Saints Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams received the game ball from New Orleans' 27-7 win Sunday, reportedly to a roar from the team's locker room in Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium that could be heard several rooms away. Hopefully Williams smiled upon thinking about the thousand and one sports critics who said "sure the Saints can score points, but their DEFENSE sucks." The NFL, and really all sports teams with the exception of Notre Dame and the Yankees and their ilk, exist on a Show Me First basis. Notre Dame looks like they might not be horrible this year, and Lou Holtz says he wouldn't be surprised to see them play for the national championship. The Yankees sign another $10 million-plus bat or arm, and they can't be beaten. You know other teams like that. But many teams have to prove a point over and over to replace the popular misconception of them. Just the other day someone told me that the Ravens couldn't keep their current success going because "they're a defensive team, and their defensive numbers have dropped." Like my jaw. Sure, historically the Ravens have been a defensive team, but the team is only 13 years old. And no matter how old a team is, its focuses and strong/weak points can change. I'd assume they'd have to in order to stay relevant in the modern NFL (how you doing back there, Cleveland?). Truth be told, it looks like the Ravens have compensated beautifully on the offensive side for the defensive decline. "Historic" Ravens football? No. Winning football? Yes. No team has ever stayed good by doing the same thing over and over with no change. Want proof? The Oakland Raiders.
