DeMeco Ryans Blames Jaguars For 'Overreacting' To Hit On Trevor Lawrence And Suggests QB Also Caused Problem
DeMeco Ryans on Monday blamed Jacksonville Jaguars players for "overreacting" to the hit Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shair delivered on Trevor Lawrence and suggested the reason the quarterback got hurt is that he didn't slide and get down quickly enough.
And now we have an NFL head coach defending his player, but crossing over into an area that damages his own credibility.
Ryans: QB Hit Is ‘Two-Fold’
You'll recall Al-Shaair was penalized and eventually disqualified from Sunday's game against the Jaguars for his hit on Lawrence in the second quarter.
The hit led to the Jaguars retaliating against Al-Shaair and when Texans teammates jumped in to support their teammate, the full-blown skirmish ensued.
"With the entire Azeez situation, we stand behind Azeez and everything that came from that," Ryans told reporters on Monday. "Of course, he – unfortunate hit on the quarterback. But it’s also – it’s twofold, right?
"I mean, a lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late, and they try to get an extra yard, and now you’re a defender, a lot of onus is on the defender whether it’s on the sideline or whether it’s on the quarterback. You don’t know what a guy is thinking. You don’t know if a guy is standing up, and he’s continuing to run.
"You don’t know and then you get a late slide and you hit the guy. Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. Hope Trevor is OK, but it’s also, if we’re sliding, we have to get down. If we’re getting out of bounds, we get out of bounds and that rule is there to protect the quarterbacks, and we want our quarterbacks to be safe in the league, so we just have to be safe. If we’re sliding, make sure we’re keeping our heads down."
Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) slides down in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) in the second quarter in the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Was Trevor Lawrence Partially At Fault?
Did Ryans just lay responsibility for Lawrence suffering a concussion at the hands of Al-Shaair on Lawrence not getting his head down in time?
Was Lawrence supposed to get his head out of the way of Al-Shaair's oncoming forearm and elbow to his head?
Those are questions Ryans was not asked so it remains uncertain. But this is sure:
Ryans blamed the Jaguars for the ensuing fight between the teams.
"And the entire thing is Azeez – he hits the guy, but their sideline overreacts and it turns into a melee," Ryans said. "It wasn’t our guys. It’s their team overreacted, pushed our guy, dragging our guy to the sideline, so that’s uncalled-for on that side. We have to be better on the sidelines, as well, with both teams."
Nov 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Ryans Takes Unrealistic Position
A couple of things here:
Ryans is apparently advocating that the Jaguars should have seen their $275 million quarterback in the fencing posture signaling a concussion, and should have accepted the moment without going after Al-Shaair.
And because they "overreacted," the melee was their fault.
Is that how Ryans would want his team to react if someone did that to Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud? Witness a similar illegal hit and walk back to the huddle?
Secondly, does Ryans know that even Al-Shaair himself excused the Jaguars players for their reaction?
"To the rest of his teammates," Al-Shaair wrote in an online statement, "I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that."
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 01: Azeez Al-Shaair #0 of the Houston Texans reacts during the second quarter of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Ryans To NFL: Look At All Sides
Ryans on Monday went in a direction he didn't seem willing to go on game day. After the game, Ryans was asked about the hit and ensuing brawl.
"That's not what we're about," Ryans said then. "Not representative of us."
But upon further review, Ryans blamed the opponents, including the guy who was carted off the field, for their part in the incident.
Finally, Ryans was asked what the NFL office looking at the incident should do. The NFL, by the way, is expected to suspend Al-Shaair.
"You have to look at all sides," he said. "We don't have to overreact. Just because I think a guy gets hurt, we're not intentionally trying to hurt anyone. I think there's an overreaction when someone gets hurt. We have to look at it from all perspectives."