Kris Richard says Cary Williams has responded well from coverage lapses against Cincinnati

RENTON – No, Cary Williams isn’t getting benched after his coverage miscues led to some big passing plays last week.

But the first-year Seahawks cornerback certainly got more than a few reminders about the importance of not getting beat deep, a cardinal sin in Seattle’s defense that Williams committed a couple times during the team’s loss to Cincinnati.

Messaged received, according to defensive coordinator Kris Richard.

“He’s responded well,” Richard said Thursday. “He responded well during the game, as a professional would. That was the good sign. He was unfazed and unwavered, he understood what was happening and how he needed to fix it. Ultimately, he was able to come back around and finish the football game. This week he’s been fantastic, right back to the drawing board, right back in, focused, locked in to the technique and prepared to execute.”

The technique that Seattle instructs its cornerbacks to play – which is known as the step-kick – is much different than what Williams is accustomed to from his previous NFL stops in Tennessee, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Williams admitted last week that he struggled grasping that technique over the offseason and that it wasn’t until pregame warmups before Seattle’s preseason finale that “the light bulb came on” and he felt like he finally got it down.

That technique is one of the keys to “staying on top,” which is the term the Seahawks use incessantly while preaching to their cornerbacks the importance of maintaining the proper position in coverage to not get beat deep. But Williams was beat deep on consecutive plays during the Bengals’ second possession, both times by Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green. The first resulted in a 22-yard gain and the second a 72-yard touchdown that was nullified by an offensive holding penalty. Those coverage lapses led Seattle to move Richard Sherman from his usual post at left cornerback so he could follow Green.

Richard agreed that Williams may have reverted back to what he was used to doing in different defenses on the plays in which he was beat.

“Yeah, the technique wasn’t used in the fashion that we prefer,” Richard said. “But ultimately he was able to recapture and come back to who we are, and ultimately when it comes down to it, we just need to be in lead position and he understands that.”

Richard said “every corner who’s been here” has committed similar coverage lapses and called it a great learning experience for Williams.

“We talk about it each and every single day, and we know that we need to be on top,” Richard said.

Here are a few more notes from Richard’s media availability.

• Richard said it was especially disappointing that the Seahawks were beaten twice on the same play against Cincinnati, both resulting in a touchdown by tight end Tyler Eifert, who was wide open in the end zone each time. But Richard indicated that his play-call was part of the reason for that. “The second time that it comes around and it happens, it’s ultimately my responsibility to put our guys in a better position to make sure that it doesn’t happen,” he said. “So I’m taking full responsibility for that one. I want to make sure that we put our guys in a spot to where they’re going to be able to execute and not leave those windows open.”

• Richard said Seattle has to be prepared for the likelihood that Carolina will try to beat Seattle on similar plays with tight end Greg Olsen. “I’m sure they’re going to take a look at the tape and try to feature him in some of the same areas in the football field. Our whole deal is to make sure that we prepare for those situations. Yeah, it’s a copycat league, and they’ve got a guy who is just as capable as the tight end was last week. So we just need to be aware of when they get in those particular areas on the field, to be prepared for the same concepts.”

• Richard said he’s confident in K.J. Wright’s ability to move to middle linebacker if Bobby Wagner can’t play Sunday because of his pectoral injury. Wright has done that on several occasions, as Richard noted. “He’s done a fantastic job,” he said of Wright at middle linebacker. “It’s a testament to his preparation. He’s a guy who’s always available to play Mike, Will and Sam. So whenever needed, he’s able to play all three positions for us.”

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