How Williams’ sack exemplified Seahawks’ tight-knit culture

Early in the second half of Saturday night’s NFC Divisional Round playoff game, Seattle Seahawks veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams powered through San Francisco’s offensive line and engulfed quarterback Brock Purdy for a fourth-down sack that effectively ended any flickering hopes of a miraculous 49ers comeback.

After the game, Williams credited the sack to some advice from Seahawks rookie left guard Grey Zabel.

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As Williams explained in his postgame press conference, Zabel noticed that 49ers center Jake Brendel was sliding over the help the ride side of their O-line in pass protection. So, Zabel suggested Williams attack the “B gap” – the space between the offensive guard and offensive tackle – rather than the “A gap” between the center and guard.

Sure enough, Williams exploded into the gap between right guard Dominick Puni and right tackle Colton McKivitz, and was already closing in on Purdy before Brendel had a chance to help.

“I’ve got to give a shout-out to the rookie, Grey Zabel,” Williams said after Seattle’s 41-6 rout. “He’s a smart kid. Since camp, since OTAs, we’ve been going back and forth communicating, giving each other tips on what works, what doesn’t work. And sometimes it’s good to get insight from a guy on the other side of the ball.

“He said to me at one point that he can tell the center sliding to me a lot. And he’s like, hey, why are you taking the inside move when the slide is coming to you? You should just try to burn the B gap. So that whole drive, I was just taking off, trying to burn the B gap. And it worked.”

Leonard Williams SACK on 4th down!

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It’s not often in the NFL that an 11th-year veteran and three-time Pro Bowler takes advice from a rookie on the other side of the ball.

But Williams said it’s a testament to the culture head coach Mike Macdonald has cultivated in Seattle.

“I’m not above myself enough to take advice from someone,” Williams said. “And I think that’s how this team is. If somebody has some good insight, I think we’re all willing to learn from each other, willing to grow. It doesn’t matter what year I am. I’m learning from a young guy.”

During Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Monday, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard echoed that sentiment.

“That’s when you know,” Huard said of an accomplished veteran like Williams being willing to take advice from a rookie. “We knew the Mariners’ culture was humming. It’s why they were a few outs away from a World Series. We’re 60 minutes away from a Super Bowl, because this culture is humming too.”

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