Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is not fond of the Falcons.
Vilma, who along with teammate Scott Shanle thought that the Falcons were “classless” in the way they acted before Sunday’s Saints-Falcons game, has added that he doesn’t feel the need to boast about beating the Falcons, because that’s par for the course for the Saints.
“We’re not going to sit here and keep talking about how we beat the Falcons,” Vilma told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “We always beat the Falcons. Our team is 11-2 since Sean [Payton] got here.”
Vilma said that when both teams are on the field for pregame warmups, there’s usually mutual respect shown. But that wasn’t the case with the Saints and Falcons on Sunday.
“They were the complete opposite,” Vilma said. “It kind of rubbed us the wrong way. . . . You don’t usually see that. It’s not a major issue, it just got under our skin, but we won, so we’re done with that. If they want to do it again, that’s their business, but act like you’ve been there before.”
Vilma said the Falcons were talking trash to the Saints, and when Vilma approached a Falcons assistant coach to say he didn’t appreciate the way the Falcons were asking, the coach told Vilma there was nothing he could do.
“He said ‘Well I don’t have any control,’” Vilma said. “And I just thought ‘Well that says something about you and your program.’”
With Vilma finally healthy, and with his appeal of the yearlong suspension the NFL gave him in the bounty investigation ongoing, he says he’s ready to go for the rest of the season. It sounds like he’s particularly looking forward to the game two weeks from tomorrow, when the Saints and Falcons meet again.