Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams Victims of Their own Success

[JetNation]

When it comes to the criticism of Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the critics, trolls and haters are way out of line.  In fact, it’s more likely than not that Gardner and Williams are victims of their own success.

An All-pro player in each of his first two seasons as a pro, Gardner set the bar at a level that is simply not sustainable.  No player at any position is going to be an All-Pro every single yea.  And now that Gardner isn’t an undisputed top two or three corner in the NFL, Jets fans have decided to pounce.

Claims that Gardner “sucks”, “should be traded” or “was never that good” are absurd.

If Gardner were as bad as his critics claim, teams would be giving up one catch after another, but that’s just not the case.  In fact, Gardner is 12th in the NFL in completion percentage allowed at 55.2%.  Does that sound like a guy who can’t cover?

And don’t think NFL offenses aren’t aware of what Gardner can do.  Otherwise, why else would his target rate be as low as it is.  In looking at corners who have played at least fifty percent of their team’s snaps, only four of the NFL’s top 20 cornerbacks have seen fewer targets than Gardner’s 29.

So what the Jets have in Gardner is a guy who is rarely targeted and allows a low completion rate when he is picked on.

Now Sauce Gardner has struggled with penalties (six) and poor tackling, but he makes his money as an elite cover man and while he’s not what he was in years one and two, he’s still among the best in the league.

Then there’s Williams, whose slow start to the season also drew the ire of Jets fans.  There were those who claimed that Williams had decided to start “mailing it in” now that he got his big pay day.  This is delusional thinking.

Still commanding more double teams than most defensive linemen in the NFL, Williams looks to have returned to form in recent weeks.

Over their past four contests, Williams has logged 21 QB pressures, 2 hits and five sacks.  Sound like a guy who decided to put his feet up and stop working?  Far from it.

 

The post Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams Victims of Their own Success appeared first on JetNation.com - New York Jets Blog & Forum.

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[dbatesman]

As with most Jets players, their biggest problem is that they’re too good at football

[Barry McCockinner]

*Ahmad

[TheAustrian]

yes he is a good cover corner, but he cant tackle and he never gets a turnover - give me a corner who has more completition percentage allowed, but can tackle and gets a turnover once in a while - for less money - thank you

i just read a fanboy article

[AFJF]

1 minute ago, TheAustrian said:

yes he is a good cover corner, but he cant tackle and he never gets a turnover - give me a corner who has more completition percentage allowed, but can tackle and gets a turnover once in a while - for less money - thank you

i just read a fanboy article

I agree that Sauce is a terrible fantasy football player, but he's still a very high end real life cover corner.  There's a reason why teams rarely throw his way.

[TheAustrian]

3 minutes ago, AFJF said:

I agree that Sauce is a terrible fantasy football player, but he's still a very high end real life cover corner.  There's a reason why teams rarely throw his way.

thats just what I said and i have no problem with sauce for 15 million a year, but he cant get 20+ if he cant tackle and gets no turnovers - for 20 + we can get a corner who can do all those things

[Jetsfan80]

2 hours ago, dbatesman said:

As with most Jets players, their biggest problem is that they’re too good at football

3-6 but these guys are victims.  So sad!

[AFJF]

16 minutes ago, TheAustrian said:

thats just what I said and i have no problem with sauce for 15 million a year, but he cant get 20+ if he cant tackle and gets no turnovers - for 20 + we can get a corner who can do all those things

You said he was "good".  If he were simply "good", he would be getting targeted as often as other "good" cornerbacks do.  As it turns out, he's one of the least targeted corners in the NFL.

[Jets0712]

Sauce has been a GREAT corner since being drafted by the Jets…this year he hasn’t been at the level of his 1st two years. He is having a down year compared to that def agree but to say he sucks. Crazy talk. He does need to tackle better with a much better effort than he is.


