Ex-Jet Leonard Williams tortured old team with dominant performance: Chip on my shoulder
Leonard Williams’ 67th career game at MetLife Stadium was his best one.It also happened to be his first not suiting up for the Jets or Giants.Williams tortured the team that drafted him as a 2015 first-rounder Sunday with an interception returned for a touchdown, two sacks and a blocked kick to lead the Seahawks to a 26-21 victory against the Jets.“He’s playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level,” said safety Julian Love, Williams’ teammate on the Giants and Seahawks.“When he takes advantage of a matchup, he senses it from Play One and there’s blood in the water for the whole game.”The Jets were driving to extend a 21-7 lead when Williams dropped into coverage, deflected a pass up in the air to himself for an interception, and looked ahead at daylight and a swarm of blockers.Williams reached 17.84 miles per hour, which was the fastest speed clocked by an NFL defensive lineman since 2019, per NextGenStats.
His 92-yard touchdown return was the longest pick-six by a defensive lineman in NFL history, per ESPN Research.“I didn’t expect to get that far with it, to be honest,” Williams said.“I thought I was running fast, but you never know in the moment.
All my teammates were hyping me up on the sideline, saying I was moving.Once I crossed the 50, I was looking to pitch it to somebody.
I saw my whole defense and whole cavalry running down the field.”Traded by the Giants to the Seahawks as a pending free agent on Oct.30, 2023, Williams re-signed on a three-year, $64.5 million contract in the offseason.
He has his most sacks (seven with five games to go) since totaling 11.5 while playing on the franchise tag for the 2020 Giants.“Even that season, I don’t think, was as dominant as what I’m doing right now,” Williams said.“I don’t think the stats necessarily always say the full picture, and I think now being older, more mature, understanding my strengths and the [opposing] offense more just allows me to play fast.
I have more gro...