Gregg Williams isn't letting anything slide this season, and his players don't seem to mind. With nearly thirty years of coaching experience in the NFL, the 61-year-old has always been known for his loud, competitive and confrontational approach to coaching. And it doesn't look like that will be changing any time soon.
"Coach [Williams] does a good job of holding everybody accountable for their mistakes, and if you mess up, you're going to hear about it in front of the defense," said defensive lineman Henry Anderson. "I think that pushes guys to not want to go out there and screw their assignments up or commit penalties. Coach does a good job of holding everybody accountable."
The push for responsibility is a major part of Williams' game that has earned his players' respect. The Jets defensive coordinator has also made it clear in the past that he has "42 packages of defense," creating a variety of options for the Green and White that allows the group to be flexible.
"It's nice that we have freedom to move around and just play and not be robots out there," said Anderson. "We all know what our skill set is and we know what we can do on the football field, so being able to make adjustments based on our skillsets is definitely nice."
"It's a fast scheme, we're just attacking and hitting everything," defensive lineman Steve McLendon added.
A recurring theme within Williams' defense has been the expectation to play multiple positions at all levels. The 6'6", 301-pound Anderson, who has said he's been "moving around a lot" while the group continues defensive installations, believes this tactic has created a competitive culture.
"We've got a lot of dudes out there that can play. We're competing every day and pushing each other, and we've got a lot of guys making plays out there so it's great to see," Anderson said of the defensive line. "I think we're going to have a great rotation this year. A lot of guys are going to be competing to get on the field and it's going to keep everybody fresh and hopefully allow for a lot of production from the ones and the twos. I'm definitely excited about it."
With week one in the books, the defense will continue to grow under one of the most experienced coordinators in the league.
"Everybody competes, and that's one of the biggest things we're looking for here and that's good for us," said McLendon. "Competition is very high. I just want us to continue to do these things: listen to our coaches, stay focused, and play fast football together."
