Jets need to keep it simple in the red zone

The New York Jets launched a potent offensive attack in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills but got a bit too cocky in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Make no mistake about it, the New York Jets deserved to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. One of their main reasons they lost is due to their eight total team turnovers against the Chiefs. When they were still in this game to put up some points on the board, especially in the red zone, they failed to deliver.

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In the grand scheme of things, the Jets’ red zone offense was a bit too cocky by trying to jam passes in for a touchdown. What happened to their potent ground game just a week ago? The Jets have both Matt Forte and Bilal Powell in their backfield, why not try to pound it in for a touchdown?

The truth of the matter is, the Jets need to scale back and keep things brutally simple in their red zone offensive packages. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey called one of the worst games of his career against the Chiefs and quite honestly, it was pretty terrible.

The Jets are built to be a ground-and-pound offensive team capable of keeping those chains moving thanks to their ground game. They’re not built to be a team that has a journeyman quarterback throw 44 times with hopes of scoring. Committing to the run helps with the time of possession battle and also keeps defenders guessing what is coming next if they’re able to stick with it.

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Play-action plays work well with this offense but again, if you’re 1st and goal in a position to score, it’s best to keep it simple.

The Jets have two talented running backs on their roster that can easily rush it in for a touchdown in those key situations.

There is no reason to try and get all fancy by trying to fool defenses by passing. Fade routes or trying to throw a pass in the middle will be batted down or intercepted easily.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t have the arm strength nor accuracy to win football games this way.

But the Jets again, have a solid offensive line that has been surprising as of late. One of which that can easily establish running lanes and gaps to pound it in when they get into the red zone.

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Overall, the Jets have a Week 4 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks at home in MetLife Stadium. Hopefully, they revise their offensive game plan and try to stick to what has worked in the past. Gailey should stick to emphasizing running the football when they finally do get some red zone opportunities. Just ask the Seahawks how they feel about passing it when they’re just a few yards from a touchdown.