Running Game And Talented Receivers Key To Jets Offensive Improvement This Season
By Steve Silverman
While the advancement of Sam Darnold is the primary goal for this season, that is going to take time. If he is ready to take the reins by midseason, that would be a major success for head coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.
But, if the Jets are going to have any chance of contending for a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2010, they are going to have to show major improvement in all areas.
Let's start with the offense, where the Jets appear to have some decent weapons that will be able to support Josh McCown at quarterback in the first part of the season.
The Jets don't have stars in the running game but the trio of Bilal Powell, former Cleveland Brown Isaiah Crowell and Elijah McGuire should make for a solid attack. Powell, a workmanlike back, is coming off the best season in his career with 772 yards and five touchdowns. He's not going to run through the defense, but he can run over tacklers once he gains momentum and his toughness is a given.
Crowell is another durable back who does have breakaway speed. He has gained 1,802 yards in the last two seasons, and even though he took a ton of abuse with the Browns, he did not miss any games in his four years in Cleveland.
McGuire is a decent target out of the backfield and McCown should be able to make good use of him on third-down plays. McGuire rushed for 315 yards and averaged 3.6 yards per carry, and while his total of 17 receptions for 177 yards is not overly impressive, Bates is expecting more from him this season.
The Jets need their receiving crew to show quite a bit of improvement, and the talent level is there with Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse and Quincy Enunwa.
Anderson had three 100-yard receiving games last year and finished the year with 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns. Had McCown not suffered a broken left hand late in the season, Anderson likely would have blown by the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
Kearse is a thoroughly professional receiver who can set the tone for the offense with his toughness. He is an outstanding route runner and he has the hands to make difficult catches in traffic. Enunwa is a major question mark because he is coming off a neck injury that kept him from playing last season. But, he showed what he could do in 2016 when he piled up 58 catches for 857 yards and four touchdowns.
The X-factor is wideout Terrelle Pryor. He certainly looks the part at 6-4 and 228 pounds while running a 4.4 40. However, the Jets are his fourth team since entering the league in 2012, and he has a way of wearing out his welcome. If Pryor can get off to a good start, he could turn into a fine asset for the 2018 season, but there are plenty of questions about his ability to fit in.
The overall key to the offense is the offensive line and the Jets upgraded in the middle of that unit by signing former Redskin Spencer Long. Left tackle Kelvin Beachum should also be an asset, but the rest of the line has to show significant improvement over its performance in 2017. If not, the Jets' skill position players are going to be fighting a losing battle most weeks.
Rick Dennison has the title of offensive line coach and running game coordinator, and the thrust of this offense will be getting the ground game going consistently. This will take pressure off of McCown in the first part of the season and Darnold when he gets his chance to play.
If the Jets can control the clock, run the ball and avoid major mistakes that give opponents solid field position, they will have a workable philosophy that just may lead to a few surprises this season.
No arguing with that philosophy here. The main thrust is to develop Darnold into a position where he can take over as the team's starter. They need him to be a long-term success, and that means supporting him in every way possible, especially with the running game.
So is a defense that holds up its end and creates turnovers on a regular basis.
We will look at the defense in our next column.
