ORCHARD PARK Will Harris Jersey , N.Y. (AP) — for a 14th season. What the Buffalo Bills defensive tackle wasn’t sure he can handle is spending another spring and summer of practice and training camp watching his children play T-ball and soccer on FaceTime.The lure of being with his family overcame Williams’ passion for football in announcing Friday that he’s retiring after Buffalo (5-10) closes its season hosting Miami (7-8) on Sunday.“I love team. I love competing. But at the end of the day, it comes down to what are the most important things,” the 35-year-old Williams said following practice.That still didn’t make it easy for Buffalo’s longest-active tenured player who established himself as a respected leader and fan favorite for his lunch-bucket approach in a blue-collar community.“I don’t know if there’s ever a good time, whether it’s now or whether it’s two years from now. It’s going to hurt walking away,” Williams said. “There’s going to be a void in my life because of how much this game and how much this organization and what this team has meant to me.”And yet, Williams is pleased to be leaving football on his own terms in being healthy and showing no signs of a drop in production.What he’s most proud of is having spent his entire career in Buffalo, while also proving wrong the skeptics who questioned whether the 6-foot-1, 300-pound player was too small to succeed at the NFL level after the Bills selected him in the fifth round of the draft out of LSU.“I think the hardest thing for me is going to be … walking away from something that they said I couldn’t do,” Williams said. “I think the main thing was that I never cheated anybody a day, whether it’s our fans, our owners, my teammates. I literally gave all I had every day. And I’m comfortable knowing that and moving forward here.”Williams was a second-team All-Pro in 2010 and earned five Pro Bowl selections. He’s a Pro Bowl alternate this year, and welcomed the chance to compete if the opportunity came up to represent the Bills for one last time.Williams made up his mind to retire upon informing his wife a few weeks ago, before breaking the news to coach Sean McDermott on Monday.McDermott joked by calling the news “the worst Christmas present a man could get.”The coach then went on to praise Williams for what he’s meant to the Bills both on and off the field.“We need more Kyle Williams, although they’re hard to find,” McDermott said. “You can’t replace a guy like Kyle. They come around once in a career.”Williams became McDermott’s voice in the locker room, and served as mentor for the numerous youngsters Buffalo added this offseason.Williams’ influence even extended to offensive players, such as running back LeSean McCoy, who referred to the defensive tackle as one of the better leaders he’s ever been around.“Solid career. He’s a guy that likes to go against the odds. I like him, man http://www.lionscheapstore.com/austin-bryant-jersey-cheap , I like his hard work,” McCoy said. “When I came here, I realized that type of play and attitude is what Buffalo is all about.”Even opponents paid tribute with the New England Patriots posting a note on their Twitter account, which read, “Nothing but respect.” The post was accompanied by a video of Williams and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady shaking hands following New England’s 25-6 victory at Buffalo on Oct. 29.Williams’ retirement creates a large void for the Bills both on and off the field. And it comes 11 months after Buffalo lost another influential leader, when center Eric Wood was forced to retire after sustaining a career-ending neck injury.Out of 954 defensive plays through 15 games, Williams is second among Bills defensive linemen in playing 621 of them — four fewer than pass-rusher Jerry Hughes. Williams has five sacks, his most since having 5 1/2 in 2014, and has already surpassed last year’s totals with 13 quarterback hits and five tackles for losses.Overall, he has 48 1/2 sacks, 139 quarterback hits and 92 tackles for losses in 182 career games.He also scored on a one-yard touchdown run in a 22-16 win at Miami in last season’s finale, which, combined with Baltimore’s loss to Cincinnati, led to Buffalo clinching a playoff berth and ending a 17-year postseason drought.Williams’ favorite moment was following being with his teammates in the locker room following the win, and watching Cincinnati eliminate Baltimore from contention on Andy Dalton’s 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd on fourth down in the final minute.What made the moment extra special was how Williams enjoying the moment with his two sons.“They were pretty young, but I hope they’ll remember that forever, because their dad won’t forget,” he said.Williams has no firm plans on what he’ll do next, while saying he’s had a discussion with McDermott about a possible role with the team.Though the Bills have taken a step back this season, Williams believes the team is headed in the right direction under McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane http://www.packerscheapstore.com/rashan-gary-jersey-cheap , and their vision to build through youth.