DL Leonard Williams -- November 7, 2019
Q: In a situation like this, they know you, you know them, who do you think has the edge in the matchup?
A: I’m not sure exactly who has an edge or not like that, but I’m still preparing the same way I would any week, except for the fact that I do know them a little bit more. The difference is I know a lot of them, and they know one person over here. I think that’s the biggest difference. I’m definitely going to still prepare the same way and going to prepare with my teammates.
Q: Where is your motivation level, though? There’s got to be a little something extra, no?
A: I mean I’m obviously excited to play against the team that I once played for and that traded me to this team now. There’s no extra motivation than last week. I’m still with this team, I still want to win every game like I would every week. The motivation level is still the same.
Q: How much have they been picking your brain about the Jets’ protections and stuff like that?
A: I’m definitely being asked about it from some of the guys on offense. I talked about some of the o-line today with some of the d-line guys in the defensive meeting today. I’m sure they’re just going to keep picking my brain a little bit up until gameday.
Q: The schemes are evident from the tape and how they block is evident. What intel can you share that can help on a different level? Are you talking about guys’ blocking tendencies and stuff?
A: Just tendencies in general. Throughout a game, how they are as a person, how they are on and off the field and stuff like that can sometimes tell you a story on how guys are when they play as well. Just giving as much advice as I can.
Q: How are you doing with picking up the schemes here?
A: I definitely feel a lot fresher and faster and more comfortable with it this week than last week. Last week, not only was I learning a new defense, but I was also adjusting to new teammates, adjusting to new coaches, a new environment, all of the trade stuff happening. Even though I didn’t have to move far, it was still an adjustment whereas this week I kind of feel more comfortable. The trade has already happened and now I’m just moving forward.
Q: Are there times where you have to go to another guy before the play and say, ‘tell me what to do here’? It’s hard to pick up everything in one week.
A: Yeah, definitely. Even if I know it, I’ll just say what I know and be like, ‘right?’
Q: Who do you go to? Who’s that guy?
A: Dex. Big Dex Lawrence, he’s been helping me out a lot just because we’re in there a lot together. Even though he’s a rookie, he’s a smart dude and he’s been here for a while now and knows the defense. There are not too many times where I don’t know not at all what I’m doing. Just to reiterate it and make sure, ‘hey, I got this right?’ and he’s like, ‘yeah.”
Q: How long after the trade did it take you to realize that you were going to be playing the Jets two weeks after. Was it right away?
A: It basically happened as soon as I got traded. People were like, ‘oh, that’s crazy. You’re going to play the Jets soon.’ What’s interesting about it is they don’t play each other in the regular season often. It’s interesting that it happened this year, that we happen to be playing them right after I got traded to the Giants. It’s going to be fun.
Q: You’re more knowledgeable about their offensive line than most people. Why do you think their line has struggled so much this year?
A: I’m not sure. I think possibly just because of chemistry. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell some of the d-line guys here. They have some new pieces, they had some pieces go down, some pieces replaced and stuff like that. As it is with any team, if your guys don’t have enough chemistry, it’s going to be hard to work together. That’s one position group that has to work together the most.
Q: You’ve seen Le’Veon Bell much closer than any of us have, what about his skillset makes him special?
A: That’s hard for me to answer by myself. I think everyone knows who Le’Veon is in this league. No matter what stats or anything he has, every year everyone knows how talented that guy is. He’s one of the best backs in the league.
Q: So, when you were in practice, you were never able to hit Sam (Darnold)…
A: Yeah (laughter).
Q: What will that be like?
A: That’s funny because I randomly thought in my head, what if I beat somebody and go to tackle Sam and I let up because I can’t hit him (laughter). But no, that won’t happen, though. I’ll finally get to tackle him, that’s going to be fun. It’s going to be great.
Q: Your defensive coordinator was talking about getting you in more situations where you’ll have one on one blocking. I didn’t hear a lot about that at the other place. Does that excite you?
A: Yeah, it definitely excites me. It shows me that they’re excited about me and they value what I bring to the table and they want to set me up with as many good opportunities and matchups for me. That speaks volumes on the staff and me as well. I have to prove to them why they should keep doing that.
Q: How much do you look at that as that might be the missing piece like, ‘okay, this is how I’m going to get to the next level as a player, I’m going to end up getting those sacks and getting the recognition and the guy that other teams say they need to stop?’
A: I obviously don’t want to make excuses. Everyone gets double teamed, especially good players in the league. I have to be able to beat double teams as well. That’s just the nature of the game. I think just keep working hard, keep staying at it, staying persistent, it’s just what’s going to make it past that hump.
Q: You keep saying it’s going to be fun. Is it going to be strange to play those guys?
A: I don’t think it’ll be strange. I’ve went to college with people, I’ve grown up and went to high school with people, I’ve played in All-America games with people all my life that I’ve lined up against that I’m friends with off the field. But on the field and in between those lines, we are still going against each other. I don’t think it will be totally strange. It might be a little strange just to think that we played together for so long. But at the same time, I’m seeing a different color than what I’m wearing. I think any football player has that mentality that after a while you see a different color and you go at it.
Q: I know you guys do one on one at camp a lot, but during the course of the season we don’t get to see a lot of practice. I’m just talking about your familiarity with their starting line. How much one on one stuff happens in practice during the season?
A: There’d probably be one period a week where you’d have one on ones. It’s a little different during the week because you don’t want to hurt guys. Especially guys getting banged up and stuff at the end of the season, so there’s not too much of it. If there is one on ones happening, it’s not really full-tilt all of the time. It’s a little different.
Q: So, you know their line then as personalities than game speed tendencies as players?
A: Yeah exactly, I’ve still never had full game speed, unless we were in camp that was like game speed sometimes going against one on ones. But even in practice near the end of the season, like I said, it’s a little more slowed down when you guys are pinning your ones against your ones. Like I said, that’s why I’m still preparing the same way, I’m still watching film, because players that I even know throughout practicing as a person can still be different on film when it’s game speed.
Q: When you were with the Jets, even though you only played the Giants in the preseason, did the rivalry hold some juice at all? From this locker room, it doesn’t seem to hold much. Did it from their perspective?
A: I definitely felt a little bit of it. I’m not sure if it was a whole organization feeling it, or this side feeling it more than this side or anything like that. I personally felt it myself just because it’s two New York teams, we play each other every year in the preseason. Even though it’s just preseason, like you said, it still felt like it was a battle of New York type of thing. I just used it as a little extra juice for the game.
