Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into the season opener, the New York Jets have more questions than answers on offense. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith will get his first start, but no one in their right mind thinks he is going to be the next Andrew Luck and consistently lead this team to victory. Smith needs time, and if the Jets are smart, they won’t ask him to be more than a game manager.
A cautious passing game is not going to win many games, so the Jets must have a very successful rushing game. They have the pieces in place to accomplish this, but it never really materialized in preseason. Chris Ivory is going to be the workhorse back, and the Jets have high hopes for him. Ivory didn’t get much work with the New Orleans Saints in the first three years of his career, but he was very effective when he did get on the field, averaging 5.1 YPC.
Up front, the Jets signed road-grading guard Willie Colon in free agency, and he and Austin Howard form a monstrous right side of the line. The Jets will run behind them very frequently, and a power back like Ivory should love following those two lead blockers. The Jets need to be successful on first down in particular, as that will keep Smith out of dreaded third and long situations.
The Jets’ Week 1 opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, actually led the league in rushing defense last year. Don’t let that fool you. First of all, they faced 130 less carries than any other team. Secondly, they ranked dead last in pass defense. It’s not that opponents couldn’t run on Tampa Bay — it’s that they didn’t need to.
That being said, the Bucs are no pushovers, and their run defense is still good — just not quite as good as last season’s numbers might indicate. However, the Jets have a very good offensive line that has something to prove after facing quite a bit of criticism last season. They will be able to open up running lanes for Ivory, Bilal Powell and Alex Green.
A strong running game is absolutely essential if the Jets want to win. It will take the pressure off of Smith and force the Bucs to use single coverage against the Jets’ receivers. Plus, play action is a rookie quarterback’s best friend because it delays the pass rush. Marty Mornhinweg is a pass-first coordinator, but he needs to base the offense on the run on Sunday.
If the Jets can establish a strong ground game, they have a very good chance controlling the clock and winning the game. Taking the pressure off Smith is a huge priority, and a consistently effective run game is the best way to do that.
Greg Sulik is a New York Jets writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @GregSulik or add him to your network on Google
