Much like planting a flag at midfield, everyone seems to have an opinion on Azeez Al-Shaair’s knockout hit on Trevor Lawrence.
From Daryl Johnston to Michael Strahan, the consensus was clear: the hit was dangerous, dirty, avoidable in every way and has no place in today’s game. The Houston Texans linebacker was ejected, is likely facing a suspension and has issued an apology.
But while everyone else has attacked Al-Shaair, Rex Ryan took a different approach to the hit that concussed the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting quarterback.
The former head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills turned it into a referendum on quarterback protection in general, critiquing the way quarterbacks are taught to handle contact and defend themselves in these situations.
Rex Ryan: “I am so sick and tired of seeing people teach, ‘Hey, slide. When you’re running out here, you slide.’ To hell you do. Not when you’re going full speed down the field and the defender’s coming full speed at you… they should be taught to dive at the ankles of the… pic.twitter.com/JUiJI3k7mF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 2, 2024
“You got to learn how to protect yourself,” Ryan established on Monday’s Get Up. “And I’m going to tell you right. Obviously, it’s a dirty hit. I am so sick and tired of people teach, ‘Hey, slide. When you’re running out here, you slide.’ The hell you do. Not when you’re going full speed down the field, and a defender’s coming full speed at you — you don’t slide. I can see, this happens over and over and over again. All you have to do is watch every Saturday, college football.
“Two to three of these happen every single week. I’m sick and tired of it. You’re not protecting your quarterback when you teach him to slide when it’s not in the open field. Open field? Of course, that’s great. Absolutely not here. If you want to get a concussion, you slide like this when contact’s coming.”
So, what should quarterbacks be taught instead?
“They should be taught to dive at the ankles at the defender,” added Ryan, “Or run the football and keep your head out of it. I mean, trust me, I would take the ankles of a defender. Run right there, dive at his ankles. Immediately, the guy’s going to go to protect himself; he’s not worried about tackling you. Look, the kid, absolutely, it was awful. Alright? And yes, he’s going to be suspended.
“Also, this happens all the time when a guy’s just trying to make a tackle. Alright? This is a big quarterback running here. I am so sick and tired of it. Let’s put a film together and actually teach our young quarterbacks how to protect themselves. I’m sick and tired of it.”
Perhaps Ryan, who is doing everything he can to lobby in the media for the Jets’ head coaching job, could teach it sooner rather than later. After all, this is the same Ryan who once brought in former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi to teach a rookie quarterback named Mark Sanchez how to slide.
[Get Up]
