San Francisco’s Kyle Williams: Always exciting to play Cardinals
Oct 11, 2013, 11:24 PM | Updated: 11:24 pm
When the Arizona Cardinals travel to San Francisco on Sunday, they’ll play a familiar face in 49ers receiver Kyle Williams, a Chaparral High School and Arizona State product.
Williams, who missed the end of the 2012 season with a torn ACL, told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo Friday he’s always excited to play the Cardinals as he has a connection with a lot of players on their roster.
“I’m from there,” Williams told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo Friday. “Played college there. I know a lot of the guys over there. I worked out with a lot of the guys over there. [Larry Fitzgerald] is like a big brother to me.”
Fitzgerald has said he considers the 49ers to be Arizona’s biggest rival, something Williams understood from his time in the area.
“It’s been a rivalry since before I even got on board here and I remember being, not on the other side of it per se, but seeing the other side of it when I lived out there and it’s totally understandable,” Williams said. “Both teams want to win. It’s a very competitive game. It’s one of those games where it doesn’t matter what the records are on either side.”
The two teams come in sporting identical 3-2 records, and with second place in the NFC West on the line, the game might feel even bigger, especially for an early season showdown. While Williams at first wouldn’t say who the 49ers considered their top rival to be, he eventually came clean.
“At this point, it is Arizona because we’re sitting at the same record and we need this eventually to continue our success and get to where we need to,” Williams said.
Williams also talked about going against Arizona’s Patrick Peterson this Sunday and compared the third-year corner with Seattle’s Richard Sherman.
“I don’t think that’s any secret that Pat’s more athletic,” Williams said. “Sherman does a lot more talking than Pat, obviously, but Pat’s a specimen out there. He’s a real big corner. Sherman’s big too, but Sherman’s not as fast as Pat is out there.”
Williams added he’s seen a lot of growth from Peterson over the years and how difficult of a match-up he is for any wide receiver.
“I think instinctually he’s gotten a lot better, with pattern reading and things like that,” Williams said. “He’s getting better every year and that’s going to be a challenge for us this Sunday, trying to go up against him and beat him.”
In four career games against the Cardinals, Williams has 10 catches for 100 yards and one touchdown.
