Tag: Jets offense

2022 NFL draft: 17 prospects who perfectly fit Mike LaFleur’s Jets offense

These 17 2022 NFL draft prospects profile as ideal fits in Mike LaFleur’s Jets offense:

Scheme fit always plays a key role in the way a team shapes its draft board.

Coaches seldom try to fit square pegs into round holes, making a player’s skillset and system fit paramount to the way the draft plays out. For the Jets, Mike LaFleur’s west coast offense is predicated on versatility at the skill positions and a zone-blocking scheme in the trenches.

Fortunately for New York, there are a number of scheme fits in the 2022 NFL draft later this month. Here are 17 prospects who would fit LaFleur’s offense.

5 ways Mike LaFleur can jumpstart the Jets’ abysmal offense

Mike LaFleur has plenty of options when it comes to figuring out how to get the Jets’ offense back on track. Here are a few:

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Mike LaFleur’s offense has been Adam Gase-esque early this season, and that’s no compliment.

The Jets have scored just 20 points in their first three games. Fourteen of the 20 came in the second half against the Panthers in Week 1. New York has not scored a touchdown since. LaFleur’s unit hit rock bottom against the Broncos in Week 3, as Denver pitched a shutout.

Gang Green has played three stout defenses, but LaFleur’s play-calling in the early stages of his career as an offensive coordinator has not been inspiring. Zach Wilson hasn’t been great under center, there hasn’t been much of a running game, the wide receivers aren’t generating separation consistently, and the offensive line has not been good.

All of that falls on LaFleur to some degree.

The Jets are going to need LaFleur to step up his game if their offense wants to get back on track before this season is completely lost. Here are five ways New York’s rookie play-caller can jumpstart his struggling offense, starting Week 4 against the Titans.

Denzel Mims working with Jets’ third-team wide receivers in training camp

Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims has dropped to New York’s third-string offense in training camp after a promising rookie season.

What had already been an offseason to forget for Denzel Mims has taken a turn for the worst in the early days of Jets training camp.

After spending the spring working with New York’s second-team offense, Mims has tumbled even further down Mike LaFleur’s wide receiver depth chart. The Baylor product worked alongside Lawrence Cager and Jeff Smith with the Jets’ third-string wide receiver group on Friday, according to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes. Braxton Berrios, Elijah Moore and Vyncint Smith received the second-team reps.

Mims was a perfect fit in Adam Gase’s system as a rookie and flashed his big-play potential on a weekly basis, but there is a concern that he is a square peg in a round hole in Mike LaFleur’s offense. LaFleur’s scheme emphasizes short and intermediate route running. The offensive coordinator said during the spring that he wanted to see Mims’ route running between the numbers improve, but LaFleur was also complimentary of New York second-round pick from a year ago, praising his ability to make plays down the field.

Mims’ fall to third-team is an indication that he is not where the Jets need him to be in his development right now. Berrios, Moore and even Smith, on the other hand, look like better fits in the offense.

There could still be a place for Mims in the Jets’ offense in 2021 — even the west coast system needs a reliable deep threat — but the likes of Moore, Keelan Cole and Corey Davis can also make plays downfield and are far from one-trick ponies. New York cannot afford to run Mims out there with its first-team offense if his route tree remains limited.

Mims was at the top of the Jets’ wide receiver depth chart less than a year ago. Now, he will have to spend the next month climbing his way back up from the bottom of the pecking order. His ability to do so could go a long way in determining how his future with New York plays out.

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Nate Burleson high on Denzel Mims: He’s Jets’ ‘easy money sniper’

Good Morning Football’s Nate Burleson is giddy about Denzel Mims’ potential ahead of his second season with the Jets.

Denzel Mims gave the Jets plenty of reasons to look forward to his future throughout his rookie year, as he showcased his ability as a dangerous deep threat on a weekly basis.

Now the Baylor product is a candidate to be one of football’s breakout wide receivers in 2021.

Good Morning Football’s Nate Burleson recently provided five breakout receiver candidates for this upcoming season. Mims checked in at No. 4 on the list.

“Denzel Mims is one of my favorite young wide receivers who is a fantastic talent,” Burleson said. “Last year he had just under 400 yards in nine games. He was averaging about 15 yards a pop and we know this offense struggled. They couldn’t keep the quarterback clean, the quarterback couldn’t stay healthy. There was just no rhythm and consistency, but still, this guy had plays that we could look at and say ‘You know what? This guy is going to be quite the talent.’ Five of his 23 catches last season went for 25 yards or more, so we know that he’s a big-play guy.”

Before Mims can experience a true breakout, he will first have to master the art of short and intermediate route running. Mims spent most of the spring working with New York’s second-team offense due in large part to his inability to consistently break off crisp underneath routes — a staple of Mike LaFleur’s west coast offense. Mims missed time with an illness, but even when he was back to 100 percent, it was rookie Elijah Moore claiming a large chunk of outside receiver reps in place of the injured Corey Davis.

