FLORHAM PARK Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , N.J. (AP) — Never has been. And, never will.That’s not how the New York Jets‘ defensive coordinator is wired.Williams has helped build stingy defenses all around the NFL for nearly 30 years with a mix of fiery passion, intimidating intensity and undeniable self-confidence. It rubs some — OK, many — the wrong way. But Williams has made a long, successful career of never, ever being Mr. Nice Guy.“My secrets get out,” the 60-year-old Williams said in his first news conference since being hired by coach Adam Gase in January.“And the reason I keep getting hired is culture,” he added, “and culture beats strategy any day of the week.”Williams motivates his players with his undying desire to win. He wants guys in his defense who reflect everything for which he stands.“It’s about how you find ways yourself to be tougher,” he said. “How you find ways to play harder, play smarter for longer than any opponent you go against. And, all the scheme is is a way to surround the ball, surround the formation and just find ball, see ball, get ball.“But it comes from an attitude. It comes from a personal understanding of what it takes to play this game at this level at the highest level.”Williams’ arrival has been welcomed by the players, who rave about his “crazy” energy and no-holds-barred approach.“Between those whistles, it’s a dog-eat-dog mentality,” linebacker Jordan Jenkins said.“It’s aggressive, obviously,” safety Jamal Adams added. “We talk our noise and we fly around the ball. I know we’re going to compete every down, every play. That’s what it’s about.”Williams made an immediate impression on Adams, pulling no punches with the third-year safety who’s coming off his first career Pro Bowl selection.“You know,” he told Adams, “I’ve coached a lot better people than you before.”Adams, who appreciated that blunt assessment, was sold on Williams immediately.“I love him http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-austin-seibert-jersey ,” Adams said with a big grin. “It’s like an uncle, really. He’s coaching us hard, he wants the best out of us and you could run through a wall for a coach like that.”That’s nothing new for Williams, who has heard things like that throughout his journey in the NFL, from Houston and Tennessee to Buffalo, Washington, Jacksonville, New Orleans, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Cleveland and, now, New York.“Players can smell and feel and know whether you’re conning them, faster than coaches do because they see the personal side of it,” Williams said. “So, yeah, I push, prod. And attitude does come first and I tell them attitude is everything.“Pick a good one today.”Williams has been a polarizing figure at times, particularly during his time with the Saints from 2009-11 as the defensive coordinator under Sean Payton — a period that included a Super Bowl win in 2010. Williams was suspended by the NFL for the entire 2012 season for his role in the “Bountygate” scandal in New Orleans, where Saints defensive players were paid bonuses for injuring opposing team players.That mark on Williams’ resume became a topic of conversation again when he joined the Jets because Joe Vitt was hired as the team’s outside linebackers coach. The two were on the Saints’ staff during the controversy, and Vitt testified against Williams in the hearings, accusing Williams of lying in his testimony to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.Williams and Vitt are working together for the first time since. Oh, and Vitt just happens to be Gase’s father-in-law.“Not a question,” Williams snapped when asked about the dynamic now between he and Vitt. “Next question. Go ahead. He’s a great friend of mine, OK? And, he’ll always be a great friend. I don’t care what you’ve written. Go ahead. Somebody else.”Vitt Trysten Hill Jersey , who was suspended for six games for his role in the scandal, was similarly evasive when asked about his relationship with Williams.“So this is a National Enquirer question, or what?” Vitt said. “I like Gregg. Me and him are friends. Next question.”The working relationship between Gase and Williams also bears watching as this season goes along, particularly because of their strong personalities and ultra-competitive tendencies.Gase has said Williams’ approach will only make him better, and the aggressive defense will do the same for quarterback Sam Darnold and the offense. Williams pointed out that Gase has worked with several of his good friends in coaching, and developed a mutual appreciation while playing against each other in the NFL.“Respect and trust is earned,” Williams said. “He has earned my respect, OK? And, he’s earning my trust now because we’re working together on the same thing. It’s been fun. And he’s a very good coach, has a really good mind and has a challenging mind on what conceptually we’re doing and how he goes about doing it. So, it’s fun.”And, as always, intense.“You know, it’s the honesty part of it,” Williams said. “Every day’s an interview, them to me and me to them. People ask me all the time how much longer am I going to do this? I love what I do. I’m a competition-aholic.“When I walk into a room and nobody will pay attention anymore, it’s time to do something else.” Ozzie Albies turned to teammate Danny Santana in the dugout and told him he was about to end the game with one swing.
