Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams doesn’t usually like to get out of “football mode” during his bye weeks, but this year, he changed it up a little, taking a quick jaunt to Turks & Caicos with two other defensive linemen last week.
“We just relaxed, got massages…we did go snorkeling a bit, but I wasn’t trying to go spearfishing because I was trying to take it easy on my body,” Williams laughed Saturday. “I usually never do anything during the bye week, I try not to get out of football mode. But, having that time off actually was really helpful. When I got back, I was really excited to be back, and I felt refreshed and ready to finish this season strong.”
Now it’s back to work, and the mission is clear Monday night: beat Tom Brady. There are quite a few players and coaches on the Giants who were with Brady in New England, but Williams, who spent four-plus seasons with the Jets, has seen him as an opponent more than anyone on that defense…and hasn’t had a great time doing so.
“He gets the ball out really fast. I've had a lot of frustration going against him most of my career. Obviously, he's a great quarterback, a Hall of Famer,” Williams said. “He gets the ball out so fast that as a D-lineman you get frustrated, but you've got to just stay mentally locked in it, just keep rushing, don't let it frustrate you. Then when you're not getting home just get your hands up.”
Williams joked that he thought he was getting away from Brady when he went from the Jets to the Giants, but Big Blue has played Brady three straight seasons now; Williams wasn’t yet a Giant when they faced the Patriots in October 2019, but last year and now this year, Big Blue and the Bucs have met on a Monday night.
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And Williams is ready for the challenge, even if it hasn’t gone his way much over the years.
“I mean, I kind of like playing against him though. He's a great quarterback. I don't shy away from competition, and I love playing against great teams,” Williams said. “We've played against great offenses so far this year and it's another big offensive challenge for our defense this week. We're ready to step up to it.”
So if the pass rush is nullified somewhat, what is Big Blue’s game plan?
“If you're not getting sacks and stuff like that, getting pressure on him in the middle affects him as well, so even if he feels bodies in front of him and if he has to move his feet at all it kind of affects him at times. That's what we're working on,” Williams said. “Even though he gets the ball out fast, he's one of those types of quarterbacks that wants to stand in the pocket, make sure he has his feet correct. He's one of those quarterbacks that really wants to be set on his feet when he's throwing the ball and if he feels bodies around his feet or any type of pressure it affects him.”
And that means Williams and company are working hard on what is a staple of the Giants’ defensive schemes of the last quarter-century.
“That was a big reason why I was so excited to come here and continue to stay here, was the legacy of the D-linemen here,” he said. “I'm proud to be a part of it, I'm proud to keep showing those guys, hoping those guys are proud of us.”
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