Saints coach Sean Payton said this week that he has a “great relationship” with Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who held the same job on Payton’s staff in New Orleans from 2009-2011 and will be in New Orleans this Sunday.
Williams’ departure was followed by the NFL handing out suspensions to both coaches after their investigation into a bounty program that was in place for the defense during Williams’ time with the team. When Williams returned to New Orleans with the Rams in 2016, the Saints won 49-21 and some Saints players thought the game meant something extra to Payton.
Some also wondered if Payton may have run the score up in that win, but Williams said on Friday that he doesn’t believe that was the case.
“No. No, no, no,’' Williams said, via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “Sean and I are very good friends, and there are still a lot of people in that organization [I know]. I think Sean is, if not one of the best, the best coach I have ever had a chance to work with. He and I are friends for life. We’ll walk together for life with a Super Bowl trophy.”
That may be the case, but they’ll be on opposite sides this weekend and it seems unlikely anyone’s going to be taking it easy on their buddy.