With Moore moving up in the pecking order during minicamp and OTAs, Davis set to return in training camp, Braxton Berrios forming chemistry with Zach Wilson, Keelan Cole impressing, and Jamison Crowder set to return after reworking his contract, Mims will have to battle for a starting spot among a crowded wide receiver room that is littered with players who are a better fit playing in a west coast offense.

LaFleur said in June that he would like to see Mims improve running routes between the numbers, but he is still high on what the 23-year-old brings to the table. Every offense — even the ones predicated on short, quick passes — needs a viable deep threat and Mims gives the Jets just that.

Once he develops into a more complete pass catcher, New York might have itself a game-breaking player it can turn to whenever it needs a spark.

“Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur compared him to Kevin Durant,” Burleson said. “I know you’re saying, ‘Whoa, whoa. Kevin Durant? Isn’t that dude skinny?’ Yeah, but he’s skinny and he’s long and he has range. The quote is actually: ‘He has a wingspan like Kevin Durant. He has tons of range. As the longball gets around him anywhere, he can catch that thing.’ So, we know he can be — I guess you could say — the easy money sniper within this offense. Shoutout to Denzel Washington Mims because he is a beast. He will be the equalizer within this offense for the Jets.”

Robert Saleh didn’t have to set such lofty expectations for Jets offense

There was no need for Robert Saleh to set high expectations for the Jets’ offense considering how low the bar is after the last two years.

Robert Saleh was his usual jubilant and energized self during his pre-draft media availability Thursday, but one specific question got New York’s rookie head coach going to the point where he could not contain his excitement.

When quizzed about the direction of the Jets offense under Mike LaFleur’s leadership, Saleh wasted no time setting the bar for the unit high. He called his offensive coordinator’s system “the best scheme in the world,” per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes.

While all but certainly speaking in hyperbole, Saleh does have reason to be excited about LaFleur’s system given his experience watching it thrive up close with Kyle Shanahan calling the shots in San Francisco. Saleh just didn’t have to set the bar so high given the product the Jets have put on the field the last two seasons.

Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains (mostly Gase except, that stretch he sort of, but not really, allowed Loggains to actually do his job instead of functioning as a glorified clipboard holder and challenge flag-thrower) orchestrated one of the worst offenses in football in their two years with the Jets. New York’s offense never took flight with Gase and Loggains running the show, ranking dead last in 2019 and 2020 — a level of incompetence Rich Kotite couldn’t even match on his worst day.

Gase and Loggains derailed Sam Darnold’s development to the point where Joe Douglas felt the need to trade him and take his chances on drafting a rookie quarterback. They never made any sort of effort to allow Robby Anderson to grow and allowed Frank Gore to work as a feature back despite being in the twilight of his career and a stable of young, promising running backs waiting in the wings behind him. The Jets weren’t exactly loaded with talent the last two seasons, but Gase and Loggains did absolutely nothing to maximize what they did have in the building.

It can be argued that even though LaFleur has never actually worked as an offensive coordinator, he is already better at calling plays than Gase and Loggains ever were — except when Peyton Manning was busy carrying Gase with the Broncos. Shanahan was at the forefront of the 49ers’ offensive scheme when LaFleur was in the building, but he did have his say in shaping San Francisco’s passing attack and its success with play-action, which is set to be a staple of the Jets’ offense in 2021 and beyond.

Saleh’s optimism is refreshing. There hasn’t been much reason for anyone at One Jets Drive to express any sort of hope the last two years, but his arrival changed all that. There just wasn’t any need for him to set such high expectations for LaFleur and his offense.

As long as LaFleur shows up for work once Week 1 rolls around, there is a good chance he’ll have accomplished more in his first four quarters as a primary play-caller than Gase and Loggains ever did during their time on the sideline with the Jets. For now, that’s more than enough.

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Patrick Mahomes becomes 5th Jets opponent to win Player of the Week

To say the Jets have been an easy matchup for opponents to exploit in 2020 would be an understatement.

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The Jets have been an easy matchup for players to exploit in 2020.

New York is the NFL’s only winless midway through the season. It has been stagnant on offense and extremely underwhelming defensively, affording opponents the opportunity to have big games on a weekly basis. As expected, Patrick Mahomes did just that last weekend, throwing for five touchdowns en route to AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

And he is not the only one who has taken hardware home at Gang Green’s expense.

Mahomes is the fifth Jets opponent to win Player of the Week. Colts cornerback Xavier Rhodes earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week after picking Sam Darnold off twice in Week 3. Broncos kicker Brandon McManus followed suit in Week 4 by going three-for-three on field goals and making all four of his extra-point attempts. Kyler Murray became the first NFC player to get the best of the Jets for the award, throwing for 380 yards and a touchdown to go along with a score on the ground in Week 5. Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes took home Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in Week 7.

It’s no secret that the Jets are the worst team in football at this point in the season, but the fact that five players in eight weeks have taken advantage of the matchup to perform better than any other player in their conference is staggering, to say the least. Frankly, it perfectly sums up New York’s overall ineptitude in 2020.

