New York Giants star Leonard Williams must surely be into comic book lore. For those that are, they understand that Superman is the hero of all heroes.
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, Superman has super human strength as well.
But his weakness is kryptonite, which is a (fictional) alien mineral that drains Superman of all of his many powers.
Tom Brady is likely seen as the closest thing to Superman, with his seven Super Bowl rings, more than any singular franchise. Tomorrow, Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the New York Giants and their star defensive end Leonard Williams.
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
Williams recently had a take on how to beat Brady and what affects him the most.
Giants' Leonard Williams knows Tom Brady's weakness
According to Williams, he has an understanding as to what serves as Brady's kryptonite:
"[Brady] is one of those types of quarterbacks that wants to stand in the pocket, make sure he has his feet correct, really wants to be set when he’s throwing the ball. And if he feels bodies around his feet or any type of pressure, it affects him."
Williams continued,
"He gets the ball out so fast that as a D-lineman you get frustrated,” Williams said, “but you have to stay mentally locked in and just keep rushing. Don’t let it frustrate you. When you are not getting home, just get your hands up [to knock down passes]. If you are not getting sacks, even getting pressure on him in the middle kind of affects him at times. That’s what we’re working on."
Williams' assessment is spot on as evidenced by the two Super Bowls that Brady faced the New York Giants.
Is pressure in the pocket the kryptonite for Tom Brady?
To be fair, the pressure in the pocket is likely kryptonite for any NFL quarterback. But that includes even the great Tom Brady.
In the 2007 NFL season, the Patriots were undefeated playing in the Super Bowl against Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck, applying constant pressure on Brady. The Giants consistently kept Brady uncomfortable, which was the primary reason they won that Super Bowl.
Similarly, in the 2011 NFL season, the Patriots were once again playing the Giants and once again, there was pressure applied around Tom Brady. The pressure again helped to solidify a victory over the Patriots as Brady could never get comfortable in the pocket.
It's a safe bet to say that Brady has heard what Leonard Williams said and Monday Night Football just got a bit more interesting.
New England Patriots Nation! Check out the latest Patriots Schedule and dive into the New England Patriots Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.