Seattle Seahawks DL Williams 'deserves more love' nationally

After a monster campaign last season, Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams has seen a steady stream of double teams from opponents this fall.

It hasn’t seemed to slow him down.

Williams has 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss through the first four games this season, including 1.5 sacks and a tackle for loss in Seattle’s 23-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night.

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The 31-year-old veteran also ranks ranks fourth out of 111 interior defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus run defense grading, serving as a key part of a Seahawks run defense that ranks fourth in the NFL in yards allowed per carry.

“I have a hard time thinking there’s another defensive lineman playing better than him right now in the league,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Friday during his regular day-after-game conversation on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

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According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson via TruMedia, Williams has faced double teams at the third-highest rate in the league among interior pass rushers.

Williams’ ability to draw that attention from opponents and still produce at a high level is why Macdonald thinks the two-time Pro Bowler continues to be underappreciated by national pundits.

Keep in mind, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Williams was initially snubbed from a Pro Bowl selection last season before being added as an alternate. And that was despite racking up 11 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, both of which were the most among all interior defensive linemen.

“He doesn’t get enough love nationally,” Macdonald said. “I know teams respect the heck out of him. … Teams account for him, and it’s very obvious that they do that. And we had similar conversations as last year started to unfold – OK, now how are you gonna react as teams start making (you) a focal point and part of their game plan?

“And I think he’s had growth in just his mentality and his approach going into that – where he can stay as productive as he is while they’re making him the main focal point of what they’re doing.”

Macdonald then mentioned a scary proposition for opposing teams: Williams might still have another gear to tap into.

“He’s playing great football right now,” Macdonald said. “I think if he was sitting right here, he would tell you that there’s another level he can go to. I believe that. But game-wrecker is a great way to describe him. He definitely deserves more love.”

Mike Macdonald joins Brock and Salk at 9:30 a.m. on the morning after Seahawks games for The Mike Macdonald Show. Listen to the full conversation at this link or watch the video in this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks DL Williams ‘deserves more love’ nationally

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