The New York Jets’ most vocal critic is back at it
Most NFL players know to keep it professional when talking about other teams in the league. That does not apply to Dion Dawkins. After firing numerous shots at the New York Jets earlier this offseason – including calling them “weirdos” – Dawkins took another opportunity to jab at his division rivals during a recent appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
.@DDawkins66 didn't hold anything back when talking about the Jets 😂 pic.twitter.com/tty885gH6V
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) May 15, 2024
“I respect people that play the game the right way, I respect people that play it with the passion. There’s a lot of people on the Jets that play with the passion, there’s good players. But when there’s one person that kind of does one thing, it just turns the whole channel, like it turns the whole thing.
“There’s just a couple of players that, like, when you get on the football field, of course I love chatter, talk, that’s a part of the game, but when you’re saying overly disrespectful things and you’re talking to players like 17 [Josh Allen], probably the best quarterback in the NFL, he’s the best quarterback in the NFL, and you’re saying things to him like, are you seriously talking? Are we even talking for real? … Why are you talking to us? Why are you doing that to us?”
Without mentioning any names, Dawkins seemed to take issue with Micheal Clemons, who pursued Dawkins in the tunnel at Highmark Stadium after the Bills’ win over the Jets last season.
“You’re chasing guys in the tunnel. It’s fake. That’s fake, bro. Look, we ain’t no gangsters. We ain’t this. We’re football players, bro. Like, we’re football players, alright? Let’s stop with all of the shenanigans and all of this stuff. We’re football players, alright? If you want to be a football player, be a football player. You want to be that, turn in your jersey, your helmet, your shoulder pads, and go and be that. Simple as that. Every year it’s just that with the Jets.”
Dawkins sure does have a lot to say about the Jets for a guy who doesn’t play all too well against them. In four games against the Jets since 2022, Dawkins has committed eight penalties. That’s two per game, on pace for 34 penalties over a full season. When an opponent is giving you that much trouble on the field, it’s no surprise he gets in his feelings when talking about them.
Dawkins isn’t alone in his struggles against the Jets’ defense. The entire Buffalo offense has had a tough time with New York over the past two years. That could also be at the root of his passion for the Jets.
In 2022, the Bills had each of their two lowest yardage outputs of the season against the Jets, posting 232 yards in a Week 14 win and 317 yards in a Week 9 loss. They averaged just 18.5 points per game across the two contests despite finishing the year ranked second in scoring at 28.4 points per game.
In 2023, the Jets defeated the Bills in Week 1 while holding them to 16 points, which ended up as their second-worst mark of the year. They also had only 314 yards, their third-worst output. Buffalo finally figured out the Jets in Week 11 as they accumulated 393 yards in a 32-6 win.
Tonight at 8 p.m. ET, we will find out when the Jets and Bills will meet for the first time in 2024. Dawkins’ constant yapping throughout the offseason has made this a matchup that both teams will circle on their calendars.
