I am typically the last person you'll find publicly questioning coaching decisions, but what took place at the end of the Raiders vs. Jets game last night is beyond puzzling.
Holding onto a 4-point lead with 13 seconds left, the Jets were in great position to get their first win of the season. The Raiders had the ball around midfield, on 3rd and 10, and all the Jets defense needed to do was get two stops.
That's where things got interesting.
Look. Like most everyone reading this - I'm not in the Jets meeting rooms and don't pretend to know what they have gone over in these types of scenarios, but for 99% of defensive coordinators this is a situation for playing man across the board with 2 (or perhaps even 3) high safeties and rushing two or three guys. On the super-conservative side, I know some guys that would go straight up prevent defense in this situation.
Well, Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams did almost the exact opposite.
Williams decided to bring pressure, spy the quarterback with a linebacker, and play cover zero. The Raiders sent four guys vertical, found an outside receiver behind the defense, did just enough to pick up the pressure, and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr hit an open Henry Ruggs for the go-ahead touchdown with 8 seconds left on the clock.
That decision, coupled with the team dropping to 0-12 on the year with the loss, prompted head coach Adam Gase to make a change at coordinator today, according to multiple reports.
After the game, Jets players immediately questioned the play call in that situation, with safety Marcus Maye stating "Just felt like ti could've been a better call in that situation."
Now the Jets are mired in a 12-game losing streak, with Adam Gase's future with the organization in serious jeopardy, and now find themselves searching for a new defensive coordinator.
See the end of game situation in the clip below.
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