The Seattle Seahawks were suffering a meltdown, especially on special teams, in the first half against the New York Jets in Week 13. Seattle had botched three kickoffs, had an extra point blocked, and let the Jets run a kickoff back for a touchdown. Seattle should have been being blown out, but Leonard Williams made sure that did not happen.
The defensive lineman, and likely future Hall of Famer, intercepted an Aaron Rodgers pass at the Seahawks' 8-yard line when the Jets appeared ready to go up as much as 28-7, and Williams returned the pick 92 yards for a touchdown. But just like everything else in the first half for Seattle, the extra point was blocked. Still, Williams had changed the course of the game.
Williams has been in the league for a decade and has been a high-quality player for that entire time. What he had not had, though, was a touchdown. One might have expected him to score one on a fumble recovery, but a 92-yard interception return? If you had bet money on that, you should go collect your large winnings.
Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams gets a pick-six versus Aaron Rodgers and the Jets
New York was 3-8 heading into the game and Seattle was still battling for a playoff spot and the NFC West crown, but one would not have thought that had they not known anything about the teams before the game. However, just like in Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals, when Williams had 2.5 sacks and a tackle for loss, Williams was helping the Seahawks' defense stay in the game.
LEONARD WILLIAMS 91-YARD PICK-6 🔥
— NFL (@NFL) December 1, 2024
📺: #SEAvsNYJ on FOX
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The interception was no gimmick, either. Rodgers dropped back to pass, Williams dropped back in coverage, which likely surprised Rodgers, and Williams made a fairly clean interception (bobbling it once). After that, it was just a sprint to the end zone. Williams is also faster than one might expect.
Still, Seattle trailed at halftime and might have needed another miracle from Williams to win the game. The interception return was the longest ever in league history for a player who weighs more than 300 pounds.