'Dumbest Call Ever': Rex Ryan Blasts Jets' DC Gregg Williams For Controversial Blitz
The Jets were just seconds away from their first win of the season on Sunday, but an all-out blitz opened the door for a last-second collapse.
One day later, former Jets head coach Rex Ryan ripped New York's defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, referring to the blitz against the Raiders as the "dumbest call [he's] ever seen."
"Been around the thing for 58 years, 30 years as a coach. That’s the dumbest call ever," Ryan said on ESPN's Get Up! on Monday morning. "There’s no other way of putting it. There's a time and place for Cover 0. That thing sure ain’t it. It’s just stupid. It's just absolutely stupid."
As it turns out, the organization must've felt the call wasn't appropriate in that situation as well. Williams was reportedly fired by the Jets later on Monday morning.
READ: New York Jets Fire Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams
The call left three defensive backs—veteran safety Marcus Maye along with rookie cornerbacks Bryce Hall and Lamar Jackson—in man-to-man coverage with no help. That left Jackson, who was making just his fifth NFL start on Sunday, on an island covering speedster Henry Ruggs III.
Jackson fell for a slight hesitation from Ruggs on the far sideline, losing his man on the double move. That separation allowed Raiders quarterback Derek Carr to lead his receiver with a perfectly placed deep ball down the field with ease.
READ: Jets Captain Criticizes Play Calling After New York Gives Up Game-Winning Touchdown
The game-winning touchdown for Las Vegas clinched New York's 12th loss of the season. With four more losses, the Jets will become the third team in NFL history to go 0-16 in a single season.
"You wonder why they give up 400 yards a game, you wonder why this team hasn't won a game," Ryan said. "The thing I feel bad about is for every one of those kids that have been the laughing stock of the league. The Jets have been the laughing stock of this league. For you to put those kids in that situation, to take the moment away from them, a win after all their hard work, that's just ridiculous."
To Ryan, not only was the play call doomed from the start, but the Jets didn't even run the scheme on defense properly.
Seven defenders immediately rushed as Carr snapped the football. Safety Matthias Farley held back initially, spying on the quarterback in case he elected to scramble. With less than 15 seconds remaining (and no timeouts remaining for Las Vegas) any tackle in bounds would have ended the game.
By the time he started to pounce toward Carr, who stepped up in the pocket to deliver the 46-yard strike, it was too late.
"They don't even know how to run a dang Cover 0 blitz," Ryan explained. "By no means do I mean this is ever appropriate to call it in that situation, but in a Cover 0, number one you'd rather be early than late. The other thing is you pressure rush. They've got a guy 10 yards back. He ain't pressure rushing and that's why Derek Carr is able to step up."
READ: Jets Blow Late Lead in Gut-Wrenching Fashion as Raiders Hand New York 12th Loss
Ryan was New York's head coach for six years (from 2009 to 2014), leading the Jets to the AFC Championship game in both of his first two seasons. He also spent four years as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator earlier in his career.
Other words to describe Williams' play call used on Get Up! Monday morning include awful, clueless and ineptitude.
The bottom line to Ryan and his fellow ESPN analysts is that Williams has proven in the past that this is what he likes to call in those situations. It's worked before, but as Ryan explains, there are other ways to pressure the quarterback (while protecting your secondary from one-on-one coverage).
"I've got a big ego, but I'm not stupid that way," he said. "Yes, I have an ego and I'll try to knock the hell out of your quarterback, but I'll beat your protection. I don't have to run Cover 0 every snap like this cat."
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