Let's start with an irritation. After Leonard Williams absolutely destroyed the New York Jets in Week 13, some tools on social media - non-Seattle Seahawks fans, mind you - spoke negatively about Williams. Several even said Williams was finally accomplishing something in Seattle that he couldn't do with his previous teams, the Jets and New York Giants.
Those people saying such silly things on social media are completely incorrect. They are basically the equivalent of the Michigan football team trying to plant a flag at Ohio State's midfield after defeating the Buckeyes this past weekend. Or maybe the Buckeyes being peeved at the Wolverines for doing so. It is difficult to keep track.
The truth is that Williams was great as a Jet and a Giant and the Seahawks are lucky enough to have him now. Sure, Williams' Pro Football Focus grade of 85.0 in 2024 is the highest of his career, but just barely. And he always graded in the 70s or higher. Williams has seven sacks this season, but that is still a ways from his career-high of 13 which he set with the Giants in 2020.
Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams wins the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 13
But what Williams did to Aaron Rodgers and the Jets in Week 13 was simply cruel. He had two sacks (for the second straight game), three tackles for loss (for the second straight week as well), and a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown, a record for the longest pick-six by a player that weighs at least 300 pounds. The defensive lineman also hit 17 mph while running toward the end zone. That's fast.
It was the second straight week that the Seahawks had a player return an interception back for a touchdown. This has been needed to help out a sluggish offense, which has struggled mightily recently in the red zone, and to score many points at all. Seattle has scored 42 points in the last two games, but 12 of those were directly from something the defense did.
It is no coincidence that after Coby Bryant won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 12, mostly due to an interception return, Williams got the award in Week 13 for what he did in his abuse of the Jets. In other words, head coach Mike Macdonald is beginning to turn his defensive players into award winners. That will make the players quite happy once it comes time to negotiate their next contracts.