As the New England Patriots get set to take on the New York Jets next Monday, it’s evident that New England needs help in several areas. Particularly defensively, some cracks have started to show. One member of the New York Jets that the Patriots could use is defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Williams has 28 tackles on the season. Despite the good tackle numbers, that’s not where he has made his biggest impact. He leads the Jets with three sacks on the year. In addition, he has 7.5 tackles for a loss and a pass deflection. He has also managed to force a fumble.
Williams was the New York Jets top draft pick in 2019. Picked third overall, expectations were high for him once he got to New York. For his career, he has 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks. This season in particular, he has really broken out in terms of pass rushing.
The Patriots desperately need somebody who can provide an interior presence. In Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, they gave up 86 rushing yards to Devin Singletary, and 81 rushing yards to Zack Moss. In addition to the rushing yards, he also had two touchdowns on the afternoon. Even quarterback Josh Allen got into the act, as he ran for a touchdown and finished with 23 yards on 10 carries.
The New England Patriots defense has performed very poorly against the run. They have given up 132.2 yards per game. It is the six -most in the National Football League. They have really struggled against the run this year, and it has been a glaring hole for the team.
The other game that sticks out in my mind in particular is the contest against the Seattle Seahawks. That was really the first indication that the Patriots could have some problems stopping the run. Chris Carson rushed for 72 yards that evening.
Those problems have continued to persist throughout the course of the season. Williams would be able to provide a potential remedy to those problems.
Measuring in at six-foot-three, 303 pounds, Williams can use his size and stability in the trenches. He is not necessarily a superstar name, but he would alleviate the Patriots struggles with defending the running game. Right now, the Patriots need to stop the bleeding in that area before it’s too late.
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