With Christmas and Hanukah only days away, the holidays begin the final chapter of the NFL season. For many, it’s a time to look back and appreciate a great football season. Meanwhile, others are counting the days until the offseason to see their team improve. The latter encompasses the feelings of most New York Jets fans. With three games remaining & eliminated from playoff contention again, they hope to continue the win streak after beating the Jaguars in Jacksonville last week. Unfortunately, they face a red-hot Los Angeles Rams team who’ve won seven of their last nine games. What’s worse, the Jets have to face the Rams without star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Despite his desire to play, a nagging hamstring injury will force Williams out of the second-to-last home game of the season.
Breaking News: Jets Without Star Quinnen Williams vs. Rams
After enduring thirteen consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance, fans & media alike looked forward to the 2024 New York Jets. The return of Aaron Rodgers leading the offense while paired with a historic defense from 2023. It was a recipe for excitement, that quickly turned nightmare. A 2-1 start led to a five-game losing streak that retroactively cost head coach Robert Saleh his job. Just over a month later, general manager Joe Douglas was fired as well. This results in the team at 4-10 with more questions than answers heading into 2025.
One of the causes of this disappointing year was New York’s struggle to defend the run. Moving on from key rotation pieces like Bryce Huff and Jonathan Franklin-Myers was exasperated by the absence of Haason Reddick & the torn Achilles of Jermaine Johnson II. This made Quinnen Williams that much more relied upon this year. However, Williams is only one man.
Quinnen Williams was impacted by a recurring Hamstring injury.
Quinnen Williams is widely respected as one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Earning two Pro Bowl honors including First Team All-Pro honors in 2022, Williams can impact the game by blowing up the backfield. His ability to create pressure on the inside helped New York’s edge rushers get after the quarterback with ease. Unfortunately, the Jets defensive line as a whole has struggled this year except for Will McDonald IV. Williams has been competent with six sacks on the season, but he’s struggled to finish tackles this year. With only 24 on the season, he’s at risk of finishing with less than 30 tackles in a season since he was a rookie.
One possible reason has been a hamstring injury Williams is managing. The injury impacted his performance in Jacksonville and forced him to miss practice this week. Head coach Jeff Ulbrich said on Saturday the team would make a game-time decision on Williams before kickoff when talking to the media. With Williams absent, expect veterans Javon Kinlaw and Solomon Thomas to lead the reps at defensive tackle.
How will his absence impact the Jets vs the Los Angeles Rams?
New York loses a crucial part of their defense in a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. New York will have a hard time disrupting the timing of Los Angeles’s high-powered offense. The Rams offense can hurt you in many ways. Their explosive passing game is led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, & wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Averaging 232.1 yards per game, they are a top-ten passing offense in the league. Williams absence will allow Matthew Stafford more time in the pocket to wait for big plays to develop against the Jets, who are also missing cornerback Michael Carter II.
In addition, the Rams interior offensive linemen will have an easier time creating running lanes. This will help running back Kyren Williams, who is currently averaging over 80 yards per game on the ground. The New York Jets are going to greatly miss Quinnen Williams in this game, which is set up for a big game that Rams head coach Sean McVay will exploit.
Main Photo: [Brad Penner] – USA Today Sports
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