Tim Graham: Kyle Williams for the Pro Bowl

[Fingon]

Is he a nose tackle? Is he a defensive end?

 

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey balks at categorizing him. Williams himself can't really declare either.

 

Kyle Williams has taken the Bills' transition to the 3-4 in stride, collecting five sacks this season.

"Kyle's not a typical anything," Gailey said. "He really isn't. He's an amazing guy. He's got unusual quickness, unusual competitiveness, unusual strength.

 

"He just doesn't have the body that everybody thinks is a typical noseguard. Everything else is typical noseguard except faster."

 

Williams officially is listed as a nose tackle. He leads the Bills and all NFL nose tackles with five sacks, an unusually high amount for that position. Nose tackles often come off the field on passing downs. He has recorded a team-high 13 tackles for loss.

 

Tackles aren't an official stat, but in-game statisticians say Williams leads all NFL defensive linemen with 60, while the Bills' coaching film credits him with 72.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/22540/kyle-williams-in-position-for-pro-bowl

 

Those are eye popping numbers. 5 sacks and 13 TFL? Can anyone say dominant?

[Gugny]

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/22540/kyle-williams-in-position-for-pro-bowl

 

Those are eye popping numbers. 5 sacks and 13 TFL? Can anyone say dominant?

Dominant is right. Thanks for posting.

[Chandler#81]

While we've been hearing this from game announcers for most of the year and EVERYONE here believes he's playing at a Pro Bowl level, history shows that written media have to be on the band wagon and get the word out for any real chance at the PB.

 

ergo, Thanks Tim G.!

[boyst]

I'll see your pro bowl sillyness and say defensive mvp...not joking. Not one player this year has done what he has.

 

Amazing to think we still have Byrd (sophomore slump and injury battled) on this roster. Oh, and Maybin!

[Mr_Blizzard]

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/22540/kyle-williams-in-position-for-pro-bowl

 

Those are eye popping numbers. 5 sacks and 13 TFL? Can anyone say dominant?

D O M I N A N T ! ! !

 

Maybe Kyle goes as an alternate? He deserves a PB nomination

[Big Turk]

I'll see your pro bowl sillyness and say defensive mvp...not joking. Not one player this year has done what he has.

 

Amazing to think we still have Byrd (sophomore slump and injury battled) on this roster. Oh, and Maybin!

 

Neither is Pro Football Focus, which charts every play of every game and assigns a grade to each play for each player. They state that Kyle Williams has been the BEST RUN DEFENDER of any DT/NT(yes that include Ngata) this year. He also received the highest grade(+12.8) last week for any defensive tackle ever by a large margin. Last week he was ranked 4th behind Trent Cole, Tamba Hali and Justin Smith. However, after last weeks performance I would not be surprised to see him second only to Trent Cole when their new rankings come out later this week.

 

Basically their blurb says that Williams is "an unblockable terror in the middle of the line" and that anyone who doesn't give serious consideration to Williams as defensive MVP candidate had better start giving him consideration really quick...

Edited December 2, 2010 by matter2003

[flmike]

He sure is good, but the Bills ranking against the run also has to be considered when judging his ability. He doesn't fill the middle like a typical NT. Maybe have him drop some pounds and play DE next year.

[boyst]

He sure is good, but the Bills ranking against the run also has to be considered when judging his ability. He doesn't fill the middle like a typical NT. Maybe have him drop some pounds and play DE next year.

Why fix what isn't broke, especially when you have good young talent and you can build around it!?

[flmike]

Why fix what isn't broke, especially when you have good young talent and you can build around it!?

 

But isn't it broke? They can't stop the run, which starts with a monster NT. A few negative yards in sacks doesn't nearly make up for the huge chunks of rushing yardage given up. Like I said, he's really good, but not a 3-4 NT.

[Dan]

But isn't it broke? They can't stop the run, which starts with a monster NT. A few negative yards in sacks doesn't nearly make up for the huge chunks of rushing yardage given up. Like I said, he's really good, but not a 3-4 NT.

Are you suggesting that all tackles on a RB are made by the NT?

[Swift Sylvan]

Why fix what isn't broke, especially when you have good young talent and you can build around it!?

