Ravens rookie Tim Williams wasn't happy with his showing in his first NFL preseason game.
He played 24 defensive snaps and three special teams plays, and recorded no tackles, sacks or hurries.
Afterward, Williams told The Baltimore Sun that he would "go back to the drawing board" and that he was thinking too much and "hesitant."
Fast forward to the Ravens' second preseason game, and it's clear Williams is a quick learner.
Williams logged two sacks and got the first* *of his career when he exploded off the edge, shook off a block and reeled in Miami Dolphins backup quarterback Brandon Doughty in the fourth quarter of Thursday's 31-7 Ravens win.
"It was a foundation of building blocks for what I know I can do," Williams said.
The Ravens drafted Williams in the third round in large part because of his pass-rush potential. Despite being mostly a situational player, Williams had 19.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Alabama. The Ravens envision him giving the defense fresh legs, especially late in games, to finish off opponents.
Baltimore was well ahead when Williams notched his sack against Miami, but that kind of fourth-quarter production is what the Ravens are looking for as he learns how to be a more complete linebacker.
As Williams said, this is only the beginning.
"You saw the quickness. I still think he's got more there," Head Coach John Harbaugh said.
"I think he can play faster and quicker even than he did tonight, and that's what we're working for. It was good to see it. He got his first one. It was important to him. He's been working hard to kind of get his speed of his play up to where he wants it."
Williams said he felt more loose on the field after talking to some of the veterans. In the first game, he was once beaten around the edge when it was clear that he was thinking too much instead of reacting and using his natural quick-twitch athleticism.
"[They were] just telling me to go out there and play with confidence, stop thinking too much and just go out there and just play with that same passion you always played with," Williams said. "Don't overthink it just because it's your first NFL game."
