3. Does Leonard Williams take out his frustration on the Rams and reach double digits in sacks?
Every year when Pro Bowl rosters are announced, several players around the league who have deserving resumes are lost, but few snubs this year or any year are as baffling as the decision to release Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams. out of the NFC team.
Williams, who was named the backup, finished higher in fan voting than the three interior linemen named to the team ahead of him, Dexter Lawrence, Jalen Carter and Vita Vea, and his stats are considerably better than those of Carter and Vea. , just like his professional football. Degree of focus, if you prefer analysis to statistics. Williams’ 9.0 sacks and 15 tackles for loss not only lead the team, they are also tied for the NFL lead among interior defensive linemen, and if all that somehow wasn’t enough, he also added a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown to help spark a comeback win over the Jets.
“That’s crazy,” cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Seattle’s only Pro Bowl selection, said of Williams’ omission from the team. “I’m not going to lie. They need to check that or something, bro. They’re tripping. I’m not going to lie. They’re tripping.”
Williams admitted he had allowed himself to start thinking about Pro-Bowl recognition after spending the last few years not focusing on it after he was snubbed in 2020 despite producing 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
“I mean, if I’m honest, it’s pretty disappointing,” Williams said. “I feel like I definitely deserved it this year, but you know I’m happy for the guys that made it. They deserved it anyway. That’s why they’re in the Pro Bowl.”
Williams added: “The year I was having this year, I started thinking about the Pro Bowl again and thought, OK, maybe I deserve it again, and it just didn’t happen. It doesn’t mean everything.” At the end of the day, I feel like I have a lot of respect for my teammates, I have a lot of respect for my coaches and also other coaches and players around the league have shown me a lot of respect and I think that’s important to me. me.”
And if the past is any indicator, Williams’ snub could be bad news for the Rams if they use it as motivation this week. In 2020, the last time Williams posted similar numbers and missed the Pro Bowl, Williams closed his season with 3.0 sacks, seven tackles and five quarterback hits in a Giants win over Dallas.
