Last week I reported on the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX plans to attack New England Patriots center Garrett Bradbury, but linebackers Jared Wilson and Mike Onwenu also performed well next to him.
Both are third-round picks that New England has seen a good return on investment, but both also have weaknesses that Seahawks defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II can exploit.
advertise
Wilson is a rookie who can be beaten by getting off the ball quickly, which is Williams’ bread and butter. He also has shorter arms, which makes it difficult to keep Williams in front of him. He’s good once he locks up with his hands, but Williams can stop him with his long arms. Murphy also has quick jumps and weighs similarly despite being more than two inches shorter than Wilson. He can use his signature knee-down technique to contain Wilson at the line of scrimmage, which is key for the Patriots’ running game with Tre’Vion Henderson and Lamond Stevenson.
Onwenu is an extremely stocky defender, but his long arms allow him to handle power hits well. He has incredible speed, great footwork and a violent upper body. However, he has difficulty moving laterally. This provides Williams with a perfect double-team opportunity. If he can force Bradbury and Onwenu to double-team him in the A gap, Onwenu’s side-by-side struggles won’t be able to take advantage of the massive advantage in the B gap to get in front of the Seahawks linebackers. This allows Williams to create opportunities for Ernest Jones IV and Derek Thomas to get into the backfield and wreak havoc.
Before you see what Williams posted on Twitter this weekend and on Instagram today, make sure you’re not in a workplace where you can’t get super excited – because he’s clearly ready for it. When he gets the chance to transform from current player to all-time great, he’ll certainly operate like both – respecting his opponents enough and scouting them with enough confidence to mysteriously broadcast his readiness for war.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks’ Williams, Murphy II target Patriots’ weaknesses off the line
