Jets need to focus on being a run-oriented team

The New York Jets have found a winning recipe when it comes to finally fixing their offensive woes. It’s time they focused on being a run-oriented team and push the envelope towards a playoff run.

When it comes to the New York Jets, it’s all about consistency. Before entering their Thursday Night Football Week 9 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, they lost their last three games. Their offense left much to the imagination because it was a bit too predictable and as always, a late 4th quarter meltdown sealed their fate due to an interception and a dependency on airing it out.

The truth of the matter is, while quarterback Josh McCown has done a solid job so far this season with the Jets, offensive coordinator John Morton shouldn’t depend on him to deliver in key moments of a football game.

Last week in their huge win over the Bills, the Jets finally listened to not only common sense but also to the frustrations of their running backs. Matt Forte held nothing back before entering this past week’s game against the Bills that it just doesn’t make football sense to not give three solid running backs more opportunities to do what they do best.

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Luckily, Morton listened and against the Bills, Forte, Bilal Powell, and Elijah McGuire totaled 194 rushing yards, 41 carries, and two touchdowns. The Jets have a three-headed beast at running back as it’s time they focused on turning into a run-oriented team that runs first and runs often against opponents.

Not only would that open up the passing game for the Jets but it could be what charges this team straight to making an appearance in the NFL Playoffs. Yes, I know these are the Jets who tend to be inconsistent and make bone-headed mistakes but what I’ve seen over the past few weeks is a young group of players that compete and are hungry to win.

I also see three running backs that each brings a different dimension on offense and have what it takes to rack up a plethora of yards on a weekly basis. All it takes is for Morton to truly embrace this run-first philosophy and use it as a weapon to not only win more football games but push the envelope in a season everyone wrote the Jets off to do much of nothing.

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The Jets need to consistently run the football more than passing it and do a running back by committee approach in the backfield. Have Forte lead the charge, use Powell as relief and especially on receiving plays, and give McGuire more opportunities to make an impact. McGuire is a rookie but has shown glimpses of being something special. The Jets have more than enough talent at running back as they need to use them more and above all else, use them consistently if they want to continue overachieving in 2017.