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Leonard Williams: "We Have A Fighting Chance In Every Situation" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: What up?
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: What's that? I get a few strikes?
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Remember the disappointment last year when you were not be
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: So what does it.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: Mean this year? Uh? I mean it means a lot.
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: I think it's it's nice to be recognizing, you know, honored,
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: and I feel like it's just like a respecting Honestly,
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: it was interesting though last year. You know, it meant
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: so much to me when I didn't make it, and
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: then like at the same time when when coach kind
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: of announced it. You know, it's not like I had
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: like a I wasn't like jumping for a joy. It
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: was kind of just like, I don't know how to
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: explain it. Yeah, maybe I'm just getting older. I don't know.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: What to say though.
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: I mean, you guys as a team, I think tied
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: for the most that any that any other team had
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: just kind of you know, the team getting recognized.
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: I mean again, I think it's just awesome to see
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: the players get recognized. We have a lot of great
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: players on this team that you know, even more I
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: felt like should have made it, And uh, it's cool
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: to see the ones that you know did make it
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: get the respect and honor that they deserve.
• 1:12
  Speaker 4: You guys are obviously hope you aren't going to be
• 1:15
  Speaker 4: playing in that game?
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Are those games?
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: What do you guys have to do to close out
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: when you started?
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: I think, honestly just treating it the same way we
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: did in the you know, beginning middle, you know, up
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: until last week, like how we have been every week
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: is just taking it one week at a time. I
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: think that's what's been able to take us this far.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: And I think that's the same mission right now. We're
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: focused on Carolina and.
• 1:40
  Speaker 4: Marcus Lawrence is one of the guys recognized as well.
• 1:42
  Speaker 4: What does he managed the defense both in terms of
• 1:44
  Speaker 4: the plays he's making, but also as a leader.
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think he's been a huge audition on
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: this on this team, you know, one of my favorite
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: editions this year obviously because he plays next to me
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: and he plays on the defensive side of the ball,
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: so he has a big impact on on me and
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: and on this defense. His leadership, though, you know, his
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: effort and his ball skills are you know, elite. You know,
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: there's so many times where he's not getting the ball out,
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: but you see on tape like he's just hunting for
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: the ball all the time, and it shows up in
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: those few times where he does get the ball out,
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: but you know we see it in the defense meeting
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: room all the time even when it doesn't come out.
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: If Riley Mills was able to, you know, play some
• 2:27
  Speaker 3: more snaps, how could that help the rescue in the
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: tackle room the rest of the year.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think rotation on D line is huge.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: I think everybody in the league knows that at this
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: point you need depth on the D line. We have
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: to rotate. You know, it's rare for you know, if
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: at all D line is going to be playing the
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: whole game. And you know, me and Merph felt it
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: in the middle of the season when you know, jay
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: Red was down and we didn't have Riley, And now
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: that we have both of those guys, you know, we
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: feel a lot fresher and just ready to go in
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: those prime times quarterbacks, that's.
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: Really good at the end of games like you're gonna
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: see in Carolina also like this, are there.
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: Similar coaching points talking points at that point in the
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: game or is it truly the quarterback skill set that dictates.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: Hmm, that's an interesting question. I think you know, what
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: we call the fourth quarter and something like that situation
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: that you're talking about is the death zone. That's something
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: that you know, we refer to it on this team,
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  Speaker 2: and that's something that's a place where we like to
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  Speaker 2: thrive as a team. So we know that, you know,
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: he's a good quarterback in the fourth quarter, and we're
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: gonna consider the fourth quarter death zone. So I think,
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  Speaker 2: you know, as a defense, we're gonna want to step
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  Speaker 2: to the occasion, step to the plate, and we're gonna
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: want to thrive in that situation.
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: Your defense was on the field for eighty eight official
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: plays in that game, which is basically like a game
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  Speaker 3: and a half. Yeah, short week. How did that feel afterwards?
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  Speaker 3: And how beneficial was that many buy?
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: I mean, it was really helpful to have that many
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: buy for sure. You know, I think some guys are
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: probably still feeling you know, that's a lot of plays.
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: I haven't had that many plays probably since college maybe.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: But you know, we we were able to recover. We
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: had a nice little three day break, and I think
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: the coaches are still doing a good job of, you know,
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: making sure we're ready to go this Sunday as well.
• 4:12
  Speaker 4: You know what allowed you guys to have the fourth
• 4:14
  Speaker 4: quarter that you did defensively, looking back on it to
• 4:17
  Speaker 4: kind of struggle throughout the game, but then after eighty
• 4:21
  Speaker 4: some players to come in the fourth quarter and put
• 4:23
  Speaker 4: those three and outs together and everything down the stretch
• 4:25
  Speaker 4: to kind of get it to where you needed to do.
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: I mean, it's a combination of things. I think the
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: way we rally as a team, the way we come together,
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: the way no one hangs their head, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: I think that kind of gives us a fighting chance
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  Speaker 2: in every situation. You know, it's regardless of when they
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: get in the red zone or how they got down there.
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: I think we get down there and we're ready to
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: go as a defense and you know, as an offense
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  Speaker 2: as well as a team. And then I think also
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: a big thing that we've been able to get done
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  Speaker 2: this year is making adjustments. I think we made some
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: halftime adjustments versus the run game, and it allowed us to,
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: you know, play with one extra guy on the on
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: the line in the second half, and it allowed us
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: to get more one on one blocks in the run game,
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: and and helped us stop to run a little bit
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  Speaker 2: more efficiently in the second half, which was a big
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: factor in the second half.
