Williams: 'Payton wanted us to be aggressive'

In taking a sweep around the web last night, I found some interesting audio from Gregg Williams.

Not *that* audio. 

This clip goes back a ways, to the hours following the New Orleans Saints' win over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

Williams, the former Saints defensive coordinator, is in fine form following the victory, surrounded by reporters asking how he game-planned for then-Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Williams cited the pressure New Orleans placed on Manning throughout the game.

"Hits on the quarterback, lots of times, are more meaningful than sacks on a quarterback," Williams said. "... We were able to get, I don't know, it was up near 15, 16 times we were able to hit him. Those are effective changing the clock in his head."

In three previous meetings against Manning -- once as DC of the Redskins (in 2006) and twice as DC of the Jaguars (in 2008) -- Williams went 1-2. 

Sports Illustrated's Peter King asked Williams what the Saints did differently in the Super Bowl.

"When we played him in Washington that last time, we had a bunch of injuries going into that game and we had to stay pretty vanilla in that ballgame just because of some of the people we played," Williams said. "Last year, we weren't near as -- just because of the philosophy of Jacksonville, I mean, kind of babysitting our program -- last year, we weren't as much, because that's not the idea of the Jacksonville defense. 

"Here, you know, I'm in charge of it here and that was all handled before the contract was signed -- and (Saints coach Sean) Payton wanted us to be aggressive."

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At the end of the clip, Williams spies Payton across the room and asks if he wants some peanut butter.

Interesting reference: Payton sent Williams a jar of peanut butter, crackers and a glass of sand prior to Super Bowl XLIV, in an effort to keep the DC's mouth shut following his comments about wanting to knock Manning out the game, per ProFootballTalk.com.

Taking the joke well, Payton glides over, embraces Williams, and kisses him on the cheek.

Williams doesn't vibe rogue element on this night. Payton greets him as he would a trusted assistant -- not the goat of a franchise in search of itself.

Nod to NFLBlogBlitz for the clip.