Inside the Mornhinweg Playbook: Geno Smith to Kerley for 22: Week 16

Dec 29, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Jets wide receiver

(11) during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Only two more weeks to go in our series, taking a look at Marty Morhinweg’s offense, as we are up to week 16 against the Cleveland Browns.

For anyone who has missed the series, we have been taking a look inside Marty Mornhinweg and his offense. We have been looking at one positive play per week, and seeing how it worked. What made the play so effective? Was it execution? Was it brilliant design by Mornhinweg? We take a look at all of that.

This morning’s play is from the second quarter of the game against the Browns. Here is the setup:

Geno Smith is in the shotgun, one back to his right, two receivers right, one to the left. Jeremy Kerley is in the slot to the right, circled in green. He is going to run his man down the field. This is when a perfect read is made by both Geno Smith and Jeremy Kerley.

The two defensive backs circled in black cheat to the outside, leaving the middle wide open. Take a look.

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Playing offense doesn’t just involve the design of Marty Mornhinweg’s plays. It also involved the quarterback and receiver being able to read the defense accurately, and together. Do you see the two defensive backs that have been circled? Notice how their backs are turned away from the middle of the field. Both Geno and Kerley read this as the middle being open. Geno is ready to throw that way, and that is where Kerley makes his break towards.

Kerley cuts to the middle of the field, the deep defensive backs that were cheating the wrong way react, but it is too late.

Kerley makes the catch.

22 yards later, it’s first down for the New York Jets.

So, an excellent design by Marty Mornhinweg, combined by excellent execution by Geno and Kerley make for a play that we need to see more often.