We're not sure how that could have gone worse for Gregg Williams, the Rams defensive coordinator who returned to New Orleans on Sunday for the first time since he was suspended for his role in the Saints' Bountygate scandal when he was the defensive coordinator there.
By the time it was over, the Saints had embarrassed the Rams, 49-21, though the public shaming began hours earlier.
Going through video, Superdome security guard asked to see Gregg Williams' credential @saints#saints#whodat#funnymomentpic.twitter.com/6flyUo9TnI
— Robert O'Shields (@BobbyO504) November 27, 2016
Who knows if the Superdome security was specifically instructed to act like they didn't know Williams, who coached there from 2009-11, but this much is certain: Williams didn't leave the Saints on great terms. Coach Sean Payton let Williams' contract expire after the 2011 season because he didn't feel Williams didn't work well with others, according to ESPN.com's Mike Triplett, and quarterback Drew Brees described Williams at the time as "disgruntled."
So did Payton have additional motivation to stick it to Williams on Sunday?
It's not clear because he wasn't asked about it in his postgame press conference, though Saints offensive lineman Zach Strief wasn't afraid to point out what most people were thinking.
"It does, it means something," Strief said, via Triplett. "There's more there. So good for Coach."
"I didn't see anything out of him, necessarily. I just know better," Strief said. "The message all week was, 'Our back's against the wall. ... There's no room for error.' At no point did he ever say or act differently that I could see. But I'll be honest for him and say there's no way (it didn't matter). And I understand why people can't say that. Nothing was different in his actions that I could see, but I know better."
Safety Kenny Vaccaro added: "[Payton] was fired up. We all know why."
And then there's running back Mark Ingram: "We wanted to make sure Gregg Williams didn't come back and have a good time."
Need more proof? How about the Saints running a trick play with a three-touchdown, fourth-quarter lead:
.@DrewBrees
— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2016
To @Willie_Snead4G
To @Tim_Hightower.
TOUCHDOWN!!!@Saints TRICKERY in NOLA 😏 #Saints50https://t.co/9iU1q1rQGQ
There's more:
Wouldn't Gregg Williams show Saints D videos of animals mauling prey to motivate them? Wonder if that's why Dome PA played Circle of Life.
— Ramon Antonio Vargas (@RVargasAdvocate) November 27, 2016
So the Saints improve to 5-6, but they still have work to do to qualify for the postseason. The Rams, meanwhile, are 4-7. Which reminds us of something coach Jeff Fisher said during training camp.
"I'm not f---ing going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7 ... we have too much talent here for that," he said during an episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks." "We had some 7-9 s--t this morning and we can't have that. ... That is 7-9 bulls--t and we don't need it."
Good news: At this rate, the Rams aren't winning seven games, never mind eight or nine.