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[T0mShane]

Sauce looks checked out, and he’s finally getting called for all the handsiness. He seems to possess a child-like brain, as well, which makes him vulnerable to the poor culture around the Jets. I’d trade him at first opportunity. 

[68JET11]

Sauce got the benefit of the doubt when he first came into the league. He's been handsy since his first NFL play. I said it then, and I'll say it again. He's  not a lockdown corner.

[The Crusher]

5 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

3-6 but these guys are victims.  So sad!

I guess from the perspective they can’t turn the game off after halftime and go do something more fulfilling like raking and clearing the leaves out of the gutter. But F them! We the victims Pal. 

[Matt39]

The Jets would be better if they benched Sauce. Legit bad player 

[BreeceHallofFame]

Q has been playing like an All pro the last four weeks 

Sauce is getting worse by the day, the sh*tty tackling and bad attitude are just the cherry on top of not being able to cover without being flagged 50% of the time 

[The Crusher]

1 hour ago, Matt39 said:

The Jets would be better if they benched Sauce. Legit bad player 

Might hurt his trade value, he already seems modestly struggling with the situation he’s currently facing. Wouldn’t risk him meeting down. Finish season, extend DJ and sell Sauce at highest pint you can. 

[LockeJET]

Sauce plays like he doesn’t wanna get hurt and  making sure he gets paid. We can sit here and debate different things, but he should be traded in the off-season if we can recoup a first round pick.

[Augustiniak]

The jets had no legit talent for a while so then they get some guys who are good and the fans and media blow it out of proportion.  Of all the players they have which ones are really all pros?  Breece, no.  Sauce, no.  Q, no but when he tries he can play like one.  Mosely, no.  The older OL, nope past their prime.  So who is really worth the hype who they actually drafted?  Garrett is amazing, not perfect but a star.  Of the others, i think fashanu can be a good LT but of course they won’t play him there.  And this issue of overvaluing players is what led to be deceived that bringing in rodgers would be the final piece.  The team wasn’t nearly good enough to compete by adding rodgers.  They have average players in many spots, which again is better than in many recent years but save for a kick here and there this team is legit average.  

[Matt39]

2 hours ago, LockeJET said:

Sauce plays like he doesn’t wanna get hurt and  making sure he gets paid. We can sit here and debate different things, but he should be traded in the off-season if we can recoup a first round pick.

That’s the tackling issue which is a problem. But he’s one of the least instinctive players I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if it’s a lack of tape watching or what…but unless it’s just playing man and not thinking he’s not helping

[Waka Flocka Flacco]

Quinnen is one of the best players in football. Sauce was a flash in the pan. No point in trying to make the team good if we can’t tell the difference anyway.

[The Crusher]

6 minutes ago, Waka Flocka Flacco said:

Quinnen is one of the best players in football. Sauce was a flash in the pan. No point in trying to make the team good if we can’t tell the difference anyway.

You were a big Albert Hayensworth guy too. 

[GangGreened]

lol you guys are gonna hate what DJ Reed becomes without Sauce on the other side 

[Waka Flocka Flacco]

11 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

You were a big Albert Hayensworth guy too. 

Haynesworth got paid and quit. Quinnen had a bad game against San Francisco.

[The Crusher]

5 minutes ago, Waka Flocka Flacco said:

Haynesworth got paid and quit. Quinnen had a bad game against San Francisco.

This was after he stepped on a dudes head and before he went to DC and quit. It was a thread and you said Haynesworth best player in league and it wasn't close. Likely at JN when you were posting as Aten. 

[Waka Flocka Flacco]

55 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

you said Haynesworth best player in league and it wasn't close.

If I had some hot wrong take about Albert Haynesworth you got me but this specifically doesn’t sound right.

[Larz]

Sauce man no idea what is up with him but he’s a jag this year. 
 

Quinnen had a bad start but he’s been beasting recently 

[Beerfish]

Quinnen has been terrible for most of this year, had a couple good games vs back up oline recently.

