Winning habits on the practice field typically translate to victories on Sundays. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the Jets are off to an 0-2 start in 2020.
Following New York’s 31-13 loss to the 49ers in Week 2, Bradley McDougald said the Jets have been struggling in practice. Avery Williamson reciprocated those thoughts while appearing on his weekly WFAN guest spot with Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts on Tuesday, voicing his concerns with New York’s practice habits.
“I definitely can agree with him at times; sometimes in practice, guys are missing tackles or we’re not doing things right, we haven’t been as crisp as we should be at times,” Williamson said. “Or starting fast – he’s definitely correct that at times, we don’t start fast at practice. We haven’t the last two weeks, but that’s something we have to fix ourselves, because you can’t come out sluggish in games and expect to win. It’s tough to recover when a team you’re playing is that good.”
The struggles the Jets are experiencing in practice are a poor reflection on Adam Gase and his coaching staff. Yes, the players have to take the practice seriously, but it is on the head coach and his staff to have a plan in place to avoid slow starts and bad habits that carry over into games.
New York is off to a poor start this season, but there is still time for the Jets to fix things and put a winning product on the field as they did at the end of last season. Digging out of an 0-2 hole is tough, but it’s not an impossible task — even for a team that has looked out of sorts.
“We have to fix it. Thankfully, we have another opportunity to do it,” Williamson said. “I’m just going to go out there and make sure I have positive energy and hold myself and my teammates accountable to make sure we are better in practice. You have to make sure everyone is doing their part, because we have to win some games, and it starts on Wednesdays.”
As for Williamson himself, he’s focused on settling in and returning to form after taking the field in a regular season game for the first time since 2018. The veteran linebacker played sparingly in his season debut against San Francisco but is eager to turn in a standout performance against the Colts in Week 3 now that the butterflies have subsided.
“It felt good and I haven’t had any pain or anything in practice,” Williamson said. “I definitely was nervous, I think I woke up at like 5 a.m. Sunday morning because I was so amped up, but it felt good to get back out on the field. I was a little wide-eyed, but I got a lot more comfortable as the game went on. It’s like getting your football senses back. I’m ready to go crazy this week.”