Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh making a play call during a preseason game.
A New York Jets veteran broke the golden rule during the preseason opener.
Quincy Williams came screaming on a third and short play and smacked Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts when he was clearly out of bounds.
Eagles should just pull their starters right now. This is garbage.
This had the entire Eagles sideline infuriated but perhaps none more so than the head coach Nick Sirianni who had a few expletives to share about how things played out:
Here is the late hit on Jalen Hurts that caused Nick Sirianni to lose his mind. You don’t need to be a professional lip reader to decode this one. Coach was HOT!!!!!!
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Not Great
After the game head coach Robert Saleh was clearly pissed off and called out Williams:
“Egregiously awful from Quincy and he knows that. He knows better and those are the plays that Quincy has got to get out of his game if he wants to become the linebacker that we all think he can be.”
#Jets HC Robert Saleh called out LB Quincy Williams after the game for his ‘egregiously awful’ late hit on #Eagles QB Jalen Hurts + ‘those are the plays that Quincy has to get out of his game if he wants to be the linebacker that we all think he can be’: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight
Saleh admitted that he did talk to coach Sirianni after the game.
It was a completely dirty hit by Williams that is inexcusable. Even beyond the obvious late hit out of bounds, Williams kept that Eagles drive alive.
Philadelphia was facing a third and five on their opening drive of the game. Hurts had nowhere to go so he was heading out of bounds at the 35-yard line. It would’ve been a fourth-and-five play where the Eagles would’ve attempted a 52-yard field goal.
Instead, Williams gets dinged for unnecessary roughness which is an automatic first down, and a personal foul penalty which slaps on 15 additional yards.
Instead of attempting a long field goal, the Eagles get new life and ended up punching it in for a touchdown two plays later.
History Continues to Repeat Itself
Throughout the offseason, multiple Jets reporters have shared that the team believes Quincy has “Pro Bowl potential.”
“I’m a breakout player, and this is my breakout year.”
In midst of a forgettable season, Quincy Williams (@quincywilliams_) is a major bright spot for #Jets.
He’s not just stepping out of his brother’s shadow, but showing potential to be Pro Bowl player: t.co/tIf1xz7icc
Williams is a unique old-school kind of player. He is fast, hits hard, and always travels over 100 miles an hour.
However, his strength is also his weakness. The problem with him last year is he contributed a lot of splash plays, but he gave up just as many or more because of his recklessness.
Williams doesn’t analyze what he is seeing. He is like a dog chasing a car and that has gotten him in a lot of trouble in the past. NFL offenses have fooled him into chasing something that isn’t the primary part of the play to get him out of the way and then they do what they were really hoping for.
That was oftentimes a liability in 2021 and it is already proving to be in the very first preseason game.
If he doesn’t clean up his act, not only will he not realize his Pro Bowl potential, but he will be benched.
New signee Kwon Alexander has been surging up the depth chart with his prior knowledge of the system, great physique, and infectious leadership.
It seems at this point it is only a matter of time before he takes the reins away from Williams and becomes the main starting linebacker next to CJ Mosley.
As talented as Williams is, it doesn’t seem like you can coach his flaws out of him. That relentless pursuit seems to be the very fabric of his DNA and you’ll have to either take it or leave it.
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Robert Saleh Calls out Jets Veteran: ‘Egregiously Awful’