METAIRIE - It is in many ways already behind him, but Thursday night at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Williams will step on a football field for a game for the first time since last Jan. 14 at another bank stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Saints open the 2018 preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars at 6 p.m. Thursday in game that will be televised throughout Louisiana via Raycom.
It was at U.S. Bank Stadium in the NFC Divisional Playoffs against the Vikings seven months ago that Williams failed to play prevent defense when a prevent defense was exactly the right call for a change. And had Williams prevented, the Saints would have beaten the Vikings, 24-23, and would have played at Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game with the winner of that going to the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
It was the last play of the game. Minnesota faced a third and 10 at its 39-yard line, trailing 24-23, with 10 seconds left and no timeouts. Minnesota quarterback Case Keenum threw a desperation pass down the sideline to wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Diggs made the catch at the Saints' 33-yard line as Williams, with head down, missed the tackle with a glancing, too-quick tackle attempt at Diggs' legs. Williams, a safety as in last line of defense, did not play to his position's title by staying back a beat in prevent mode and making a safer and more sure tackle attempt.
Diggs ran the remaining 33 yards untouched for the 61-yard, walk-off, "Minneapolis Miracle" touchdown as time expired for the 29-24 victory. The magic vanished the next week as the Vikings lost, 38-7, at Philadelphia.
"This will take a while to get over," Saints coach Sean Payton said after the game. "Look, Marcus jumped and went for the tackle."
Williams admitted his mistake after the game.
"That's on me," he said. "I felt like I was a little early, but at that point, I've just got to make the tackle. It's those little things. You have to do all that you can to get him down. Man, I just have to overcome it. Can't let it beat you down. I'm going to take it upon myself to do all that I can to never let that happen again. I mean, if it happens again, then I shouldn't be playing."
Williams is still playing. A second round pick out of Utah in 2017 as the 42nd pick of the draft, he had an otherwise terrific rookie season last year with only five missed tackles through 90 attempts. His His 70 total tackles was second in the NFL for rookie safeties. His four interceptions led all NFL rookie safeties. It was his interception of a Keenum pass intended for Diggs and 12-yard return to the Vikings' 30 late in the third quarter that set up a Saints' touchdown to cut the Vikings' lead to 17-14 early in the fourth.
Williams has been of the Saints' best performers this training camp as he has continued to make play after play.
"It all happened like this last year, too," Payton said this week. "Look, his growing and his ability is outstanding. And he's a tremendous worker. Smart."
Williams' "Minneapolis Mistake" has since turned into his "Minneapolis Motivation." Last spring, he made a video of himself getting up at 5:23 a.m. to work out to get better as actor Al Pacino's character in "Any Given Sunday" - Coach Tony D'Amato - delivers his inspirational "every inch" speech. The video begins with Diggs' touchdown. He posted it on his Twitter, @MarcusWilliams with the a "Turning My Nightmare Into My Motivation" headline.
"I like to post videos just for myself to say this is what I need to improve on," Williams said as camp opened last month. "That's just for me."
Asked about the play specifically, though, he said he was done talking about it.
"The play's over with," he said. "It's a new year."
Williams continues to try to get better and make sure nothing like that play ever happens again.
"You can never be too smart of a football player," he said. "You can never stop learning. So, I continue to learn. I continue to get in my coaches' head, get in my teammates' head and just see what they see because that can help you make another play. You continue to get better in the film room. When the time comes to play a game, we'll all be ready to play our game."
LSU BOWL: The Saints-Jaguars preseason game will feature three former LSU players, and all are expected to play - Saints' guard-center WIlliam Clapp, Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette and Jacksonville wide receiver D.J. Chark.
Clapp was a seventh round pick in the last draft and the first New Orleans native picked by the Saints since wide receiver Tommy Morel of Jesuit High and LSU in 1969. Chark, who is from Alexandria and Alexandria Senior High - was a second round pick in the last draft and 61st overall selection. Fournette, the fourth player selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, will play against his hometown team for the first time.
"To be able to play and see the environment and the fans, I'm pretty excited about hat," Chark said on the Jaguars' website. "Just being out in the stadium."
Fournette wrote a letter to fans and said, "I promise that this season, we're laying it all out there for Jags' fans everywhere."