”It’s time to go home right now,” Albies said. ”It’s time to go deep. I went up there with one mentality, of hitting a home run.”
Albies hit a tiebreaking homer in the 11th inning off Dylan Floro and the Atlanta Braves snapped the Cincinnati Reds‘ seven-game winning streak with a 5-4 victory on Monday night.
Albies knocked Floro’s first pitch, a changeup, into the right-field seats. Albies doubled twice before hitting Atlanta’s fifth game-ending homer this season. He’s hitting .455 over his last seven games, and his 17 homers are tied for third-most in the NL.
”I’m just trying to hit the ball where it’s pitched,” he said. ”Put a good swing on it.”
Rain delayed the start of the game by 1 hour, 20 minutes, the 10th delay at SunTrust Park this season and the third in the last four games.
The NL East-leading Braves have won eight of 12. They improved to 2-7 in extra innings.
Braves reliever Lucas Sims blew a two-run lead in the sixth, allowing three straight singles, issuing a bases-loaded walk and giving up an RBI groundout to pinch-hitter Adam Duvall that made it 3-all.
Scott Schebler doubled to begin the seventh, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and made it 4-3 on Joey Votto’s RBI groundout. The Braves tied it at 4-all in the seventh on Santana’s RBI double.
Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz, reinstated from the disabled list with right triceps tightness, allowed one run, one hit and four walks in five innings. He struck out four while throwing 91 pitches.
Foltynewicz gave up his first hit to Schebler, whose 10th homer cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth. Over his last eight starts, Foltynewicz has a 0.96 ERA.
”He had a really fresh arm and just pounded the zone on us and made us work,” Schebler said. ”We made him work as well. We weren’t going down easy. We were grinding out at-bats and made him get out of the game probably a lot quicker than he wanted to.”
Reds starter Tyler Mahle loaded the bases with no out in the fifth before a groundout put the Braves up 3-1. Mahle gave up hits, three runs and four walks with five strikeouts in five innings.
Cincinnati was coming off a four-game home sweep of the Chicago Cubs and had won 10 of 12, but the Reds are still stuck in last place in the NL Central, five games out of fourth place.
”Schebler gave us a chance a couple of times,” interim Reds manager Jim Riggleman said. ”Tough one to lose, but we did a lot of good things again, and if we play like that we’re going to win a lot of ballgames.”
MOVING UP
Markakis, the NL hits leader, singled in the third to reach 100 hits. He leads the league in doubles and multi-hit games and ranks second to Cincinnati’s Scooter Gennett in batting average. Markakis went 2 for 4.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: INF Nick Senzel, the No. 2 overall draft pick of 2016, had season-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right index finger. He suffered the injury on Friday with Triple-A Louisville. In 44 games at Triple-A Louisville, Senzel hit .310 with six homers and 25 RBIs.
Braves: LF Ronald Acuna Jr., sidelined since May 28 with a left knee sprain and bruises to his knee and lower back, will move down in the batting order when he returns from a rehab assignment later this week. He batted in the No. 2 hole in 25 of his 29 games before getting hurt. Manager Brian Snitker likes how Inciarte and Albies are complementing each other in the top two spots.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Matt Harvey (2-5, 5.66 ERA) will make his ninth start for Cincinnati since getting traded from the New York Mets on May 8. He is 2-3 with a 4.79 ERA with the Reds and is 3-7 with a 5.27 ERA in 12 career starts and one relief appearance against Atlanta.
Braves: RHP Anibal Sanchez (3-1, 2.55 ERA) will face the Reds for the first time since 2015. He is 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts this month.