That's easier said than done. Defenses facing a rookie QB want him to throw. It's the "if you're going to beat us, you're going to have to do it by throwing, so let's see what you got" defensive strategy. The way you force (any, not just rookie) QB to throw is by concentrating on stopping the run. Play action is not going to work very well if you're constantly in 3rd and long yardage. This is one reason why MC is having a hard time getting yards. Jets also miss Becton who along with Elflein (don't know why the Jets let him walk) turned out to be a very good run blocking pair toward the end of last season.
He’s not getting too much heat, I said it from game one, Lafleur was just a passing game coordinator and his friend gave him the OC job. He has no experience in either developing a potential franchise QB or scheming against top defensive coordinators in the NFL. He is running the scheme like he has Aaron Rodgers as his QB. He is literally doing everything the opposite of what needs to be done to develop Wilson. A seasoned OC or offensive minded HC would know how to do both. The only thing we will see from this offense are peaks and valleys. Hopefully they become less as season goes on.
Why though? It makes sense to be upset about the history of the team, but to take it out on a guy who has nothing to do with that is ridiculous. I see this as common excuse on the board, "we've been suffering for "xx" years and we're tired of it!" So what, firing people before they even get a real chance to develop is the solution to the constant suffering? I think people forget that, LaFleur, like mostly everyone else on the team is a rookie, and has been playcalling as an OC for 5 weeks. It's ridiculous to think that because someone hasn't lived up to your expectations in a short period of time, that taking out xx years of frustration on them is reasonable. The only person involved with this team that people should be pointing a finger at and blaming them for long periods of misery is Woody Johnson, as he is the only one with enough tenure to justify blaming for such long periods of poor performances.
I disagree. The reason Wilson was drafted was for his ability to make "off-platform" throws. If the Jets didn't want that, they should have drafted Mac Jones. To say he can't be successful doing that ignores the fact that other QBs in the league have been successful notably Mahomes, Jackson, R. Wilson and Watson before he got suspended. It might be noted that those QBs went to veteran teams unlike our Wilson where the whole cast is new. Wilson like all QBs drafted high by weak teams is going through a learning process. He may turn into a bust, I will concede that, but if he makes it, and I think he will, he will be the most exciting Jets player since Namath.
There are numerous studies around this - running the ball effectively has very little bearing on how effective play action is. The ball fake itself is what makes PA effective, not how worried the defense is about how effective the potential run will be.
We don’t have the power to fire anyone, but do have the power to extend or withhold our patience. I choose to remain patient but don’t begrudge those who are not (wait for it)…given our history. Hence, why I said we’ve earned that right.
LaFleur is in over his head. Not qualified or ready for this job. Essentially you want to ruin another rookie QB, so a coordinator can learn on the job. he is not responsible for 10 years of losing records but he is responsible for the developing the teams most vital asset (Wilson) and he is not getting it done
Is this really necessary? I think Brad is being a bit overly doom and gloom but the points he raises about Wilson's struggles so far are valid. Does that mean Wilson shouldn't or won't be the starter next year? No. But he isn't playing well right now for many of the reasons Brad listed.
There are a lot of reasons our offense hasn't been good this year. Sometimes they've all happened in the same game and sometimes a few factors have been exceedingly bad. We've had games with extremely poor pass protection, in which almost no QB would be effective. We've had games with good pass protection but where Wilson can't seem to complete anything shorter than 10 yards. We've had games with good pass protection and decent QB play where our WR's couldn't catch a cold. We've consistently had unimaginative playcalling that puts our rookie QB in way too many 3rd and long scenarios. Those are probably the main reasons our offense has been so bad this year. Needing a good run game to set up PA is largely a myth, though.
Agreed. A rookie getting fooled by exotic coverages, holding on to the ball, forcing throws…etc. are the normal rookie QB stuff. However, inaccuracy, ball placement issues, looseness with the ball…etc. are the stuff that are worthy of concern or monitoring at the least. Then again I’m a Zach hater so take it for what you will. EDIT: The concerning stuff coincidentally is also the kind we tried to sweep under the rug as it related to Sam.