New York Jets: Adam Gase needs to open things up on offense in Week 5

The New York Jets have struggled to move the ball of offense so far this year and much of that is the fault of head coach Adam Gase’s uninventive play-calling.

I do not know what has been more frustrating this year as a New York Jets fan, the injury plague or the lackadaisical play-calling. Yes, Luke Falk is not experienced, nor is he familiar enough with the offense to run the full game script.

However, this is no excuse for critically acclaimed ‘offensive mastermind’ Adam Gase to show us the same product we have been watching for years.

The numbers are misleading, as the Jets are throwing on roughly 60% of their plays this year. That would make it appear that they are being more aggressive than years past, but that is not the case.

Many of these throws are behind the line of scrimmage, without giving the receiver a chance to get any yards after the catch.

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By not attempting to push the ball down the field, teams have been able to key in on the run game on early downs. This has had the Jets playing behind the chains all year.

It seems as though every drive starts at 3rd-and-10 and the anemic play-calling has led to a league-worst third-down conversion rate at this point in the season.

Many things have to go right for the Jets to get a win on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Gase can make life easier for his team if he brings some creativity to the offense in Week 5.

The Jets have averaged a league-worst 16 yards per drive this year, which is largely attributed to putting themselves in consistent second/third-and-long situations.

The Jets need to open up the playbook on first down and get away from the conservative play-calling. The offensive line has been playing poorly, which has triggered Adam Gase to make some changes.

Despite the changes, they will need to compensate with some play-action or quick slant routes to keep the defense off-balance on first down. It doesn’t matter who is blocking, if the defense knows you need 10 yards on third down, it is a lot easier to get after the quarterback.

The Jets should also look to get Jamison Crowder more involved again. He had 14 catches in the opener, however, he has only had six catches since. Gase should try to get him going on early downs to bring some life back into this offense.

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If the Jets can create some kind of momentum on offense, it will make life a little easier for the defense. They have been getting stops, averaging in the top half of the league in third-down percentage against.

The problem has been what they have done once they get the ball back. When you cannot move the ball on offense, the defense will eventually break.

The Jets have the worst average starting field position in the league. On the flip side, their defense has the third worst. This is due to the offense’s lack of production.

You cannot expect the defense to bail you out all game. At some point, the Jets need to start taking some chances on offense. A plus-four turnover differential is great, but if every drive ends in a punt, what is the difference?

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If there is any week to push the envelope, it is now against a struggling Eagles secondary. Without Ronald Darby and Avonte Maddox this week, the Jets should look to attack through the air all game. Falk should be given the green light to throw the ball downfield and test the Eagles corners.

We all know the Eagles will score their points, after putting up 34 points against the Green Packers staunch defense, in Lambeau. The Jets cannot afford to start slow on offense.

The Jets have not scored an opening-drive touchdown since October 17th, 2017 against the Atlanta Falcons. Gang Green needs to break this streak Sunday if they want any chance of a competitive game in Philadelphia.

Adam Gase has his work cut out for him Sunday with an undermanned team and a backup quarterback. It cannot be expected that the Jets go in and get a win, but is it too much to ask for some signs of life on offense?

Especially after a bye week, there is no excuse for the Jets to look as unprepared as they have in their previous three games. If things don’t start changing soon, expect the frustrated Jets fan base to continue losing faith in Gase.