There were a lot of fans who didn’t agree with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to bench weak-side linebacker Quincy Williams, but that soon changed after the game. Although the Jags lost their Week 6 game to the New Orleans Saints, the rookie certainly did his part, finishing the day with a strong performance by racking up six tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection.
After the game, fellow linebacker Myles Jack, who also had a solid game (minus a missed tackle), praised the veteran’s efforts on the field as his presence seems to have improved the communication at the position.
While Williams has impressive speed and great athleticism, Goode’s experience as an eight-year veteran puts him a little ahead of the curve mentally. That’s not to say Williams can’t get his spot back eventually, but clearly, defensive coordinator Todd Wash needed to make some adjustments and putting Goode in the lineup appears to have worked for the better.
Jags coach Doug Marrone added on to Jack’s praise Monday afternoon in a conference call with the media as he praised Goode’s ability in the open field.
“I said it after the game, I thought he played well,” Marrone said Monday. “I think you’re always going to want some plays back, especially early on in the game. You look at the first half and we really struggled early on [on offense] and I think the first half we gave up 11 yards rushing.” […] “I thought he made some good plays in space; he made some nice open-field tackles. I thought he did a very good job. So again, we’re still working with Quincy [Williams]. We’re still going to keep bringing him along and we’ll just take it week-by-week and a lot of it depends on what’s in the game plan and what we’re trying to get accomplished of who plays.”
Goode received 65 snaps on defense against the Saints Sunday, while Williams didn’t receive any with the unit. That said, it appears Goode maybe the guy on the weak-side for a while. However, with the Jags playing the struggling Cincinnati Bengals this upcoming Sunday, maybe Williams will see some time on the field Week 7.
