Jets are once again repeating past mistakes with Josh McCown
By Michael Pallas
Life is filled with people who just don’t learn lessons from past mistakes, and the New York Jets repeated a mistake when they chose Josh McCown over one of their two younger quarterbacks.
Unfortunately for the New York Jets, they made their bed with Josh McCown, and now they have to lie in it. It’s too early in the season to make a switch to one of the young guys. Although, you can make the case that the Houston Texans made the switch early in their game, and the Jets could’ve done the same in Buffalo, but that’s too much hindsight.
There was chatter all over social media during the game and even post game for the Jets to be less reluctant to throw the ball down the field. Some were questioning the play calling of new offensive coordinator John Morton.
The problem wasn’t his play calling. The problem was his quarterback. Similarly to 2016, the Jets don’t have a starting quarterback (at the moment) who can challenge opposing defenses down the field. McCown has limited arm strength, and that’s a huge problem.
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Teams can stack the box when a quarterback has limited arm strength. The problem is that affects all of the offense and not just the running game. When teams stack the box, it slows the running game down for sure, but it also hurts the short and intermediate passing game.
Stacking the box takes away the middle of the field in the passing game. Additionally, despite creating a lot of one-on-one opportunities, it also takes away run after the catch opportunities for smaller receivers because cornerbacks and linebackers are now bunched together and can team tackle more often.
This is not a good way to develop your young receivers. It’s not about McCown’s knowledge of the system or the West Coast offense. It’s simply his inability to make all the throws necessary to win football games.
Opposing teams will continue to attack the Jets in the same fashion defensively until they change their mindset. Even Joe Montana threw the football deep.