With five seconds left in their game against the Raiders, it looked as if the Jets were going to pick up their first win of the season. They were up 28-24, and Derek Carr had to get the ball in the end zone from the Jets’ 46-yard line for anything to happen in an impactful sense.
Of course, when your defensive coordinator is Gregg Williams, and you want a guy to call a Cover-0 (no deep safeties) jailbreak blitz just to make sure something good WILL happen for the Raiders… well, you’ve got the right guy.
HENRY RUGGS FOR THE GO-AHEAD TD!!!!#LVvsNYJ | CBS pic.twitter.com/82kLmV1e5a
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 6, 2020
Yeah, that’s man-across coverage with no deep help and an eight-man blitz against rookie receiver Henry Ruggs Jr. who ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. Seems less than optimal, but what do we know?
Reaction was swift, and rather one-sided.
Cover 0 has to be a tank call here. Just no other explanation. https://t.co/lB87g60joi
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) December 6, 2020
Jets quarterback (for now) Sam Darnold:
Darnold on whether he’s pissed at Gregg Williams for blitzing: “It is what it is.” #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 6, 2020
Jets free safety Marcus Maye:
Marcus Maye criticizes Gregg Williams: “It’s gotta be a better call.” #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 6, 2020
The Carr-Ruggs combo was equally surprised.
Derek Carr: "I couldn’t believe they all out blitzed us. I was thankful."
— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) December 6, 2020
What does the Win Probability Index say about this call?
Hope you buckled up. pic.twitter.com/16z33A15hW
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 6, 2020
Huh. Well, at least Williams isn’t the only NFL defensive coordinator with the stones to try something this dumb…
The Jets are the only team to send 8+ pass rushers on a play in the last 30 seconds of a game this season.#LVvsNYJ | #TakeFlight
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 6, 2020
Oh. Well. Uh… maybe this was just a one-off? I mean, Williams has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL since 1997, and his defenses have ranked in the top 10 in points five times (though never since 2010). So, it’s not like he does goofy crap like this to lose other games…
…Oh, wait. I just remembered how the Jets lost to the Patriots in Week 9 on a 51-yard Nick Folk field goal as time elapsed.
I humbly submit that Cover-0 blitz vs. Ruggs isn't Gregg Williams' worst call of the year. I reserve that for Ashtyn Davis vacating hook/curl to give Jakobi Meyers a pitch and catch with 0:08 left in Week 9 to set up the game-winning field goal. pic.twitter.com/TLrwXBtGwx
— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) December 6, 2020
Sigh. At least the Jets stayed put in their #TankForTrevor plan, though it’s hard to imagine Williams being around to benefit from any of that in 2021.
So, to answer the question: Was Gregg Williams’ Cover-0 blitz the dumbest call of the 2020 NFL season? In truth, it wasn’t even Gregg Williams’ dumbest call of the 2020 season. Between Williams and Adam Gase, the Jets continue to manifest a truly special brand of incompetence.