago Bears in 2004. An 8th-round draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers and legendary head coach Chuck Noll in 1990, Dunbar went on to play with New Orleans (1992-93) and Arizona (1994-95). He also spent a season each with Orlando and Rhein in the World League. The Vikings defensive line flexed its muscle in 2009, leading the NFL in sacks with 48 and ranking #2 against the run. The Vikings allowed only 5 rushing TDs, tied for the best total in the NFL. The line benefitted from the emergence of DE Ray Edwards, who ranked 2nd on the team with 8.5 sacks and set a Vikings playoff record with 3.0 sacks against Dallas in the NFC Divisional Playoff win. Allen became only the 2nd player in NFL history, joining Hall of Famer Reggie White, to post at least 14.0 sacks in 3 straight seasons. The 2008 Vikings became the 1st NFL club since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to rank #1 in rushing defense for 3 straight seasons. By acquiring Allen via trade, the standout DT tandem of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams became even more effective. The trio all earned Pro Bowl honors in 2008, the 1st trio of Vikings defensive linemen to be recognized since 1969 and the days of the Purple People Eaters. The Vikings pass rush in 2008 was keyed by Allen’s 14.5 sacks, the most by a Viking since 1997. Kevin Williams tied for the sack lead among NFL DTs with 8.5, his best total since 2004. The benefit was seen in the Vikings total defense ranking #6 in the NFL, the highest mark for the club since the 1994 season. In 2007, the Vikings held opponents to 1,185 yards on the ground, or an average of 74.1 yards per game. The Vikings’ tough interior was anchored by DTs Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, who both earned Pro Bowl honors for the 2nd-consecutive season. Kevin Williams notched his 4th career interception, setting a team record for the most career INTs by a defensive lineman. The outstanding 2007 performance came on the heels of a record-setting 2006 season when the Vikings defense allowed just 985 rushing yards, or 61.6 yards per game. That total set a team record and ranked 2nd in the NFL since the 1970 merger behind only the Baltimore Ravens’ 970 yards allowed in 2000. As the assistant head coach/defensive line coach in 2005 for his alma mater, LSU, Dunbar was reunited with head coach Les Miles, whom he worked under at Oklahoma State in 2002-03. The Tigers won the SEC West in 2005 and upset Miami in the Peach Bowl to end the season. The 2005 season was Dunbar’s 2nd tour of duty at LSU, as he had previously worked with the Tigers’ strength and conditioning program in 2000-01. He returned to the Tigers in 2000 under head coach Nick Saban and helped kick-start the team to an 8-4 finish and a win in the Peach Bowl. The following season the squad went 10-3, won the SEC title for the 1st time since 1986 when Dunbar was a freshman defensive lineman, and won the Sugar Bowl. In 7 seasons as a player and coach with LSU, Dunbar helped amass a 60-24-1 record, win a pair of SEC titles and play in 6 bowl games. During Dunbar’s 1st stint in the NFL with the Bears in 2004, he helped tutor a young and talented line that included rookie 1st-round pick Tommie Harris and 2nd-rounder Tank Johnson. Harris started all 16 games, the first Bears DT to accomplish the feat since 1975. The Bears’ ranked #2 in the NFL in total defense in 2005 and saw Harris earn a Pro Bowl berth. Dunbar tutored Vikings’ All-Pro DT Kevin Williams at Oklahoma State during his senior season and helped him become the 1st OSU defensive lineman to be a 1st-round draft pick (9th in 2003) since Leslie O’Neal (8th in 1986). A standout player at LSU, Dunbar was a starter for his final 3 seasons and earned 2nd-Team All-SEC acclaim as a senior in 1989. Dunbar was part of Tiger teams that won or shared a pair of SEC titles in 1986 and 1988, posted a 31-15-1 record and played in the Sugar, Gator and Hall of Fame bowls. As a senior in 1989, Dunbar was LSU’s co-captain with QB Tommy Hodson. He was also a linemate at LSU with former Vikings Pro Bowler Henry Thomas. Dunbar (5/18/67) graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He and wife, Pamela, have 3 children – Karmichael MacKenzie II, Mickel Angelle and Nickolette Alyse. From what I've heard on the Vikes' side of things... Dunbar didn't get along with Frazier and, therefore, wanted out and was given that opportunity. He was brought in by Childress, and there might have been some bad blood between him and Frazier, who inherited Childress' job. He is a Lousiana native, so he might be interested in coming back to the state.

01-21-2012, 04:35 PM	#3
halloween 65 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Grand Haven, Michigan by way of a little Mississippi River town in Louisiana Posts: 5,893	We got to get 2 DT's from somewhere!!!! Oh, I'm looking forward to this...

01-21-2012, 05:07 PM	#5
RailBoss 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Of The Mason Dixon Line Posts: 7,113	Jim Johnson was probably one of the best D coordinators in the game, he made Andy Reid's life easier for many years.

01-21-2012, 05:37 PM	#6
Euphoria 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 7,601 Blog Entries: 5	Spags is no GW!!! Spags D plays sound heads up smart football. They make tackles their head is in the game and no what and where to be at all times. GW 'make a play'. Even if you give up plays make one. Spags DOES not blitz on every down. The percentage is way down.

01-21-2012, 06:18 PM	#7
hagan714 LB Mentallity Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 15,870 Blog Entries: 68	big difference in blitz package will the use of LB blitz. spage will blitz LB

01-21-2012, 06:49 PM	#9
hagan714 LB Mentallity Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 15,870 Blog Entries: 68	Harper is on the bubble IMO more than any other player in the secondary. spags likes to have ball hawkers at safety. 2 hard hitting FS and he is a happy man

01-22-2012, 05:38 PM	#10
Rugby Saint II Bounty Money $$$ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5800 Airline Dr. Metairie, LA. Posts: 24,153	GW blitzed right at 51% of the time. While Spags only blitzed about 33% of the time. Seems like Spags got it done with the front four.