SANTA CLARA – Trent Williams was where he normally was, even when it was a spot offensive tackles rarely enterprise.
Even on the age of 36, Williams isn't one in every of those people locked in a phone booth. After a 6-yard pass from Brock Purdy to Ricky Pearsall Jr., he found himself several yards downfield attempting to bury someone because the 49ers trailed 28-12 within the fourth quarter. That someone was Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
Cook took exception and threw a right hand into Williams' helmet.
“Oooh,” said Fox analyst and former quarterback Tom Brady. “I wouldn’t tackle Trent Williams. Would you?”
As was often the case in these battles, Williams was the one sent off for retaliation, even when he was not the instigator. He was reminded of that Thursday and showed the skill of a 14-year veteran who knows how the system works.
“No, I didn’t,” Williams said of who threw the primary punch. “But it is what it is. I don’t want to comment on the officials, but of course I had questions about it.”
With the 49ers (3-4) hosting the Dallas Cowboys (3-3) at Levi's Stadium on Sunday night and two longtime rivals attempting to shed the label of underperformers within the approaching midseason, it's only natural that each teams have come under fire their fan base and the local and national media.
Williams missed all of coaching camp while negotiating a three-year, $82.6 million contract extension – the ultimate contract he’s prone to check in his profession. An 11-time Pro Bowl player and four-time first-team All-Pro — just about the universally recognized alternative for the most effective left tackle in the sport — Williams demanded to be paid as such.
The 49ers and Williams didn’t conform to a deal until September 3, so Williams didn’t take part in each the offseason program and camp.
The 49ers' slow start is causing plenty of criticism of the franchise. Williams hasn't gotten much of that since arriving via trade to interchange Joe Staley in 2020, just because he's been so dominant and the 49ers have been excellent for probably the most part.
Judging the play of offensive linemen is a difficult matter for outsiders, even those with training in line play. Williams has all the time been at the highest of just about every evaluation and has unofficially (there aren’t any official stats for offensive linemen) allowed only one sack this season and two more from 2021-2023.
Williams has received great reviews from Pro Football Focus in each run and pass blocking since his arrival, but through seven games this season, his pass blocking ranked him twenty sixth in pass blocking win percentage with 22 pressures allowed in 261 snaps.
Any suggestion that Williams is slipping is quickly dismissed by Chris Foerster, the 49ers' line coach and run game coordinator, whose relationship with the star tackle dates back to his younger days with Washington in 2010.
“He played better than ever before,” said Foerster. “Some things are actually better than they were a year ago. And it's funny because he missed camp. It kind of bothers me.”
Williams is consistently among the best and most in-depth interviews concerning the 49ers, insightful and colourful, especially relating to his teammates. He is less willing to delve deeply into his own successes.
“I’m just focused on getting better in the present,” Williams said. “I let Coach talk about the product he sees. I will rely on him to coach me and help me get better. My focus is on getting better for this team and getting some wins.”
Tight end George Kittle, who has gone on record saying Williams is among the best football players he's ever seen – perhaps the most effective – hasn't experienced any gaffes.
“I think Trent is still better than 31 other teams' left tackles on a bad day,” Kittle said. “I’m not saying Trent has bad days, but he plays at a high level for us – because we need it.”
Williams said he believes he continues to be learning and recovering. He told the NFL on CBS that he hopes to play until he's 40. His progress is so subtle that he cannot describe it.
“It’s consistency, technique and the little things,” Williams said. “It would sound like rocket science if I attempted to clarify it to you. We play such a tiring position and a superb game doesn't mean you bought a superb result. You can play a nasty game and get a superb result.
“You have to be honest with yourself and not look at the scoreboard. Was the effort good enough? Was it better than last week? This is the only way you can continue to improve.”
Williams, a native of Longview, Texas, enjoyed beating the Cowboys within the playoffs following the 2022 season, in addition to their regular-season win last yr. He laughed at fans who made an obscene gesture at him when the 49ers won 23-17 at AT&T Stadium and enjoyed a 19-12 victory over Dallas at Levi's within the divisional round the next yr.
The 49ers defeated Dallas 42-10 in Week 5 at Levi's Stadium last season.
Not that he takes anything with no consideration.
“Obviously we want to get to .500 before the bye week,” Williams said. “We know each other really well. We both have our backs to the wall. They have the same urgency as we do. We just can’t just say, ‘Hey, we have to go get this.’ We have to do the things that will help us win instead of talking things.”
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