The jets are not getting even close to value on his contract.   You do not make a guy one of the top paid guys at a position to show up occasionally.

Sauce has been below par as well.  I am not as upset at his play though as Quinnen.

'Victims of their past success'   How outrageous to pay a guy top dollar and actually expect him to be as good or better than he was before.

[T0mShane]

47 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Quinnen has been terrible for most of this year, had a couple good games vs back up oline recently.

The jets are not getting even close to value on his contract.   You do not make a guy one of the top paid guys at a position to show up occasionally.

Sauce has been below par as well.  I am not as upset at his play though as Quinnen.

'Victims of their past success'   How outrageous to pay a guy top dollar and actually expect him to be as good or better than he was before.

I do find it super weird that Sauce, Quinnen, and Mosley all came into this year playing football as if it were optional as to whether or not they play hard. You really have to wonder how bad it was this summer that a pack of dudes whom you’d thought were leaders on the team have thrown their hands up. Quinnen will finish with 8-10 sacks, but the dude has been loafing all season and finally got fat against abysmal Pats and Texans OLs that can’t play. 

[Matt39]

40 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

I do find it super weird that Sauce, Quinnen, and Mosley all came into this year playing football as if it were optional as to whether or not they play hard. You really have to wonder how bad it was this summer that a pack of dudes whom you’d thought were leaders on the team have thrown their hands up. Quinnen will finish with 8-10 sacks, but the dude has been loafing all season and finally got fat against abysmal Pats and Texans OLs that can’t play. 

The camp and offseason Saleh ran was worse than we even know. 

[T0mShane]

Just now, Matt39 said:

The camp and offseason Saleh ran was worse than we even know. 

I think it will be revealed that the Egypt trip was a bigger deal than was portrayed, and Saleh effectively quit at that point.

[Larz]

Oh boy here we go 

 

[ChewyandtheJets]

The dropped interception in the end zone was a killer as were some of the PIs.  Regarding tackling I would much prefer the CBs not even be involved, our defensive line and LBs should be handling most of that but they have been pretty weak against the run.   Expecting a 180 lb toothpick to take down a 200+ back with a head of steam is not a recipe for success.  Much more likely he gets injured.  

[Larz]

I know you guys are picking scapegoats to give yourselves hope , but this is jets football for the next 20 years. 
 

The last time woody left the country the candidates didn’t like the uncertain ownership situation. 
 

All that’s happened since then is the guy that didn’t hire Saleh came back and fired him without even talking to the GM. 
 

It will be worse the next cycle. 
 

the most respected and revered and admired guy in the industry took a sh*t on woodys head in a prime time game. 
 

nobody is ever coming here again. Nobody.  

[Matt39]

2 hours ago, T0mShane said:

I think it will be revealed that the Egypt trip was a bigger deal than was portrayed, and Saleh effectively quit at that point.

Saleh cancelled minicamp last year

[T0mShane]

2 minutes ago, Matt39 said:

Saleh cancelled minicamp last year

Rodgers disappears to Egypt, the Jets **** up by not letting anyone in the media know about it (presuming the Jets knew about it at all), then Saleh tries to big balls Rodgers, then the next day comes out and has to put the fire out that he largely caused himself. As we discussed at the time-/who cares if Rodgers misses two days of camp—but the lolJets way of handling it was atrocious. Probably the beginning of the end for Saleh. 

[T0mShane]

1 hour ago, Larz said:

I know you guys are picking scapegoats to give yourselves hope , but this is jets football for the next 20 years. 
 

The last time woody left the country the candidates didn’t like the uncertain ownership situation. 
 

All that’s happened since then is the guy that didn’t hire Saleh came back and fired him without even talking to the GM. 
 

It will be worse the next cycle. 
 

the most respected and revered and admired guy in the industry took a sh*t on woodys head in a prime time game. 
 

nobody is ever coming here again. Nobody.  

Aaron Glenn? 😂