“That’s what makes it tough moving away, because of the direction we’re moving, the young guys we have,” Williams said. “Just know that I’m always going to be a Buffalo Bill, and the main thing for those guys is they’ve got all my support.” Las Vegas may have placed the odds dramatically against the Carolina Panthers advancing any further this post-season, but the Seattle Seahawks are not be taking their divisional playoff match this Saturday lightly. Pete Carroll told the Charlotte Observer this week that Seattle was “lucky to get away with a win” in their Oct. 26 meeting in Charlotte, a narrow 13-9 victory made possible by a Wilson-Willson connection with 47 seconds remaining.In fact, the past three match-ups between Carolina and Seattle have been nail-biters in the Seahawks’ favour, with a margin of victory smaller than a touchdown in each game. All three of those games were hosted by Carolina however, who haven’t visited the Emerald City since 2010 — long before the new age of Seahawk football, which has allowed visiting opponents only a pair of wins in the past three seasons.Both teams enter the contest on a roll — Seattle on a six-game winning streak, with wins in nine of their last 10 games, and Carolina with five in a row after turning things around following a disastrous October/November. That said, none of those five victories should have posed a threat to any playoff-bound team: four teams below .500 and an Arizona Cardinals club forced to once again start third-string QB Ryan Lindley. Seattle, meanwhile, faced tougher opponents down the stretch and were able to post road victories in Philadelphia and San Francisco.So can the Panthers manage to keep things close on Seattle’s home turf? Will Russell Wilson’s dual-threat prowess prove too much for Sean McDermott’s defence? Is the Seahawks’ league-best D — Bobby Wagner, in particular — strong enough to keep sizzling Panthers’ RB Jonathan Stewart in check? More importantly, will the great Seattle-Charlotte mayoral wager see Seattle mayor Ed Murray send a gift basket of grunge-rock vinyl to North Carolina?Why Seattle can win: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY SportsIt’s no secret that Cam Newton is not having a season for the ages: career lows for yards passing and rushing, the most turnovers since his rookie campaign and an 82.1 quarterback rating (also a career-low). A perennial late-season bloomer, Newton and the Panthers once again turned things around in December. But after a four-touchdown statement game against New Orleans Darnell Savage Jr. Jersey , Newton was hit with another setback when he sustained two fractures in his back when his truck rolled over in Charlotte.But with three solid starts under his belt since the accident, Newton is getting back on track. Still, it was clear in last week’s game against Arizona that he is not 100%, grimacing after getting popped on more than one occasion. Seattle needs to get after him right from the kick-off and administer a few good licks from the start. CenturyLink Field is a hell of a venue for Newton’s first NFL post-season game on the road, and Seattle’s 12th Man won’t be going easy on him. When hurried, Newton’s passes often stray from the target, as we saw as recently as last week. Seattle’s pass rush needs to be on its game, and with DT Jordan Hill going down with a calf-pull, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett will be in the spotlight. Seahawks defence will also have to keep on its toes and watch for the option, or another Panther-esque trick play.On offense, Russell Wilson should keep doing what he does best: keep the defense guessing every single play. There’s no doubt this will be a brutal, hard-hitting game on both sides, so Wilson will need to be quick in the pocket. WR Paul Richardson would be an ideal target against the Panthers’ defense — if he can turn on the jets like he has the last four games, Wilson can air-mail the ball all the quicker.The return of two-time Pro Bowl center Max Unger is monumental for the Seahawks offensive line. Unger, who was sidelined with an ankle injury in October, was just one of eventually four Seahawks to slot in at centre this season. His return will come as a relief for Russell Wilson, who carried a heavier responsibility of setting blocking assignments in his absence. The run game will also benefit- without Unger, the Seahawks averaged nearly 50 fewer rushing yards per game. Even his presence should bring comfort and reassurance to an already-shaky offensive line.Why Carolina can win: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY SportsIf the Panthers can feed off of last week’s record-breaking defensive effort that saw them allow only 78 total yards, they’ll be getting off to a good start. Granted they weren't up against an offensive powerhouse, but any momentum heading into Seattle is in their favour. Luke Kuechly had a strong game with an interception and 10 tackles http://www.packerscheapstore.com/elgton-jenkins-jersey-cheap , and it will be largely up to him in keeping Marshawn Lynch’s beast mode under wraps. Lynch has been given fewer touches in the last three games, but he has been just as effective, notching at least one touchdown each game.It may be a gamble but Carolina needs to apply pressure on Russell Wilson early in the game and get him scrambling. While his presence as a dual threat is a weapon to be wary, there is no room for conservative play against this offense. Seattle led the NFL in penalties for a second straight season, so if the Panthers can draw offensive flags and hem them back on a few fourth downs, it could provide the break they need.Perhaps the best game plan on defense is to keep Wilson on the sidelines as much as possible (no I don’t mean to go for his knees!). Jonathan Stewart has been on fire leading up to the playoffs, so feed him the ball and work the ground game. Eat up the clock and keep the chains moving. The Panthers, obviously, want to play and win with their own game, but every second the Seahawks offense watches on the sidelines is a small victory. Not only were Jamaal Charles and DeMarco Murray the only two running backs with 100+ rushing yards against Seattle this year, they led their team to victory for two of the Seahawks’ four losses.If the defense can keep the game close, then Newton needs to have the game of his life to complete an upset for the ages. I’m not just talking performance — he needs to step up and lead his team over the noise of the crowd. He needs to extend plays with his legs, work the clock intelligently and stay cool under pressure. Most importantly, he needs to play his game and not be (too) intimidated by the Legion of Boom — although a little intimidation is okay, smart even.