NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The New York Jets seem to be doomed at the quarterback position. How does a team that signed a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers still come up short? In the offseason, the Jets hit the reset button with a new head coach in Aaron Glenn and a new QB in Justin Fields. How does the new duo find success?
Now that camps have started, it’s time to put the plan into action. What should the plan be? Simple, attack, attack, attack. The Jets have the talent to move the football and move it fast. They shouldn’t go out there and try to throw the big gains on every play. Instead, what some would refer to as “dink and dunk” plays need to be their focus, but with an asterisk. A low-risk offense might not be a fan favorite, but it could easily play into the strengths of Justin Fields.
In order for this to work, New York needs to implement a fast-paced offense. Instead of trying to throw mid-range and big gains to attack defenses. Fields has zip on his passes and the Jets have speed at wide receiver. Add that to the fact they may have finally found a tight end who can be productive in their offense and they should be able to get the ball out fast. “Dink and dunk” when done at a normal pace is rarely successful. However, if you implement a two-minute drill tempo it could tire out the defense faster.
With the arm strength of Fields, a decent stable of running backs, and fast-paced short games, the Jets should be able to attack. They might not be able to score on every drive playing this way, but so long as their defense can keep the game close, a fast-paced start in the first half would allow them to take advantage of deeper plays in the second half. If a team like the Miami Dolphins wants to send their speedsters downfield and burn out early on, then so be it. Let teams burn themselves out on both sides of the football and make your adjustments at the half.
A bend-and-don’t-break New York Jets defense would set up the Jets offense for success throughout the entire game. It would allow Justin Fields opportunities to make mistakes, but a low-risk attack with his arm strength is all they need. Yes, Fields can throw the ball, but at times struggles with holding on to the football and struggling under pressure. Get the ball out quicker and take those situations away and the Jets might be tough to defend this year.
