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New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams in 2022.
The NFL came down on two New York Jets linebackers pretty hard for plays that occurred during Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.
ESPN NYJ insider Rich Cimini relayed the fines on September 16, noting that starter Quincy Williams was penalized twice “for unnecessary roughness.” Each fine was worth $13,333, meaning the popular hard hitter lost $26,666 this weekend — assuming he doesn’t appeal.
Backup linebacker Chazz Surratt was also fined $4,833 for his attempted block on the game-winning punt return touchdown by Xavier Gipson. Some questioned whether Surratt should have been called for a tripping penalty at the tail-end of the play both during and after the game, but no flags were thrown.
In the end, the NFL took matters into their own hands and hit the youngster with a four-figure fine.
NFL Also Fines Bills LB Matt Milano, But Not for Helmet-to-Helmet Hit on Zach Wilson
Just after, Cimini shared one final fine from the Monday Night Football opener. “Bills LB Matt Milano [fined] $10,927 for unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting) on his INT return,” he informed. “Not fined for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Zach Wilson.”
Jets fans were very critical of the NFL for penalizing Williams and Surratt, and they weren’t pleased with the explanation on Milano’s fine either.
“So, the @NFL cares more about sportsmanship than they do about player safety?” One fan questioned. “Got it.”
“League is very serious about player safety,” another echoed sarcastically, and a third said: “[Zach Wilson] is the only qb that you can hit illegally with no repercussions.”
The Jets will face another tough defense in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Jets LB Quincy Williams Stands Out in Week 1 Victory
Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke very highly of Quincy Williams after the victory over the Bills.
“He balled out,” the Jets HC voiced. “And it got lost, I think, because of Jordan [Whitehead] and the way the rest of the defense played.”
“He’s been playing really well for us for two years and I know he got paid this offseason, and I felt like he really stepped it up this offseason with regards to preparation, mindset, focus,” Saleh went on. “He made a couple of plays that will get no attention that were just astronomically unbelievably difficult for linebackers that really go unnoticed… He played at a very, very high level on Monday.”
The linebacker finished with 10 total tackles against the Bills (one for a loss), plus a key pass defense on a wheel route that would have gone for a touchdown. Pro Football Focus credited Williams with an impressive 89.3 grade, which featured a 77.3 in run defense, 82.9 as a tackler and 86.7 in pass coverage.
Jets social media praised Williams for his first performance of the 2023 season too.
“[I don’t know] if this is being talked about enough but Quincy Williams and CJ Mosley were amazing on Monday night,” Jets diehard J. Gray stated. “Quincy is blossoming into a Pro Bowl caliber LB.”
“Couldn’t have asked for a better performance from Quincy Williams in the @nyjets opener,” wrote Glenn Naughton of JetNation.com. “Possibly his best game as a pro. Was impactful against the run and pass in a nearly flawless game. Nice job covering the back out of the backfield here against Buffalo on a shot at the end zone. If Williams plays anywhere close to this on a consistent basis, this Jets defense will the best unit in the NFL.”
The Jet Press agreed, calling Week 1 the “best game of Quincy Williams’ NFL career.” Continuing: “He’s always had All-Pro potential. If he can put it all together this year, that extension he signed in the offseason is going to look REAL team-friendly.”
Finally, NYJ analyst Jack Stollow noted that coming out of his initial film watch for Week 1, he thought “Zach [Wilson] played fairly well after being thrust into the fire, [but] Quincy Williams played like a man possessed.”
We’ll see if Williams can put together an encore outing against the Cowboys.
