Gregg Williams avoids potential 0-16 déjà vu after being fired by Jets
The Jets relieved Gregg Williams of his duties on Monday morning — and helped him avoid potentially making history.
With 0-16 becoming more and more likely with each passing week, Williams could have become the only defensive coordinator in NFL history to be a part of not one, but two winless teams. Williams was in charge of the Browns defense when they finished 0-16 in 2017.
That won’t be the case, at least not over a full season, as Williams was shown the door following one of the more egregious play calls in recent memory. In Week 13’s 31-28 loss, Williams called an all-out blitz with 13 seconds left and the Raiders down by four.
Lamar Jackson, an undrafted free agent cornerback out of Nebraska, was left on an island with no safety help over the top. Henry Ruggs III blew right past Jackson for a game-winning, 46-yard touchdown.
Williams was ripped by Jets defensive captain Marcus Maye following Sunday’s loss. Maye criticized the play call and repeated himself over and over, saying that there needed to be a better call in that situation.
Williams went for the home run ball and it cost him his job. He gets to avoid NFL infamy, but not without taking a gamble and having it blow up in his face. He cost the Jets their best chance at their first won of the season, but New York still has a firm grasp on the No. 1 overall pick.
