THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: This Cat has Seahawks defense purring again

It was like spending an hour at the circus.

Where were the elephants and clowns?

Instead, the Seahawks played the part of the trapeze artist, and we all held our breath as high wire wiggled and wobbled.

Somehow, nobody fell.

Or more appropriately, there were a few near-misses, but Leonard Williams caught anyone who was in danger.

Well, a few Jets sailed into the net, but the audience ignored that silliness.

Meanwhile, folks went home with a message.

If the Hawks go on to achieve something worthwhile this year, a plaque of Williams — the Big Cat — will have to be mounted in the team offices.

Williams was immense, and not just in size.

Seriously, now.

Mike Macdonald may be the wizard of defense, but it helps to have a 300-pound tackle throwing people around on command.

Look, I’ve been around a while.

As a buddy likes to joke, I was in the army when Custer was a corporal.

Joking aside, I honestly have seen plenty of pro football, and the only defensive linemen I would compare to the Leonard Williams of the past few weeks are Aaron Donald and Reggie White.

DONALD was the prince of speed, and offensive linemen didn’t have time to set up and try to handle him.

White was simply a monster, a giant who could explode past blockers or throw them aside like rag dolls.

OK, it’s a stretch to line up Williams with Donald and White over a career.

But not right this minute.

Against the Cardinals two weeks ago and then the Jets last Sunday, the Big Cat totally dominated the line of scrimmage.

The Seahawks were seconds away from locking in a loss during the second quarter of the Jets game when Williams changed the season.

Seattle was down 21-7 when Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers set up from the Seahawks’ 9-year line, saw

Garrett Wilson drift wide open in the end zone — and overthrew him.

Miracle!

Not only that, but Rodgers made a different mistake on the next play, throwing a ball that Williams batted in the air, then caught and rumbled 92 yards for a touchdown.

It was the longest pick-six ever recorded by a player over 300 pounds.

The Big Cat was clocked at 17.87 miles per hour on the TD return.

“He was running like hell,” said cornerback Riq Woolen.

Rodgers really couldn’t be blamed for failing to spot Williams in a linebacker position.

He had only dropped into coverage from the line seven times in his entire career, according to Pro Football Focus.

That interception was the most spectacular play Williams has made in his portions of two seasons with Seattle, but it tops a terrific list.

WILLIAMS turned up in Seattle in October of 2023, part of a trade in which the Seahawks sent second- and fifth-round draft choices to the Giants.

There was surprise, even some criticism, that the Hawks would deal a second-round shot for a defensive tackle, but GM John Schneider had been coveting Williams — and now we know why.

It’s actually a surprise how many star players get traded in the NFL.

Draft choices are considered mega-currency, and if you’re willing to part with a couple, you can rebuild a team.

The Seahawks did it again this season by grabbing linebacker Ernest Jones IV — one of the league’s best tacklers — from the Titans for a fourth-round pick.

In fact, their defense represents a clinic in how to acquire talent.

Schneider generally believes in putting a roster together through the draft, but he’s clearly willing to leap on a trade — even in mid-season — and he’s been extremely savvy going after free agents.

Safety Julian Love was an excellent signing, and so was linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.

Williams may turn out to be the golden acquisition, though, a superstar who was treading water with the Giants — a player who can change an entire defense.

An entire team, for that matter.

He’s made that much of a difference.

As felines go, this big one has the Seahawks purring.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”