Seahawks versus Jets: 5 questions about Seattle’s week 14 opponent
By Lee Vowell
Some good things for the Jets this year?
12th Man Rising: What are one or two happy surprises the Jets have in 2020? And, besides, the losses, what are one or two disappointments?
Justin Fried: The emergence of Quinnen Williams has been one of the biggest bright spots of 2020. After a somewhat underwhelming rookie season, Williams is currently top three at his position in both run-stop and pass-rush win rate. He’s legitimately played like a top-five defensive tackle this season and at just 22-years-old, the sky’s the limit. The same goes for 21-year-old Mekhi Becton who has put aside any concerns that he might not be NFL-ready. Becton has been fantastic and looks well on his way to being a long-term solution at left tackle.
As for disappointments, you have to consider the regression of quarterback Sam Darnold. You can make all the excuses you want (most of which are very valid), but the NFL won’t care about why he’s regressed. And neither will the Jets. Finally, tight end Chris Herndon has fallen off a cliff this season. He’s been statistically one of the worst starting tight ends in football and for a guy who entered the year with considerable preseason hype, he’s seemingly played himself out of a starting role in 2021.
The firing of Gregg Williams
12th Man Rising: How much do you think the firing of Gregg Williams will affect week 14? And how will a new DC in New York help in the future?
Justin Fried: The Gregg Williams firing is, to be honest, barely a blip on the radar at this point. The entire coaching staff — save for perhaps one or two promising assistants — will be fired at the season’s end. The Jets just got a head start with Williams.
It’s not as if Frank Bush will be running a completely new defense. He’ll simply be picking up where Williams left off and holding down the first for the next four weeks until he’s inevitably let go as well. Firing Williams was just a formality. I don’t expect much of anything to change this week.