Mario Williams blames performance on wrist injury http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ams-again-blames-performance-on-wrist-injury/
smh...that sounds familiar. Bills fans are going to turn on the dude quick if things don't change soon.
I find it amusing that so many fans on the site are bad-mouthing Mario Williams. I am no Williams apologist, but the hate smacks of a bitter ex-girlfriend, yes we have a new beau, but we can't stop talking about our ex. That being said, Mario was not overpaid as a Texan. He was the first pick in the draft and actually signed a team friendly contract with almost no signing bonus (though the contract was back-loaded). I was not a fan of the pick, I was in the super minority who wanted to trade down to the Jets (#4 overall) and take D'Brickashaw Ferguson and get a boatload of picks (as the Jets had multiple picks that year). I was skeptical of Mario, due to him really coming onto the scene after the combine. The knock on Mario was the same as it is today... takes plays off, disappears at times, etc. However, Mario was a Texan and I rooted for him like many others. Mario Williams reminds me of a person with all the potential in the world, but doesn't have the desire or drive to reach it. That was his problem here in Houston, the same as it is in Buffalo, he isn't doing anything different... its his MO. Comparing Mario to J.J. Watt is not comparing apples to oranges. Watt plays a different position, plays with much more talented players and in a better scheme that looks like it is taylor-made for him. Williams returned to a traditional 4-3 scheme DE. Now if you want to compare the type of player and what they bring to the team (intensity, strength, playmaking, etc.) that's fine, but they played different positions while he was here. If anything I would compare Mario to Brooks Reed (the very player who made Mario expendable). DISCLAIMER: I take nothing away from J.J. Watt, the guy is phenomenal and is on a history-making pace. This is the type of player that you want out of your first overall pick, and I'm pretty damn sure if the 2011 draft were to be done again, Watt would probably be second behind Cam Newton. I don't know if anyone caught the four-letter network's NFL Live today, but Mark Schlereth had a segment called "Not in my House", where he basically chastised players celebrating when they did nothing, put their foot in their mouths or completely whiffed. The reason I bring this up is that the first part of the segment had to do with Leroy Harris saying that Watt was nothing special. Schlereth proceeded to break down that Harris gave up two sacks and was beat multiple times (video never lies) and that if Harris were to face Watt every week for 16 weeks Watt would break the all-time sack record by 9.5 sacks. The last part of the segment was call "$100 million dollar Mario". Schlereth broke down four separate plays where Mario was not a part of the play, but where he was completely beat one-on-one by a tight end (twice) and a guard (twice). The fact of the matter is that Mario Williams was overpaid by the Buffalo Bills in an effort to build the best D-Line in the league. Unfortunately it looks like Mario isn't living up to those lofty expectations people in Buffalo have had for him (modern version of Bruce Smith). But Mario is doing what he has always done, this is nothing new to us in Houston as we've seen this before. But to continue to rag on him is something I don't understand. If we could still have Mario on this team I would definitely take him (salary cap implications not withstanding) as we could use as many talented players as necessary. The only thing I would admonish Mario on was that he left a Super Bowl contender and the chance to be the premier player in a top three defense in the league. But hey, he got paid, I guess that's what mattered most to him.
Wow, i dont remember him getting that many sacks. He must have gotten a lot of quiet sacks. I will give it to him that he was solid and maybe if he was here this year he would be the beneficiary of great DC and a good overall defense. Its all expectations, if he as a 2nd pick or 3rd pick we would all probably be okay with it. But in retrospect he was the best pick at the time (i dont think ngata was seen a potential number one even though he is probably the best defensive player in that draft). I just feel like he never quite dominated the way top tier defensive player does. Its like he got the numbers but never shifted the result of a game or ignited the defense. Im over hating him, I just almost feel like he owed us a discount but who in their right mind would turn down all that money, even if it is in buffalo.
Fair enough, I agree he never really reached super dominance like JJ Watt is now. But then again that is a very high standard, even for #1 picks. I don't think the Texans even offered him a contract though.
Where is this "hate" you're referring to? All I see are people criticizing his poor play on the field. Are we no longer allowed to talk about players when they don't play well? The guy is making over 1 million dollars PER GAME. He should be open to criticism by NFL fans if he doesn't play well. Criticism by other players is warranted as well. Like that article says, he's making it much less likely for teams to pay big contracts to defensive players in the future. That said.....a sore wrist? Really, Mario? Come on....
WOW. I had to look that up... didn't remember what his contract said... http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mli45igdi/16-mario-williams/ You're right! Could be even TWO mills.
In that case, he's doing us a favor in another way when Watt will be eventually up for an extension. I knew Mario was good for something.
Not true. As a 3-4 end, JJ Watt is NOT supposed to have as much production as a 4-3 end. Furthermore, the system is not tailor-made for him to get sacks -- I've seen a couple of film studies on him that say that he is getting sacks, TFLs and passes defensed wholly based on his individual ability to beat blockers 1-on-1. A 3-4 end is generally supposed to just eat up space so that OLBs like Barwin and Reed can come eat up the backfield, but JJ is unique in his ability to consistently shed blockers and get in the backfield by himself at that position. If anything, the comparison ought to favor Mario. If JJ Watt were to even equal Mario's best season here in terms of sacks he would already be a leading candidate for DPOY. Back to Mario though, the main point is that this is just more of what we've seen before. He has a couple of pathetic games, and then comes up with a nagging injury excuse. Then he has a 3-sack game and the critics are put at bay. Until he starts to suck again for the next two games. We're used to this from him in Houston. Buffalo is learning the hard way. He simply doesn't have the drive to produce consistently.
This is what he gets for picking money over success on the field. He knew he would fit in here by the numbers he put up last season in limited action. I don't fault him for it. But he knew he had no chance at being a part of a bona-fide contender esp with the Pats being in the same division.
3-4 DEs are block eating, run stuffers, not pass rushers. thats why mario was moved to OLB.. JJ is doing something special. once antonio gets going at full speed its going to be tough for any line to contain this rush. antonio eats double teams and so does watt. no way you can put that much focus on 2 guys and not worry about barwin & reed..
I think it's Barwin who needs to pick it up. If he gets it going like he had it last year.....my god...the possibilities.
I agree with this, but I also remember reading somewhere that Bruce Smith was a 3-4 DE in Wade Phillips system. He never seemed to have a problem rushing the passer. As far as Barwin goes, I'm glad the Texans took care of Brown and Schaub before him. They both have larger bodies of work than Barwin who really just has last year. In his defense, it's hard to get a sack when Watt is beating you to the QB on every single snap.