 

+1 If we have a top level position there is no need to spend time improving it considering the rest of our team is 2-9.

[Big Turk]

He sure is good, but the Bills ranking against the run also has to be considered when judging his ability. He doesn't fill the middle like a typical NT. Maybe have him drop some pounds and play DE next year.

 

did u not just read the above post...Pro Football Focus has graded Williams as the best run defending NT/DT in the NFL this season.

[SuperKillerRobots]

But isn't it broke? They can't stop the run, which starts with a monster NT. A few negative yards in sacks doesn't nearly make up for the huge chunks of rushing yardage given up. Like I said, he's really good, but not a 3-4 NT.

 

Maybe its not his fault that they are that bad. He could be the reason we are only giving up 150 yards per game instead of 200. I'd like to see what he can do with LBs behind him that weren't picked off the scrap heap right before training camp or during the season.

[GOBILLS78]

Are you suggesting that all tackles on a RB are made by the NT?

 

I don't think that's anywhere close to what he's suggesting.

[K-9]

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/22540/kyle-williams-in-position-for-pro-bowl

 

Those are eye popping numbers. 5 sacks and 13 TFL? Can anyone say dominant?

 

Those numbers are made even more impressive when you consider the Bills don't exactly force a lot of teams to throw by having to play catchup. If Williams ever plays with a lead on a regular basis he's gonna wreck absolute havoc on opposing OLines. Not to mention if he ever gets help from a talented DE along the way.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[C.Biscuit97]

He sure is good, but the Bills ranking against the run also has to be considered when judging his ability. He doesn't fill the middle like a typical NT. Maybe have him drop some pounds and play DE next year.

 

No it doesn't. It's a team game. It's as silly blaming KW for our run defense as it is blaming Fitz for our w/L records. Teams with losing records can still have very good players. KW is a very good player and one of the best at his position.

 

Also, he was an alternate last year on a terrible run defense. His name is getting known around the league. I really believe all of his opponents would give him their pro bowl vote.

[K-9]

But isn't it broke? They can't stop the run, which starts with a monster NT. A few negative yards in sacks doesn't nearly make up for the huge chunks of rushing yardage given up. Like I said, he's really good, but not a 3-4 NT.

 

You are correct in that strong defenses are strong up the middle first and foremost, regardless of front or scheme and whether or not you even use an NT.

 

That said, KW is absolutely not the reason the Bills get run on like participants in Pamplona's bull run. We are bad against the run for two primary reasons: nobody to set the edge at DE and perhaps the WORST LB group in the league. That point about being strong up the middle? Poz doesn't cut it. Our LBs are undisciplined and too often don't hold their responsibilities. They over pursue and, because there is nobody to set the edge on the outside, they are very susceptible to cut-backs.

 

They've improved a bit over the course of the year but until we get what we need from DEs and LBs we will continue to struggle against the run.

 

It would be so much worse without Williams who will go to the Pro Bowl based on players/coaches votes alone.

 

Book it.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[MDH]

I'll see your pro bowl sillyness and say defensive mvp...not joking.

 

No matter how good a player is you'll never get consideration for defensive MVP when the D that player plays on is horrendous. The Bills D is one of the worst - if not THE worst - in the league. Nobody will mention Williams for MVP because of it, and rightly so.

[truth on hold]

If the season ended today, how could you not put Kyle "The Great White Buffalo" Williams on the AFC pro bowl team?

Edited December 5, 2010 by Joe_the_6_pack

[Original Byrd Man]

But isn't it broke? They can't stop the run, which starts with a monster NT. A few negative yards in sacks doesn't nearly make up for the huge chunks of rushing yardage given up. Like I said, he's really good, but not a 3-4 NT.

The DT's primary job is to tie up the O line, so the LB's can make plays. Our LB's are not that good. This issue will hopefully be addressed come draft day. Last week I just focused on Poz, and maybe he was just having a bad day, but he seemed to hang back then look for an O lineman to block him. On one particular play there was a rather large hole he could have attacked and made a TFL instead he hung back and made the tackle after a 5-6 yrd gain. I had high hopes for him but Ive run out of patience.