Two of the best interior defensive linemen in football will be on the field Sunday night when the Jets face the Chiefs.
The Jets’ Quinnen Williams and Kansas City’s Chris Jones are both forces for their respective teams, and they are friends off the field.
“We’re super close,” Williams said this week. “I train with him every offseason. I try to do everything he do when it comes to being on the field. I’ve been training with him in the offseason probably going on four years now. That’s my guy right there.”
Williams said he tries to take from Jones’ game.
“I done took everything he ever did in his game, every single thing he’s taught me, every single think he gave me — wisdom, knowledge on the field and off the field,” Williams said. “I’ve done took it all in and put it inside my game. I feel like training with him helped me become the player I am today.”
Mac Jones won’t be getting hit where it hurts.
The Patriots quarterback, who Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner claimed hit him below the belt, has not been fined by the league, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported Saturday.
Pelissero added Gardner would have needed sufficient video evidence to prove Jones’ actions, but did not have it. The insider added that Gardner was also not fined for Gardner shoving Jones after the play.
The Jets defense spent the week preparing for all of the motion the Chiefs use.
Kansas City is one of the offenses that likes to put people in motion to confuse their opponents.
“Anticipating it is the first thing,” linebacker Quincy Williams said. “So our preparation during the week anticipating that they’re going to motion so as soon as they motion, not reacting to it but preparing for if they motion, what we’re going to do, like as soon as they motion, this is what we’re going to do. So, we’re on it already. We have to make sure the preparation during the week is good.”
Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich echoed Williams that anticipation is key and so is communication.
“We pride ourselves on the ability to communicate our way through that and understand our defense at such a high level that it doesn’t stress us like it stresses most defenses,” Ulbrich said.
In practice squad moves Saturday, offensive lineman Chris Glaser was elevated, defensive lineman Tanzel Smart was signed, and kicker Austin Seibert was waived.
— with Andrew Battifarano
