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Leonard Williams: "Our Team Does A Great Job Of Making It About Us" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:07
  Speaker 1: I don't know where that came from, Honestly, I was
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: just hype on the sideline of just where we were
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: at at that point in the game, and I looked
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: over to my right and I seen Jackson with it,
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: and I think he wanted me involved in the fun
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: and I couldn't say no.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: What was your biggest takeaway from that game when you
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: had a chance to really dive into the film?
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: To me, I think we played our style of football
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: on all three levels, complimentary football. I think every team
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: talks about that going into camp, of just having complimentary football,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: being good on all three levels special teams, offense, defense,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: And I think that was a complete football game on
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: our side on all three phases.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: What literally differences it me to score first or to
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: get out to an early league.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: I mean, I think it makes a huge difference. All
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: that momentum swinging in the in the beginning of the game.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: Then our defense goes out there and gets a great
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: fourth down stop, which is pretty much a turnover. We
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: consider that a turnover on defense, and then offense gets points.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: You know. I think playing compromentimentory football like that just
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: builds a lot of trust and confidence within our team.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: And you know, getting that from play one kickoff is
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: just a huge momentum swing came out of last game.
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: And we're pretty aggressive on fourth down early on. Is
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: that something that you guys are looking expecting again this time?
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: Uh? Yeah. I think a lot of teams are aggressive
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: nowadays on a fourth down, especially a short yard situation,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: especially in big games like this where you kind of
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: you have to win or you're going home, you know.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: And I think, you know, we do a great job
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: on defense of preparing for those situations and knowing what's
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: to come, game yards whatever. It was just kind of
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: nobody's really been able to do that to you guys
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: most of the season. Here.
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: What you kind of look back on and kind of
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: take away as to why that kind of played.
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: Out the way it did and what do you kind
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: of see needing to turn.
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: Around for you guys.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: I mean, I would say that definitely wasn't our best
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: game defensively. What I love about this team is going
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: back to being good on all three phases of football.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: I think we we're gonna find ways to get the
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: job done, which we did, and uh, you know, sometimes
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: the defense is having the offenses back and sometimes vice
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: versus sometimes special teams. Is having our back. But I
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: don't think we started the way we wanted to as
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: a defense. I think at halftime we made better adjustments,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: and I think we're able to stop the run a
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: little bit better in the second half. I think that's
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: what is gonna be a big factor of this game,
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: is stopping the run earlier. Give them the way.
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: Both games against them went and just a successful did
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: this sort of feel whateverable that there's gonna be a
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: third match up in the postseason.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: I mean, I was just expecting it to happen this way.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: I think it's interesting that the only two teams we
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: played and feels like over a month is Niners in
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: the Rams. But I mean, I think it's a testament
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: to how good this division has been this year. You know,
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: a lot of respect for both of those teams, but
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: you know, I have even more respect for my team
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: and confidence in my team, and just the way we
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: make it about us is uh is special to me.
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: I think, Uh, you know, every week, obviously, no matter
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: how many times we played them, we're trying to find
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: new ways to attack them and and you know, ways
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: to get after them. But at the same time, I
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: think our team does a great job of making it
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: about us every day, about.
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: Grade the other day, I kind of the tip he
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: gave you a lot of attention to how rare.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: Is that that that that happens. I guess that guys,
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: guys give specific tips and things like that.
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: I mean, I think it's really rare. And I think
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: what's so cool about that clip specifically, in that moment,
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: specifically is a I think it's even a heightened sense
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: of the type of relationship and team we have from
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: it being you know, I'm a year eleven veteran coming
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: from a rookie. I think that's a very drastic version
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: of it. But I think you see that everywhere in
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: this team, from player to coach. You know, from player
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: to player, Guys on the same side of the ball,
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: guys on the opposite side of the ball. You see
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: guys hyping up special teams. It's like, we we just
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: have such a togetherness. And I think, uh, that's really
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: been to me from my experience in the league, that
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: define a moment, defining characteristic of our season is just
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: how how much we play together.
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: Do you think I feel like it'd be easy for
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: you to be like Oh, I'm here loving of that.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: You know, I'm not going to pour into the rookies.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: I've got all my money and can do what I want.
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: Why is it that the bets here seemed to want
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: to really pour into the rookies and the young guys.