The ice-cold Patriots come to town on Monday night, but squaring off against the Jets typically has the same effect as a dose of Robitussin. Considering New York’s recent history against New England, it would come as no surprise if a Patriots player breaks out with a player of the week-caliber performance in Week 9.

0-6 Jets on track for worst point differential ever

The Jets could potentially have the worst point differential ever for an NFL season.

The 2020 Jets could go down as one of the most beatdown teams in the history of the NFL.

Through six games this season, the Jets have a -110 point differential, good for worst in the league. The Jets have been outscored 185-75 by their opponents this year. The next two teams with the worst point differentials aren’t even close to the Jets, either. Jacksonville has a -56 point differential, while Washington’s point differential is -54.

Not even the 2008 Lions (-90) and the 2017 Browns (-63) had a worse point differential through the first six games. Both teams finished 0-16.

If the Jets continue on their current pace for the rest of the season, they will finish with a -293 point differential. That would break the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ all-time worst record of -287, per ProFootballTalk.

It’s safe to say that much of that has to do with Adam Gase’s offense. The defense hasn’t helped the situation, but the Jets are putting up such low point totals that it doesn’t matter what the defense does. New York has only put up 20+ points in one game this season and were the first team to be shut out on Sunday when they lost 24-0 to the Dolphins.

Right now, the Jets own the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, and an 0-16 season doesn’t seem out of the question given the team’s lack of talent and grueling schedule. If Gang Green’s abysmal point differential stays on course, the 2020 Jets could end up being one of the worst teams of all-time.

Jets off to worse start in Adam Gase’s second year than his first

The Adam Gase era is getting worse before it gets better.

The Adam Gase era is getting worse before it gets better.

Gase is off to a worse start in his second year as Jets head coach with an 0-5 record compared to his 1-4 record last season. Not only is the Jets’ record worse this year, but they also haven’t shown any progress in 2020.

In the Jets’ first five games of the season, they’ve lost by at least two possessions in every single game. New York has also lost by double-digits in four of its five losses, including its latest loss against Arizona, 30-10.

It’s a poor reflection on Gase that his team is getting off to these slow starts in back-to-back years. Last year was more understandable given that Sam Darnold was out for three of the first five games with mononucleosis.

This year, though, the Jets don’t have the same excuse. Yes, injuries have hurt them badly, but to look this bad in five games is inexcusable. Gase’s offense is one of the league’s worst in nearly every category, including scoring (31st), total yards per game (32nd) and passing yards per game (32nd).

The Jets defense makes boneheaded mistakes whether it’s penalties, blown assignments or missed tackles almost every single week. They also have fallen off under the helm of Gregg Williams.

Overall, the last year-plus has been a disaster under Gase’s watch. If it doesn’t get any better over these next 11 games, then Gase could find himself on the open market come the end of the season.

Jets first known team to punt twice on 4th & 1 in game’s first 5 minutes

The Jets offense continues to make history, but not in a good way.

The Jets offense continues to make history, but not in a good way.

New York became the first known NFL team to punt twice on 4th and 1 in the first five minutes of a game on Sunday, according to Pro-Football-Reference. Pro-Football-Reference’s database is only complete as far back as 1994.

On the Jets’ first drive of the game against the Cardinals, they were close to getting a first down on a pass to Jamison Crowder. However, he fell about a half-yard short, leading to a punt. On the Jets’ second offensive drive, they needed a yard for the first down, but Jeff Smith dropped an easy ball. Again, it led to another punt.

With Joe Flacco under center for the first time all season, the Jets offense is clearly still not in a rhythm in Week 5.

Jets only NFL team without a lead through 2 games

The Jets are the only team in the NFL to not have a lead in a game this season.

No NFL team can say they’re doing what the Jets are doing offensively through the first two games of the regular season. That’s not a credit to Gang Green, though.

The Jets are the only team in the NFL to not have a lead in a game so far this season, as noted by ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Every other NFL team has had a lead at one point or another, but not Adam Gase’s squad.

That little factoid speaks volumes as to how bad the Jets have been. In the Jets’ first game against the Bills, they quickly fell behind 21-0 and failed to crawl back into the game. They got as close as 10 points, but the final score, 27-17, made the result look better than the performance.

In Week 2 against the 49ers, the Jets only trailed 7-3 after the first quarter. However, it got ugly after that, with the 49ers scoring two second-quarter touchdowns to go up 21-3 at the half. The Jets did score 10 points in the second half, but it was too little too late, as the 49ers throttled the Jets, 31-13.

New York can’t keep putting itself in deep holes to open up games. The Jets simply don’t have a good enough offense to make up points in a hurry. The Jets have averaged 15 points in their first two games, which is 31st in the NFL.

The Jets have to get off to faster starts in Sunday’s contest against the Colts. They may not win the game in the end, but at least they can say they had a lead at some point in a game if they begin the game by getting some quick points on the board.