The Jets Fire Gregg Williams. Tin Foil Hat Time

The Jets just fired Gregg Williams. On the surface, it makes perfect sense. Gregg Williams ran the most inexplicable defensive scheme twice in a row to lose the game. I mean the word "inexplicable" in the most literal sense. Given the circumstances, Gregg Williams decisions to blitz 7 is something that has never happened since ESPN started recording with their Stats and Info Team:

And just now, a little after 11am the Monday after a truly mind bottling loss, Gregg Williams was fired. On the surface, if you're a simpleton, you're thinking "Gregg Williams sucks. He lost them the game in incredibly dramatic fashion. He gets fired. Makes sense." Oh no no, my friend. For sure not. You're arriving at the same conclusion, but for all the wrong reasons. Right church, wrong pew. Get out your tinfoil hats and lets start really thinking about it. 

There is no way…NO WAY…Gregg Williams sends the house not once, but twice, in that situation. Its catastrophically idiotic to do it even once…its despicable, reprehensible and unforgivable to do it a second time. Unless, of course, you were asking for it. I firmly, truly, whole heartedly believe it makes more sense that this was Gregg Williams paid off to tank. I think its more logical that in the heat of the moment, the Powers That Be told Gregg Williams "Listen, you make this happen, lose this game. We'll have to fire you in the morning to make it look legit, but there will be a bag of cash waiting for you at your house," as opposed to him thinking it was best to blitz like that twice in a row. I know Gregg Williams is Dr. Heat. I know its a nickname he gave himself. I know hes addicted to blitzing and he's done boneheaded shit like that in the past, even in playoff games. But I think him sending 7, leaving his rookie corner all alone, with zero help, TWO TIMES IN A ROW, is impossibly stupid. Meaning it is not a possibility to be that stupid. Maybe Dr. Heat came out to play once, on that previous play. He got cocky and wanted to rush the quarterback and end that game with good old fashioned aggressive football. But the only reason the Raiders didnt score on that first Hail Mary attempt was because Derek Carr overthrew it. Williams had the benefit of seeing exactly how his secondary could handle it when left all alone while 7 rushed the quarterback, and - SPOILER ALERT - they didnt handle it well. He watched it fail miserably the first time. He was gifted a crystal ball that showed him the future. Derek Carr gifted him an overthrow that saved his ass and allowed him to come to his senses, send everybody into the secondary, and bat down any pass that Carr heaves up there. Him running it back right away like that???? I'm gonna say it again…its impossibly stupid. Not even Dr. Heat can justify that one. 

We're talking about a known scumbag. A noted cheater. A dirty, old school guy who deals in cash. And we're talking about a big market, Little Brother team who has been the butt of every NFL joke for the last 50 years who has the chance to land a (hopefully) franchise changing talent. We're not talking about "tanking" to try to land the 5th pick instead of the 9th. We're not talking about doing anything and everything possible to get the number 1 pick to take a defensive end. We're talking about the New York Jets…a team who has been STARVING for a quarterback since their inception…who believes they have a crack at landing the next Peyton Manning type of player. If you dont think thats the perfect storm for some TRUE Tanking, you're just being obtuse.

For the most part I think we are too quick to throw the "tank" tag on too many teams. Theres just no incentive for players and coaches on the field, in the moment, to tank. The only people who benefit are owners or employees that are poised to be there for many years to come. Guys who have their playing and coaching reputations on the line have no reason to put the Clemson quarterback ahead of their stats and their play and their own future.

But a guy who's known to dabble in shady cash transactions for illegal play??? A guy who CAN be bought. Who has the chance to influence a week 13 game in a manner that in the moment, on the field, just appears to be a bonehead decision..and after the fact would probably be willing to get canned to maintain the team's integrity? All if the price is right?

Again, that all makes more sense to me than a life long defensive minded coach calling that play TWICE. Once, maybe it was Dr. Heat being a macho idiot. Twice? Well thats a Tank. A true blue Tank. A beautiful, long term, potentially save-the-next-decade, tank. 

Thank you Gregg Williams. You magnificent scumbag!