Will Atlanta Falcons go after P.J. Williams again?

Week after returning an interception for a touchdown in the Saints win against Minnesota. And Williams has shown some tenacity when it comes to making tackles in the open field.

This is not the same player who was picked on by the Falcons in September.

“We never get down in the back end,” said teammate Marshon Lattimore. “We’re going to have ups and downs – it’s the NFL and it’s the hardest position on the field. So you can’t get down. He’s been picking up every week and getting better.”

Williams did not mince any words about his performance in Atlanta. The key, he said, is bouncing back from the bad games. Because if you stack enough of them together, “that’s how you get out of the league.”

It is not like the Atlanta game is always on his mind, but it definitely motivated him.

“I’ve been working and making sure I was good enough to go out there and do my job,” Williams said. Part of his resurgence has to do with a position switch. In that same Falcons game, Saints nickel corner Patrick Robinson was lost for the season with a broken ankle. Williams has stepped up in his absence and has largely flourished in the role.

It is not easier for Williams to play inside rather than outside. He said his job is sort of a mix between a linebacker and defensive back, requiring him to make plays in the run game and spend more time communicating On fourth and 2, New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams breaks up a pass intended for Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks during the game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints at the Superdome on Nov. 4.

coverages with the rest of the secondary.

In recently-acquired defensive back Eli Apple’s eyes, one of Williams’ greatests strengths is his ability as a communicator.

“We’ve definitely had a lot of encounters where we were on the same side and had to communicate, and he’s done a phenomenal job getting the calls out and communicating the signals with me,” Apple said.

Maybe the Falcons will try to rig their offensive sets to get Ridley lined up opposite Williams again, maybe they will not.

Williams hopes they do.