Quinnen Williams spent a portion of his time speaking to the media on Thursday campaigning for Pro Bowl votes for his teammates, including his brother, Quincy, the Jets’ linebacker.
When asked to make a case for himself, Williams clammed up.
“I’m not really worried about it,” Williams said. “I’m not really focused on it. I want to win. I want to dominate football games. I want to be the player I want to be. I’m just focused on winning so much and trying to make the playoffs so much, I haven’t really thought about it.”
This is the time of the season when players stump for Pro Bowl votes on social media whether they actually deserve them or not. Williams is a player who absolutely deserves to be honored as one of the game’s best players, but it is not his style to pound his chest.
It is one of the things that makes him such a beloved figure inside the Jets organization. Williams, 26, is playing at a very high level, proving he is worth every penny of the four-year, $96 million contract he signed in the offseason.
Williams is the best player the Jets have had since a young Darrelle Revis. He is dominant, yet he does not seem to get the recognition he should. For instance, he is not even in the top 10 for Pro Bowl voting at defensive tackle.
It may be because Williams’ sack numbers are down. He only has three this season. Guess why? Every team the Jets face game plans to stop No. 95.
“When you watch him on Sundays, he is such a dominant force,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “He’s a guy who is getting double-teamed virtually every single time. It doesn’t matter. He still wins. He’s a guy from the run-game perspective that they have four hands on at all times. Again, it doesn’t matter. He’s a dominating run defender as well.”
While Williams’ sack stats may not show it, his dominance in the middle has allowed his teammates to flourish. Bryce Huff (7 sacks), Jermaine Johnson (6.5), Quinton Jefferson (6) and Solomon Thomas (4) all have set career highs in sacks this season. Part of the reason is the attention Williams gets.
“Sometimes you get spoiled watching it because you expect it and when it doesn’t happen you are like ‘Geez Quinnen why didn’t you win your 10th one-on-one,’ ” coach Robert Saleh said. “But he is a dominant football player in every sense of the word, he is one of the top five defensive players in football, not just at his position.”
Williams does it all. PFF has him rated as the No. 2 interior lineman in football, behind the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence. He is rated No. 1 against the run. His 46 quarterback pressures are third among interior linemen.
One of the most stunning parts of Williams’ game is his strength. He consistently drives offensive linemen into the backfield each week, blowing up plays.
“He gets out there and he bench presses 300-pound grown men all game,” defensive end John Franklin-Myers said. “That what makes him special is that he’s way stronger, way faster than anybody would think that he is. He bull-rushes you or puts his hands on you in the run game and you understand he’s strong and he’s definitely smart. He understands leverage. He understands what the offense is trying to do to attack him.”
Coaches and teammates rave about Williams’ work ethic and say he takes more notes than anyone, runs 40 yards after ball carriers in practice and makes sure the defense is playing its best. On Sundays, he is relentless.
“If you go through his tape and you are as critical as you can be, you’d be hard-pressed to find one rep that he takes off,” Ulbrich said. “You go through this league and I’m not going to say any names, but there are a lot of superstars out there that have a lot of splash plays and they do special things from time to time and they’re going to make the SportsCenter reel. He’s a guy that conducts his business the same every single rep that he’s on that field. It’s so unique. It’s so uncommon. It’s an honor to coach a guy like that.”
Williams is the best player the Jets have had in a long time. Everyone should appreciate what they are watching.