Opposing Player Spotlight: Week 14, New York Jets

It’s rivalry week yet again! The Miami Dolphins are traveling up to the Meadowlands to take on an equally underwhelming New York Jets team, though each squad is on a uniquely different trajectory following Week 13’s slate of games. The Dolphins are flying high after clipping the wings of a talented, albeit disappointing Philadelphia Eagles squad down in South Florida, while the Jets just yielded a win to the worst club in professional football (the Cincinnati Bengals). The last time these two teams met, the Dolphins squashed Adam Gase and the Jets, but with the Dolphins beginning to play themselves out of a top draft pick, some fans may be hoping for a different result in this go-around.

With that in mind, there are several players wearing Gang Green that can force a positive result for the Jets’ faithful. Back in Week 9, I highlighted one offensive player whom the Jets needed to involve in order to come out victorious. This week, I’ll be looking to the defensive side of the ball at one particular rookie that could spell doom for Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Miami offense.

Each week of the 2019 season, I am highlighting one player on the team squaring off with the Miami Dolphins that ‘phins fans should be watching out for. This week, that player is New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

Do you have a player recommendation for next week’s spotlight? Let me know on Twitter @HierJustin.

Fact Check: Quinnen Williams

Position: DL

Experience: Rookie

Age: 21

Height/Weight: 6’3”, 303 lbs

College: Alabama

Stat Review

In his rookie season, Williams has appeared in 10 of the Jets’ 12 games thus far and has started in six contests. In those games, he’s made a solid impact, but has yet to mold into the game-wrecker the Jets were hoping for when they drafted Williams third overall back in April.

Through Week 13, Williams has accumulated 23 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one pass defended. For comparison, fellow first-round rookie and Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins has 44 tackles, 1.0 sack, and two passes defended over the same time span (though Wilkins has played in two more games). To be fair, both Williams and Wilkins are playing on pretty weak defenses and should only improve as their respective careers progress.

Key Matchups

Williams has lined up all across New York’s defensive line, meaning he’s likely to go up against a number of Miami’s offensive linemen on Sunday. The Dolphins have had a revolving door on the front-five this season, but expect Williams to take on some combination of Michael Deiter, Jesse Davis, and Evan Boehm, among others. Williams’ rare combination of size, speed, and power will be a good test for everyone on Miami’s o-line, and the team will look to limit him after he managed to record his lone solo sack of the season against the Dolphins back in Week 9.