New York Jets New Offensive Play-Caller Should Have One Major Goal in Mind

Todd Downing will be looking to accomplish this feat as the New York Jets play caller.

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing jogs off the field after their 35 to 10 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, in Philadelphia, Pa. Nfl Tennessee Titans At Philadelphia Eagles / George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich is going to have his hands full trying to turn things around on the offensive side of the ball.

There are a lot of issues to iron out, with the running game being near the top of the list.

Figuring out a way to get Breece Hall and Braelon Allen going, especially early in games, is imperative to this group getting on track.

It would also take pressure off of Aaron Rodgers and the passing attack. Too often in their last two games, losses to the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings, the opposing defense was able to ignore the rushing attack.

That led to them pinning their ears back and rushing the future Hall of Famer aggressively, getting home way too often.

Setting the tone early in the game on the ground is exactly what a defensive-minded team such as the Jets should be looking to do.

That responsibility will now fall upon Todd Downing. The passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach will now be adding an offensive play-caller to his tasks on game day.

Ulbrich stripped offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett of play-calling duties, as one of his first moves as interim head coach.

There will be pressure on Downing to get his offensive stars in Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson on track. Another thing he will be looking to do is avoid the slow-as-molasses starts the team was prone to under fired head coach Robert Saleh.

As NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN detailed, faster starts is something the team hopes their new play caller can provide.

“Expect the Jets' offense under new playcaller Todd Downing to attempt to start faster. The Jets have been one of the worst first-quarter scoring offenses in the league since 2023, averaging less than three points per game in the first quarter. Also watch for the Jets to get plays in quicker and be more efficient on first downs, possibly with increased play-action.”

Starts of that caliber are disastrous for the entire team. Too much pressure is then put on the defense to play perfectly because they know if there is a slip-up, the team is unlikely to come away with a victory.

It will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments Downing makes to the game plan to achieve that. As Fowler noted, playing with more pace is a good place to start. Not getting behind the sticks on early downs is also imperative.

Will New York be able to achieve that? 

They will certainly be put to the test early.

In Week 6 on Monday Night Football, they host their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills, before heading on the road to face the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers defense for Sunday Night Football.