Williamson battling sore knee as Pelicans take on Knicks

Published 12:00 am Friday, October 18, 2019

METAIRIE — The New Orleans Saints secondary will be short-handed for the next two games.

Nickelback P.J. Williams has been suspended for the game at Chicago on Sunday and the home game against Arizona on Oct. 27. He was arrested in January on suspicion of DWI and later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless operation of a motor vehicle. 

In Williams’ absence the Saints can turn to either rookie fourth-round draft choice C.J. Gardner-Johnson or veteran Patrick Robinson.

Robinson, a Saints first-round draft choice in 2010, won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia two years ago before rejoining New Orleans before last season. He was the starting nickelback and Williams backed him up until Robinson suffered a broken ankle that ended his 2018 season.

Williams played well in Robinson’s absence and has held on to the starting position ever since.

“One’s a veteran that’s played that position at a high level, won a Super Bowl playing that position and we’re familiar with,” Saints coach Sean Payton said Thursday. “The other is a younger player that we’ve had real good exposure (to) and has been playing. Fortunately, we’ve added depth to that position and it’s an area that I think has slowly become a strength here.”

Most of Robinson’s playing time this season has been on special teams. Gardner-Johnson was drafted as a safety and has been playing snaps at nickelback the last two weeks.

“It’s going to be hard on us, but we’ve got C.J.,” cornerback Marshon Lattimore said of Williams’ absence. “He’s going to step in and do the job. We’re going to miss P.J., but we’ve got people who can do the job.

“(Gardner-Johnson) has been doing great with his role. He’s going to have to step into a bigger role these next two weeks.”

Gardner-Johnson said that as a safety he has to know the whole defense so the transition to nickelback was easy.

“That’s helped me because I see things faster and now I react faster,” he said. “It’s prepared me. I’ve been playing a lot the last two weeks (at nickel) so it isn’t anything new. I just go in there, know my assignment and do my job.

“I’m excited, but I know it’s not going to be any fun if I don’t know what I’m doing so I need to go out there and have the same level of play that P.J. has had because P.J. has been having a good year this year.”

Williams, who has two passes defensed, one sack and 18 tackles, was a third-round draft choice out of Florida State in 2015.

“You can’t take away from a guy who’s been here since he got drafted,” Gardner-Johnson said of Williams. “I just have to fill in for a couple of games until he gets back.”

New Orleans is ranked 11th in the NFL in pass defense and the defense as a whole has been outstanding in the final three games of its current four-game winning streak.

The Saints have allowed an average of just 13.3 points in victories against Dallas, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville the last three weeks.

At this point in the season the Saints aren’t going to be fazed by having to replace any player.

After all, quarterback Drew Brees, the NFL’s all-time leading passer, has missed the last four games because of thumb surgery and the team has won every game with Teddy Bridgewater starting in Brees’ place.

So New Orleans should be able to withstand Williams’ absence.

“If you look at my situation, my number was called and I’m trying to answer,” Bridgewater said. “Another guy’s number may be called and we expect him to answer. It’s the way this league works, you just always have to stay prepared and stay ready. No matter what happens, you don’t want to take a step back or miss a beat.”

The Bears are ranked 30th in passing offense and starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in a victory against Minnesota three weeks ago.

Chicago had a bye last week and Trubisky has practiced fully this week and seems likely to play. If he can’t play, the Bears will go with former Saint Chase Daniel, who started two weeks ago in a loss to Oakland.