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Sometimes, the old school is the best, and that seems to be the case if you're Rex Ryan. After Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence took a dirty hit by Azeez Al-Shaair, he was immediately ruled out of the game. Lawrence slid after scrambling and Al-Shaair leveled the Jaguars quarterback. Regardless of the dirty hit, Ryan said on ESPN's Get Up that he believes quarterbacks need to be taught how to properly slide.
“I am so sick and tired of seeing people teaching to slide when you’re running out… the hell you do!” Ryan said. “Not when you’re going full speed down the field and your defender is coming full speed at you. You don’t slide. This happens over and over again. All you have to do is watch every Saturday in college football, two or three of these happen every single week.
“I’m sick and tired of it. You are not protecting your quarterback when you are teaching him how to slide when it’s not in the open field. If you want to get a concussion, you slide like this (showed Lawrence's slide) when contact is coming.”
Ryan demonstrated to slide with your head going towards the ankles of the defender. That way, it keeps the quarterback's head out of the shoulder and upper body of the defender. In that instance, quarterbacks can protect themselves, and the ball, without sustaining a head injury. The former head coach also explained that while the play was dirty, tackles happen like that frequently.
Rex Ryan's outrage of Trevor Lawrence's hit highlights Jaguars not practicing safe sliding
In the college game, some quarterbacks have taken Ryan's advice, indirectly. For instance, Arizona State football freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt uses a similar tactic to Ryan's suggestion. When he's in the open field and a defender is coming at him, Leavitt will dive with his head first toward the defender's ankles. Although college is different where a player is ruled down by making contact with the turf, the same principle applies.
On the flip side, some NFL quarterbacks have mastered the art of the slide. Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson are both exceptional in that regard. However, both were baseball players and could've gone to the MLB if they chose to. Still, they know how to slide effectively. In Lawrence's case, Ryan is illustrating that he and many other quarterbacks don't know how to properly slide.
While the ongoing issue will remain, some teams and coaches might want to look into what Ryan is saying. Protecting the quarterback is a No. 1 priority, through whatever means necessary. While Lawrence broke the silence and said he's doing well, it's still a scary sight for a team to lose their franchise player. Even if it means going an unconventional route on the field, protection is key for a team's top signal-caller.
