Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams (95) celebrates a sack on Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo beats Miami 19-0. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams has been one of the most dominant players in the league for quite some time now, but he still doesn’t get the recognition of a superstar. In all honesty, Williams plays like a superstar player out there, as he is an elite run defender and pass rusher. But for whatever reason, Williams just doesn’t get enough love, even if he’s so tough that he regularly plays- and succeeds- through tough injuries (see last year as a prime example). He and Marcell Dareus formed one of the best DT pairings in the NFL back when the Bills ran a 4-3, and the Bills defense could become scary soon. Not only do they have an excellent defensive line in the 3-4, but they are led by a great defensive coordinator in Mike Pettine. They also boast a top pass rushing duo in Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes, a playmaking ILB in Kiko Alonso, and both Leodis McKelvin and Stephon Gilmore are impressing at corner.
But back to Kyle Williams, who is, for my money, still the best defensive player on the Bills despite the talented players around him. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick certainly knows how great Williams is, having watched Williams dominate the interior of the Patriots offensive line over the years. Belchick knows as well as anyone that Williams is one of the most dominant and underrated defensive linemen in the league, and he lofted some more high praise on Williams.
He said, via Bills official site beat writer Chris Brown, “Number 1, he’s very instinctive. He’s got a good feel for blocking patterns and protections and that type of thing. He anticipates well. He’s got very good quickness. He’s got a great motor. He’s got good playing strength, good balance, hard to knock off his feet. He makes a lot of plays on the backside because they can’t cut him off. They try to cut him and he hops over them, or they try to block him, and he’s too quick to get away from. He’s got good lateral quickness. He uses his hands well. He’s a smart player. He plays all out all the time.”
Belichick’s praise of Williams’s motor and football IQ are unsurprising for sure, because those are two things that always stand out about him when watching him over the years. I love how Belichick goes into detail about Williams’s other traits, because he has all the physical tools; his quickness and strength are excellent and are deadly in tandem.
In 15 games this season, Kyle Williams has a whopping 20 QB hits and 14 tackles for loss; the man is a beast, plain and simple.