Jets Brothers Make NFL History in Takedown of Titans

Quinnen Williams, Derrick Henry

Getty New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams brings down Derrick Henry on October 3, 2021.

Last week during a postgame interview in Denver, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams challenged the entire New York Jets roster to learn from their mistakes and work on their execution.

Based on the effort level in Week 4, it appears that most of the team listened, but one player on the defensive side of the ball definitely took the message to heart. Ironically, it was his older brother, linebacker Quincy Williams.

The former Jacksonville Jaguar and Murray State product is the definition of “all gas no brake,” even if it’s detrimental at times. The Athletic’s Connor Hughes had the best quote to describe him as a player. “I’m not totally sure Quincy Williams is always doing what he’s supposed to be doing,” he said, “but man does he hit hard.”

The linebacker looks like he’s shot out of a cannon most plays, with a spear of a tackle that would make professional wrestler, Edge, take notes. Alongside his younger brother Quinnen, Quincy Williams is having a renaissance season for the Green & White so far.

ALL the latest Jets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Jets newsletter here!

Join Heavy on Jets!


Brothers Make NFL History

Quinnen and Quincy Williams were all over the field on Sunday, but it was only after the game that most people realized that the duo had just made NFL history. ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported that the siblings became “the first pair of brothers with sacks in the same game for the same team since sacks became an official stat in 1982 (per Elias Sports Bureau).”

The Jets defense had a field day against the Tennesee Titans, with a seven-sack performance that was reminiscent of the 1980s “New York Sack Exchange,” and the Williams bros were a huge part of it.

With defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich choosing to use two linebackers most of the game, Quincy Williams started alongside C.J. Mosley, playing on 97 defensive snaps out of 100 according to Brian Costello. He finished with 10 solo tackles (12 combined), one sack, one QB hit, two tackles for a loss and a key pass defended during overtime.

Here was his bone-crushing sack on Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Due to the nature of his position, Quinnen Williams was only out there on 59 defensive snaps, but that didn’t stop him from accomplishing just as much. The defensive tackle had a massive impact on the game, with seven total tackles (one for a loss) and two sacks, as well as two QB hits.

Pro Football Focus awarded the interior lineman with a 70.8 pass-rush grade and a 71.5 as a tackler. After the game, the siblings shared a magical moment with their grandmother, the woman who raised them after their mother passed away.

Follow the Heavy On Jets Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest NYJ-related daily content, analysis, features and more!


Quincy Williams Running Away With Starting Role

As we mentioned above, the Jets tend to only use two linebackers for a majority of the time. It’s a passing league and that means nickelback Michael Carter II is on the field more often than not.

Before his injury, this role was supposed to fall to Jarrad Davis but in his absence, waiver wire pickup Quincy Williams has swiped the role from rookies Jamien Sherwood and Hamsah Nasirildeen.

Sherwood is generally the third linebacker in the crew when they utilize the old-fashioned 4-3 formation, but Nasirildeen has been relegated to special teams. That’s all been a credit to the ex-Jaguars’ intensity on the gridiron.

Ulbrich talked about his new linebacker during a press conference on September 29, admitting that he’s had his eye on the hard-hitter for a long time:

First of all, his speed, his explosiveness, they jump off the tape. He’s a guy that just has different speed, different quickness, different explosiveness, very unique in that way. He’s a guy that when I was in Atlanta, I was super excited about when he was coming out of Murray State and was hoping to get him there. Obviously didn’t work out but this is finally our opportunity to be together a little bit… He’s got some background in this system in that Jacksonville ran some similar concepts at times, so it’s not a clean slate [and] it’s not starting from ground zero, but still there’s a lot of stuff that we do that’s new to him… but he’s a guy that the skill set, the speed, the mindset, the toughness, all of that is something that gets all of us really excited about the future.

Quincy Williams has certainly taken a lot of fans by surprise, but not his younger brother. “I grew up with him so, I know what he can do,” Quinnen Williams joked.

He continued: “A lot of people don’t really know about him, a lot of people don’t think of him as a baller like he is, but for him to go out there and execute and put it on tape like he did, [it’s] amazing to see.”

Follow @obermuller_nyj and @BoyGreen25 on Twitter for all the latest New York Jets breaking news, rumors, fresh takes and more!


READ NEXT:

Read More
,