FLORHAM PARK — The New York Jets have one of the best defenses in the NFL this season and that’s with their First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle not putting up the same kind of production from last year.
Quinnen Williams may not have the same type of sack total (.5 sacks) as last season’s pace in which he finished with 13 from the interior, but he’s still been a dominant presence for Gang Green’s top unit.
“I think sack production is a very overrated stat,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Wednesday. “It’s not an indicative number. When you look at Quinnen, teams are going out of their way to gameplan to take him out of a game. He’s still wrecking run games. He’s top-five in every statistical category. He’s just not getting the sack production. Teams have to pick their poison. Quinnen is a top-five defensive player in all of football.”
Saleh’s comments about his top defensive player certainly have merit. According to ESPN, Williams is the only defensive tackle who has been double-teamed over 70% of the team and yet is tied for seventh in the league in pass rush win rate. His 90.0 Pro Football Focus rating in 2023 is graded out as “elite” and the third-best score among all interior defensive tackles in the league.
Because of Williams’ impact on the field, the Jets have also seen an increase in production from edge rushers such as Jermaine Johnson and Bryce Huff.
With Williams commanding a double-team along the interior of the line, Huff (five sacks) and Johnson (4.5 sacks) are enjoying career seasons between them for the Jets. That’s in large part due to the offensive alignments of most teams now that are dealing with an Aaron Donald type of defender inside.
“What we’ve seen is a much different approach to the way teams protect against us,” Saleh explained. “We’re seeing a lot less double chippers and a lot more attention to Quinnen which means Jermaine Johnson, Bryce Huff, they’re wreaking havoc on quarterbacks this year and opening it up. You want to pay attention to Quinnen, our other guys are going to be productive. “
Sack numbers notwithstanding, Williams is still playing like one of the best defensive players in all of football. With a defense around him ranking in the top five of most statistical categories, the analytical side of pressures and win rates have become more paramount.
But there’s still a reason why the statistic of the sack is still widely regarded as a top reason to judge edge rushers and pass rushers as a whole. While the Jets believe that more sacks are coming for their top defender, they still appreciate the fact they have one of the best in the game at a position of prominence in the NFL to date.
“Unfortunately, we live in a society where sack production is the measure of how good a player is and it’s not even close. He’s wrecking games and, sure, obviously for him, he wants sack production and we’ll continue to find ways to get him those one-on-one opportunities, but the other team has say-so,” Saleh concluded. “If they ignore all of our attempts and continue to put out an effort to get four hands on him, then it’s going to be hard for him. Even with them putting four hands on him, he’s still winning at a very, very high rate. It’s opening up opportunities for other guys and I think that’s why we’re playing so well on defense.”