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: I mean, I think a big, you know, big shout
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: out to Schneider and the office up there. I think
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: they they're bringing in the right type of people, the
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: right type of guys. I think having a team with
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: no ego, being able to, you know, willingly learn from
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: one another. H when no ego involved is special, you know,
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: especially guys who have felt like I've been on teams
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: where you know, guys have been Players of the Year,
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: Pro Bowls, All Pros and things like that, and like
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: ego starts to seep in, and I think that's when
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: it's harder to play together as a team sometimes in
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: those moments. This team is truly I don't think I've
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: ever been on a team that you know, has zero ego,
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: and I think that's it's special.
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: His social team just posted a video of Mike's first
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: team meeting with you guys in twenty twenty four and
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: kind of painting the vision of you know, imagine yourself
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: in the NFC Championship game in Seattle in January. What
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: do you remember about that and do you think feel
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: like the trajectory to this day kind of started all
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: the way back then, And how has Mike sort of
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: impacted the road to this point?
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I definitely remember. I mean the it hasn't been
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: too long now since Mike has been here. He's made
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: a huge impact and a huge difference in a short
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: amount of time. And I think what makes Mike special
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: is he practices what he preachers. I mean, he's always
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: talking about chasing edges, He's always talking about what's important now.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: I think he's you know, he openly will talk to
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: us on what he has to work on as a coach.
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: He talks about where he lacks and where he wants
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: to grow, and you see the growth and I think
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: him set in that standard as a leader for our
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: team kind of seeps into the rest of the team
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: and allows us to feel that we can be that
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: same way, allows us to show vulnerabilities where we're weak
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: and let other guys know that's where we need to grow.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: And it just creates an open dynamic where when we're
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: in the in the film room and we're coaching on things.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: It's like you you don't see guys getting offended. We're
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: just like, Okay, this is something we need to attack.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: I'm not attacking the player, We're attacking the problem type
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: of thing. And yeah, I think it just starts with
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: coach Mike. I think he's done a great job of
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: leading this team.
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: Looking back on Saturday, what was the atmosphere like being
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: on the field in the middle of all that. Did
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: it feel like it was kind of cranked up a.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: Notche for the playoffs? As far as our team, I
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: think we were we showed up. We had the same
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: energy throughout the game that we always do. I think
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: we never get too high or too low, and that's
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: kind of what's special about this team. But the atmosphere
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: was just insane. Having you know, the home field advantage
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: during the playoffs is is definitely special. It's special for
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: us to be able to bring that to the twelves
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: and uh, you know, they definitely showed out. My favorite
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: moment was seeing the Darth Vader in the stands because
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: representing the dark Side, I want to see more of that.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: I don't remember I've just seen them up on the
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: Jumbo Tron, and that was my favorite moment.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: Mike was talking earlier about the loss you guys had
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: in Week eleven down in La turns out was your
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: last loss, and kind of coming out that game feeling
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: really good about the director going even though you lost
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: the games. What do you remember kind of about the
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: vibes coming.
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: Out of that. Yeah, I mean I feel like, you know,
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: even going all the way back to Week one, the
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: losses we've had this we've really been able to just
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: grow from them. They haven't really hindered us and in
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: our belief as a team or you know, losing hasn't
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: really discouraged us in any way. I think after losses
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: this year, you know, we really like turn it up
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: a little bit. You know, like I said, we do
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: a good job of ice keeping even killed after a
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: win or a loss. But I think sometimes those losses
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: do kind of fuel us and ignite us a little
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: bit more to just find better ways to to just
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: grow as a team. And I think that's what we've
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: done after each loss.
• 8:33
  Speaker 3: You guys haven't yet zacked Matt Stafford and curious why.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: You think that is. I mean, if you watch the games.
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: He gets the ball out extremely fast. I think what
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: they do a good job at is, you know, putting
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: them in third and manageable downs. I think he's I
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: think they have the shortest distance on third downs in
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: the league, which allows for quick passes. You don't have
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: to sit back and drop and read coverages and all
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: these things. When you only need three to five yards
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: for a first down, you know, there's a lot of
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: times you just catch the ball and knows exactly where
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: to put it. Sometimes he's not even looking. He knows
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: exactly where to put it. Uh, he's a great quarterback.
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: And I think that's why I said, I think we're
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: gonna have to do a good job on first and
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: second down, stopping the run, getting them in a little
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: bit more backed up third downs. There you go. Thanks,
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: Thank