The Career of Jason Williams (HC 09)

[KingFiz]

Background info:

I'll be doing this career with Jason Williams, a created coach. I'll be simming every game and will post the boxscore/scoring summary after each game.

Updates in the career will come through The SIRIUS Blitz. Coach Williams will do his weekly interview, and all news around the league will be reported by Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots.

Disclaimer: All events and persons in this report are fictitious. Any similarity is coincidental.

[KingFiz]

Adam Schein: Welcome back to the SIRIUS Blitz on Sirius NFL Radio -- I'm Adam Schein, along with Solomon Wilcots on this Tuesday afternoon. Solly, let's take a phone call before we get to our next guest of the day, and for that, we go to Mitch in Memphis. Mitch, you're on the air with Schein and Wilcots on Sirius NFL Radio.

Mitch: Hello?

Schein: Go ahead, Mitch!

Mitch: Alright...hey guys, love the show. I'm a big Titans fan, but I'm a little worried about Albert Haynesworth's status. We need him on the defensive front, and I was just wondering if you think he'll be back in Tennessee this season.

Solomon Wilcots: Mitch, I think Tennessee absolutely has to keep Haynesworth. He's one of, if not the best, defensive tackle in the league, and he's only 26.

Schein: Yeah, Solly, and if the Titans do let him go, some team is going to pay him some big-time money and anchor their defensive line. Haynesworth is a defensive star in this league, and it's a no-brainer for the Titans to bring him back. Thanks for the call, Mitch.

And now, Solly, we now welcome to the show the newest member of the NFL head coaching fraternity...the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Jason Williams. Coach, Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots from Sirius NFL Radio. Welcome to the show, and congratulations!

Jason Williams: Thank you, guys. It's great to be here.

Schein: Coach, talk about what the last week or so has been like for you.

Williams: It's been a whirlwind, Adam. Just a month ago, we wrapped up our season after that loss to Jacksonville in the wild-card round, and coach Dick LeBeau and I were getting ready to put our offseason program together when the Falcons wanted to talk to me. After the interview process and the introductory press conference, I'm just glad to be settled in and I'm ready to focus on getting our team ready for the upcoming season.

Schein: Speaking of the upcoming season, you have your work cut out for you. You're without a clear No. 1 quarterback heading into 2008, and as you said in your press conference, you're going to be transitioning the defense into a 3-4, much like what you ran in Pittsburgh. What comes first on your list of priorities?

Williams: I think we need to work on building a better defense, first and foremost. We were in the bottom fourth of the league in pretty much every key defensive category last season, so it's a priority for us to address the defense at this point in time.

Wilcots: Coach, Solomon Wilcots here. You have the third pick in this April's draft. Any indication as to where you're leaning?

Williams: Not really, Solomon, to be honest with you. Our guys will be at the combine and getting to pro days in the next couple months, and we'll see where to go from what they tell us. It's not that I'm trying to hide information from you guys, but I have no idea what we're doing at this time. (chuckles)

Schein: Who's your biggest influence in your coaching style?

Williams: Dick LeBeau, without question. He's not only a great coach in terms of Xs and Os, but he's a phenomenal person. I coached the linebackers under him when I was in Pittsburgh, and man, our defense just played their butts off for him. I'm a little more in-your-face than he is, but I want our players to come to work every week ready to execute and ready to win.

Wilcots: Does this mean you'll be blitzing as much?

Williams: Absolutely. Our front seven, and occasionally our DBS, have to show the ability to get to the quarterback, put some pressure on him and force some mistakes. If we can put our opponents in difficult situations and force some turnovers, we're going to be a much better team going forward.

Schein: Last question, then we'll let you get back to work, Coach: You have quite a few skeptics who keep bringing up the fact you have no head coaching experience, and no coordinator experience at the pro level. Do you have any words for your doubters?

Williams: I'm not very interested in responding to those doubts with words. I'm going to let my actions, and the actions of my team, speak for me. If we execute every week and play well, those people will quiet down.

Schein: Alright. And on that note, we'll let you go, Coach. Thanks for talking to us today, and we look forward to talking to you every Tuesday throughout the season.

Williams: Thanks again, guys. Should be a fun season.

Schein: That was Jason Williams, head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He'll be joining us on Tuesday afternoons throughout the season. We'll get back to your phone calls after the break -- Schein and Wilcots, and this is the SIRIUS Blitz.

[KingFiz]

Zig Fracassi: This is the Two-Minute Drill. I'm Zig Fracassi.

Today was the deadline for placing the franchise tag on players, and some of the league's biggest names have been locked up for the next year.

The Bears tagged Lance Briggs, Randy Moss will be staying in Foxboro, Albert Haynesworth will remain a Titan and Nnamdi Asomugha will stay in Oakland.

Seattle placekicker Josh Brown and Cincinnati guard Stacy Andrews were also franchise tagged.

Big names who were not tagged include Steelers guard Alan Faneca, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs and Panthers tackle Jordan Gross.

That was the Two-Minute Drill. I'm Zig Fracassi.

