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Witherspoon wows team with speed
On the fourth play of Seattle's opening series Sunday, middle linebacker Will Witherspoon sprinted to the left sideline and dropped running back Maurice Morris on a 1-yard run. On the next snap, Witherspoon chased down Morris on the right side after a short swing pass.
Then, Witherspoon raced back to the left sideline, tackling wide receiver Deion Branch after another small gain.
Just another day at work for the Rams' leading tackler. Witherspoon had 13 stops vs. the Seahawks, boosting his season total to 60 "" an average of 10 per game "" going into the bye week.
"I had some good linebackers, but I never had anyone who could run like that," said defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who has been coaching in the NFL since 1994. "I coached a couple guys in the Pro Bowl who could run like that, Ray Lewis and those guys. Will has that type of talent."
Witherspoon is on pace for a season total of 160 tackles, which would be a personal best for the fifth-year pro out of Georgia.
In March, the Rams plunked down $33 million in a six-year deal to land the free agent Witherspoon. They targeted him for the middle, even though he spent most of his time with Carolina on the outside.
The idea was to exploit his 4.6-second 40-yard speed, a concept that Witherspoon embraced. "From an outside position, you're kind of playing half the field. From the middle, you've got to get from sideline to sideline," he said. "I definitely enjoy it."
Barring injury, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Witherspoon, 26, should end weakside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa's three-year reign as the team's No. 1 tackler. Still, Witherspoon probably won't challenge the franchise record of 193, set by another middle linebacker, London Fletcher, in 2000.
Not this year, anyway.
"Will's going to get better and better," Haslett said. "There's some things he could do to put himself in position to make more plays. He's still kind of learning the defense."
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Witherspoon wows team with speed
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