New York Jets Struggle to Make Big Plays: Opposing Defenses Are Saying 'Our Dudes Are Going to Cover Yours'

The New York Jets are bottom of the NFL in a new offensive analytic.

It isn’t a big surprise that the winless New York Jets would be at the bottom of an offensive category. But the depth to their inability to generate plays on offense is nonetheless staggering.

Consider some of the numbers for the Jets so far this year. They are second-worst in the NFL with 99 first downs. They are bottom with a 30.2 percent third down conversion percentage. And they are third-worst in total offense, averaging just 276.7 yards per game.

So to hear that the Jets are in the basement for a new analytic isn’t a shock.

‘The 33rd Team’ has a new analytic that aptly sums up the Jets season on offense so far. Entitled ‘Big Play Differential vs. Wins,’ the Jets are easily the worst team in the league.

Now perhaps, even after their worst offensive performance of the season (13 first downs, 263 yards of total offense in being shutout at the Miami Dolphins), there is reason for optimism.

Several injured players are returning for the Jets at badly needed skill positions. Two weeks ago, wide receiver Jamison Crowder (hamstring) made a return. Last week, it was the fast Breshad Perriman (ankle) and this week, it could be rookie wide receiver Denzel Mims (hamstring).

So quarterback Sam Darnold could finally be getting some players on the field with speed and the ability to make and break plays.

It is a major reason why head coach Adam Gase said teams are coming at the Jets with man-to-man coverage. He alluded to last Sunday’s shutout loss, the first of the year, to make his point.

“Create explosive plays, like catch the ball. When we throw a go route, complete it, things like that,” Gase said on Thursday in a virtual press conference.

“When we run crossing routes and you’re running away from a guy, do the technique right and now you get a 40-50-yard gain. You’ve got to run them out of it. You’ve got to create plays. I mean they’re daring you to win one-on-one matchups, and until you do that, you’re going to see it. Arizona, we saw 69 snaps, we had 60 snaps with the middle of the field closed. We’ve got to prove that we can win on the outside. They’re basically daring us to do it, and Miami, the same thing. We saw cover one and zero. It wasn’t hard, they basically were like, ‘Our dudes are going to cover yours’.”