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: Seems like you also started to get after Stafford a
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: little bit more in the fourth quarter.
• 5:14
  Speaker 4: What do you think changed there?
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  Speaker 2: I mean, I think that was a part of it.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: I think if we weren't as efficient in stopping the
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: run in the first half, and that's putting them in
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: very manageable distances on third down, which is you know,
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: allowing you know, Stafford to get the ball out of
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: his hands quick. It's short yarded. He doesn't have to
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: go through as many reads or hold the ball as
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: long for his receiver to develop the routes. When you
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: can stop the run on first and second down, it
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: puts more pressure on the on the offense to you know,
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: have to pass the ball and hold onto the ball.
• 5:47
  Speaker 5: The coaches keeping taking care of you guys physically coming
• 5:50
  Speaker 5: out of that game, the schedule this week and then
• 5:53
  Speaker 5: the particular Christmas Day off that the players come to
• 5:56
  Speaker 5: the coaches with that at either counsel or was that
• 5:58
  Speaker 5: the coaches.
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was kind of a nation. I think coming
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: off of a three day break, we felt like we
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: didn't need to come in on a Monday and then
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: have another off day. That seems like kind of a
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: lot of off time back to back to back, and
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: you know, we kind of came to the agreement that
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: you know, it'll probably be better to just work on
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: Tuesday and have Christmas off.
• 6:18
  Speaker 4: Were you surprised that the decision to suspend Derek for
• 6:21
  Speaker 4: that play? I think you're for the game. I think
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: you were right there.
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: I mean I was surprised because you know, I don't
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: know the details of it obviously, but to me, the
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: right guard got injured from me and Byron Murphy running
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: a tom game on the inside. I picked the center
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: and the center fell on his legs. It seems like
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: that's how he got injured. I didn't obviously look at
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: every second of the of the film and clip that happened,
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: but I don't know of my teammate Derek Hall as
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: a as a dirty player, and I can't imagine that
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: he but intentionally try to hurt a player. And from
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: the film, it looked like he tried to step over
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: the guy, and we all jokingly, are you know talking
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: about it now that you know everything Derek does looks strong,
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: like he's just walking down the hallway looking strong. So
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: it's like even the way he stepped over the guy
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: looked kind of strong and like, I guess aggressive, but
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: that's just how we know of him as a person.
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: I don't think that he intentionally tried to hurt a player.
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: In the last three games, you guys got two return
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: touchdowns on special teams. You have the game where Jason
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: Myris goes six of six. What can you say about
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: this job your special teams has done the last three
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: weeks in the season as a whole.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: I mean, they've done a fantastic job. And it's really
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: incredible to see a team just be great in all
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: three phases. I think that's really rare. You know, we
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: can count on the defense, we can kind of on
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: the offense, we can cond of on special teams. And
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: there's been a lot of times where the special teams
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: has straight up one games for us this year, and
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: there's been times with the offense has there's been times
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: with the defense has So to have all you know,
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: levels playing it like that is it's really helped us
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: a lot this year.
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: You've done it yourself, being traded coming into a team
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: midseason as you did here a couple of years ago,
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: for she to kind of find that footing and get
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: up to speed here. What has he kind of meant
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: to you since since getting here?
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  Speaker 4: On that front.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: I mean, he's a quiet guy. You know, he's come
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: in and just kept his head down, worked hard, and uh,
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: you know, I think he's still getting adjusted. But at
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: the same time, I think, you know, guys have done
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: a good job embracing them, bringing them in and treating
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: them like a teammate, treating him like a family member.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: And then you know, he showed up big already a
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: few times this year since we got him, you know,
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: especially against the Rams, that that return like really kept
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: us and brought us back into the game.
• 8:39
  Speaker 4: You've seen the Panthers kind of having up and down year.
• 8:42
  Speaker 4: When you look at that offense, what stands out to you?
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: I mean what stands out to me is they're consistent
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: in the run game and they're good in the run game.
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: To me, this is a good team. The quarterbacks good.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: I mean, he showed up big time in prime situations
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: in the fourth quarter bringing them back to win games.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: And you know, I feel every week that you can
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: never sleep on the team, and this is you know,
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: they haven't started off the best, but I think, you know,
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: I give credit to this team. That's a pretty good team.
• 9:08
  Speaker 5: What are some of the.
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: Ways that Spoon's impact shows up on tape, maybe that's
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: not in the stats.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: I would just say his energy, his leadership. He's not
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: a big vocal like you know, he's not trying to
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: like bring guys up and talk to the whole team
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: type of guy. But he's definitely a very passionate, high energy,
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: high motor type of guy. And if you're on the
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: field with him, it makes you want to play with
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: that same type of energy and motor because you're like,
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: you know, I can't just have this guy out playing
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: me every play, so it kind of like bleeds into
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: the rest of the defense and just makes everybody play
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: pretty hard.
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: When you're playing alongside him and you're watching on field,
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: do you ever forget this? He's like one hundred ninety pounds.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: I mean, that's one of the things I told him
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: when I first got here. I remember playing against the Cardinals.
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: I was chasing the running back to the sideline, didn't
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: see him out of my peripheral and then he just
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: comes and picks up another girl man and just slams him.
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: And I'm thinking, it's like an outside linebacker, defensive lineman
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: that made that type of hit, and that I you know,
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: I see spoon, get up with all this energy, celebrating
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: and then uh, since then, I call him, you know,
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: one of us, like the Liman. He plays like he
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: plays in the trenches, like he's a big guy, and
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: you know I'd love to see that.
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: Thanks, thank you,