What makes Kevin Boothe marvel about Packers linebacker Clay Matthews is how relentless Matthews is. The Giants guard says Matthews has a “non-stop motor,” one that incessantly keeps him going.
To prepare for Green Bay’s star linebacker, whom he will face in an NFC Divisional playoff game Sunday, the Giants had rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams play him yesterday in practice. Williams wore a red No. 52 pinnie (same number as Matthews) and simulated him the same way he has done this season with Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
And according to Boothe, Williams imitated Matthews’ motor pretty well.
“Jacquian has a lot of energy,” Boothe said. “I don’t know if he’s exactly like Clay. Might need a wig on or something.”
Either way, Williams will be critical this week. He will be both helping the Giants offense get set for Matthews, and preparing himself to defend one of the Packers’ toughest weapons: tight end Jermichael Finley.
In the Week 13 meeting, Finley was a nightmare for the Giants, catching six passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. Of his catches, every one either went for a first down or a touchdown, including a 24-yard catch that opened the Packers’ game-winning drive. Finley’s numbers would have been even more impressive had it not been for his three drops.
Williams was matched up with Finley at times, and both he and fellow linebacker Michael Boley will be the Giants who figure to draw him again. Those two are the Giants’ most athletic linebackers and tend to draw tight end coverage. The Giants have fared well recently against tight ends, most recently holding Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez to four grabs for 44 yards.
“[Finley’s] a speed guy. I’m a speed guy,” Williams said. “It was a good matchup. He’s a good athlete. But we’re coming to play football.”
Boley was part of the Giants’ defense against the Packers in Week 13, but it was his first game back after missing two games with a hamstring injury. He said yesterday he was “about 70 percent” in that game, and he played far fewer snaps than normal because of the injury.
With his speed, the 6-foot-5, 247-pound Finley, who caught 55 passes for 767 yards and eight touchdowns, is a glorified receiver, according to Giants safety Kenny Phillips. Williams, a sixth-round pick who played at South Florida with Jason Pierre-Paul, is a superb athlete. As Williams said, it’s speed vs. speed.
“[Williams is] one of them South Florida kids — University of South Florida, that is,” Dave Tollefson said. “I don’t know what they’re doing down there. But man, they come out pretty freakish.”
Tollefson said Williams actually reminds him of a younger Boley. But Boley doesn’t see it.
“No, he’s a different cat than me. He’s different. He has it all,” Boley said. “To actually just sit out there and watch him, even from the first day when the rookies got here, just seeing his ability, the way he goes from sideline to sideline, it’s tough to mimic that at the linebacker position.”
Williams was mimicking Matthews yesterday. Sunday, he’ll have his speed rematch with Finley.