[Joshua1207]

Why sim all the games?

[jayenomics]

maybe he just enjoys all the other stuff. Like me. I don't know why I dont just sim games, haha.

[milkman41]

I like this, I'll be following.

[KingFiz]

Quote: Originally Posted by Joshua1207

Why sim all the games?

Quote: Originally Posted by jayenomics

maybe he just enjoys all the other stuff. Like me. I don't know why I dont just sim games, haha.

I think this sums it up best. It's more of a challenge to me personally to build a team and see how it performs, rather than calling the plays and (in Madden) playing it out.

It's sort of like a huge house rule. I won't count out coaching games in future efforts, but for now, this is fun enough for me.

[KingFiz]

Adam Schein: Welcome back to the SIRIUS Blitz. Adam Schein here, along with Solomon Wilcots. Ready for our next guest?

Solomon Wilcots: Let's do it.

Schein: Alright, Solly -- calling us from the combine in Indianapolis is the coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Jason Williams. Coach, it's Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots of SIRIUS NFL Radio. How are you today?

Jason Williams: I'm doing great, Adam, thanks. How are you guys?

Schein: We're doing very well, Coach -- very excited about free agency starting in a couple of days, so let's get to that. Anyone you have your eye on right now?

Williams: We do have some guys on our radar. I think we're going to stay on the conservative side this season. There's a lot of great talent on the market, and most of those guys can come in and contribute immediately, but we're really focusing on the draft.

Wilcots: What are your big goals for the offseason, Coach?

Williams: First off, our defensive line is drastically undersized for the kind of sets we want to run. We've been actively looking for some big guys, both in free agency and the draft. I think we have a good idea of some of the names we'll be looking to add to our team this spring.

With that, we need to get some linebackers. We're low in numbers at the position as it is, so I think we're going to be bringing in quite a few linebackers.

Wilcots: Anything on the offensive side of the ball?

Williams: We need a quarterback. I don't know if we'll find that franchise guy to carry us for the next few years, but we're at least trying to get us a serviceable quarterback to manage the game.

The offensive line also needs a little re-tooling.

Schein: With all of these goals, you have to be hoping the offseason lasts 12 months! (laughs)

Williams: (chuckles) So much to do in so little time, Adam, but I've been telling people we're not going to be a Super Bowl team, or even a playoff team, overnight. We're going to try and do what we can this year, and just keep improving from there.

Schein: So you've been at the combine for the past few days. Who have you been impressed with?

Williams: I think the overall consensus is we're all impressed with Jake Long. The kid is just a beast, and he's going to make a great cornerstone tackle for some team for a lot of years.

Wilcots: A lot of drafts have him going to Miami at No. 1, but let's say the Dolphins pass on him and he falls to you at No. 3. You have to take him there, right?

Williams: Oh, it's something we'd definitely consider, Solly. We're a little thin at tackle as it is, and he'd be a great blindside protector of whoever we have at quarterback.

Schein: Last question before we let you go: Where will you be at 12:01 a.m. on March 1?

Williams: Well, I'm used to being at home in my bed, so this'll be a new experience. (laughs) I'm a night owl, though, so it won't be too hard for me to stay up and do some selling on our team. But we're getting closer to determining our No. 1 target in free agency, so I'll probably be on his doorstep that morning.

Schein: Care to give us a hint on who it is?

Williams: Can't give it away, but I don't think it'll be a surprise when word gets out to you guys that day.

Schein: Always keeping us in the dark, Coach. (laughs) But we thank you for coming on the show with us -- we know it's been a busy past few days and we appreciate you taking the time to talk. Good luck with the start of free agency this week, and we'll talk to you at this time next week.

Williams: Alright, guys, thanks -- take care.

Schein: That was the coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Jason Williams. Before we go to break, Solly -- let's play a little game: Who do you think the Falcons' No. 1 target is heading into free agency?

Wilcots: I think it's Terrell Suggs. He'd be the other outside linebacker opposite of Michael Boley, who was just tendered the other day. With those two on the outside and Keith Brooking and another solid guy in the middle, the Falcons may have one of the better linebacking corps in the league.

Schein: While I agree with you, I also wouldn't be surprised to see maybe an Alan Faneca or a Jordan Gross here. Atlanta has gone up against Gross twice a year, and the team knows he's one of the best tackles in the league. Faneca is a perennial Pro Bowler and would be a great addition in the middle of a somewhat shaky Atlanta offensive line. But considering Williams' background and his desire to transition into a 3-4 as soon as possible, I think he'll be knocking on Terrell Suggs' door in the next couple days.

Wilcots: It's going to be a very exciting next few days, Adam.

Schein: Yes, it is, Solly! We're going to get to the hyper-busy phone lines when we get back from break -- Chris has been patiently waiting to talk about the defending Super Bowl champion Giants. But first, Zig Fracassi has the Two-Minute Drill. This is Adam Schein with Solomon Wilcots, and you're listening to The SIRIUS Blitz here on SIRIUS NFL Radio.