Pre-snap motion is foundational for the best offenses in the modern NFL.
It allows teams to put their players in the best positions possible. It allows quarterbacks to diagnose coverages and execute at a high level. It allows offenses to put up more points and have more consistent drives, utilizing leverage to beat defenses.
For most of training camp, the New York Jets seemed to understand that fact.
The offense had plenty of motion and creativity with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. Receivers, such as Garrett Wilson, were getting free releases and being used in the proper way. As a result, Wilson thrived and dominated his competition.
Running back Breece Hall was being used similarly, being motioned out from the backfield to utilize his upper-level receiving ability.
New York looked primed to join the modern NFL. However, the motion disappeared in the regular season. Under Nathaniel Hackett, the Jets were back to being an archaic offense. The offense was stagnant, stale, and struggled to put up points.
Things have started to shift in the past few weeks, though. With new play-caller Todd Downing at the helm, the Jets’ offense has started to bring back the motion. To no one’s surprise, the unit is seeing more success and is operating much smoother.
How did the Jets get here? Why did they shift away from pre-snap motion under Hackett? And what have been the results of Downing bringing it back?
Follow along as we document the journey of the Jets’ offense and motion so far in the 2024 season.
Motion Status: Preseason
After a disastrous 2023 season, the New York Jets’ coaching staff promised changes on offense.
Head coach Robert Saleh said he would “evaluate” the offense and make the necessary adjustments. Hackett acknowledged his issues and spoke about evaluating his process ahead of the 2024 season.
Throughout OTAs and training camp, the coaches looked to be following through on their words. Led by a healthy Aaron Rodgers, the Jets were using a much healthier amount of offensive creativity. This included scheming up plays for specific players and even some trick plays.
Most of all, though, the Jets started to use a larger amount of motion before the play. This specifically helped Wilson; instead of being static, the former Ohio State Buckeye was getting free releases to attack defenses.
As a result, he tore through opposing defenses in joint practices. Whether it was D.J. Reed, Sauce Gardner, or opposing teams in joint practices, Wilson looked ready to leap into superstardom.
This expanded beyond just Wilson, though. Hall was being shifted all around the formation, serving as a chess piece for the offense and even sometimes as a decoy to open things up for other plays.
The most effective usage of Hall was when he was motioned out of the backfield to be a wideout. Using a few motion variations, such as cheat motion, Hall was getting free releases to do damage in the passing game.
It seemed that the Jets’ offense was ready to take a leap in 2024. However, things did not start in a positive manner by any means for New York.
Motion Status: Hackett (Regular Season)
Once the regular season hit, the motion suddenly evaporated into thin air.
In the blink of an eye, the Jets’ offense reverted back to the groggy and static 2023 version. Little to no motion was being used; according to Next-Gen Stats, New York used motion on 46.5% of plays through the first five weeks of the season, which was the second-lowest rate in the league.
This led to a variety of negative outcomes for the Jets.
First, the team struggled to deal with pressure whenever Rodgers was not getting the ball out quickly. This was most evident over the two losses preceding Saleh’s firing from Weeks 4-5. When he did not release the ball in under 2.5 seconds, Rodgers was pressured on 50% of his dropbacks and sacked eight times. The constant pressure resulted in Rodgers completing just 55% of his passes over the two games.
As a result of Rodgers being pressured so heavily and struggling under pressure, teams could sell out for the run. Before the matchup against Minnesota, Hall had -17 yards before contact (second-worst in the NFL) and was being hit before the line of scrimmage on 58.9% of his carries.
Wilson was also struggling. Before the Vikings game, Wilson was averaging career lows in receiving yards per game (58.4) and yards per target (5.1).
It is no surprise that the overall unit was having issues in the early part of the season. Rodgers was being counted on to handle everything, whether it was the protection up front or changing the specific routes of the receivers.
Defenses were catching onto the scheme, though. They knew how to attack the different signals and the specific style Rodgers plays with. And without frequent usage of pre-snap motion, there was no way for Rodgers to punch back.
From a surface-level viewpoint, one could and should wonder what changed with the Jets’ offense. A little deeper digging, though, shows that the offense’s structure was by design.
What Happened? How did it fall off?
In his ideal offense, Aaron Rodgers is the supreme commander.
The quarterback wants to have autonomy to change anything he sees fit at the line of scrimmage. If he needs to shift protections, Rodgers wants to be able to do so. If he wants to send a receiver on a fade or slant route, he wants the ability to do that.
Through his football knowledge, it is not a stretch to assume that Rodgers thinks he can outsmart defenses. And as a result, he wants a clear picture to assess his opponents.
Rodgers spoke about this in a 2016 interview with Bill Simmons. In the interview, he discussed why he loves the Peyton Manning offense so much.
“The thing I loved about Peyton for years, especially in Indy, was that they would stay in 2-by-2 sets in any personnel group. Marvin (Harrison) would play one side, and Reggie (Wayne) would play the other. They would have the two tight ends or a third receiver in the slot and would be able to run their entire offense out of that,” said Rodgers.
“They would not have motion or try to dilute it down with being an offensive guru trying to make incredible plays. Out offense in 2-by-2 is going to be better than what you can do, and we will go to tempo so you cannot match it. Something that I’ve always tried to get in the decision makers in Green Bay, it’s often the simplest stuff that works best.”
When thinking about the Jets’ offense to start 2024, this adds up.
Rodgers has a documented history of not being a fan of heavy motion usage in his offenses. Through having a static system, the future Hall-of-Famer could beat opponents with simplicity and by just executing better than them.
Additionally, it would make sense why Rodgers treasures Hackett: they share an offensive philosophy. Hackett, during his play-calling tenure in New York, chose to stay away from motion. He relied on simple concepts and trusted that his scheme would be executed at a higher level than the defense’s.
This philosophy worked when Rodgers was in his prime. Rodgers, through his brain and athletic ability, was at the cutting edge of NFL offense. Defenses had not cracked the code on his system, meaning that it would work every year.
However, that is not the case anymore. Defense has evolved to defend modern offenses and thrive on causing confusion for quarterbacks. The rules may be less inclined to help defense, but the talent and coaching have improved.
Specifically to Rodgers, the NFL thrives at stopping static offenses. No motion means that they can consistently disguise their looks and mix up how they attack his scheme on a down-to-down basis. And with Rodgers’ propensity to work the play clock to its wit’s end, late pressure or perfectly disguised looks have the chance to cause big plays or turnovers for the defense.
After the loss to the Vikings and the demotion of Hackett, Rodgers was in a tough spot. He would either have to adjust to modern NFL life, or risk being left behind in the dust.
Motion Status: Downing (Regular Season)
After the abject disaster that was Nathaniel Hackett’s tenure as offensive play-caller, Todd Downing assumed play-calling duties ahead of the team’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills. And almost immediately, things started to turn in a positive direction.
Against Buffalo, the Jets used motion on a season-high 72.9% of their plays. It resulted in the Jets gaining 7.7 yards per play while using motion, their highest mark of the entire season.
The results were almost immediate for the offense. Hall had one of his best games of the season, running for 113 yards on 18 attempts. With a heavier emphasis on motion and creating space, Hall was able to find much more success.
Wilson was also a recipient of this change in offensive philosophy. Being used in motion out of the backfield and at receiver, Wilson had a very efficient game of 107 yards on 8 catches.
While not perfect, the functionality of the offense felt like night and day. New York did not have to struggle for yards. Their operation felt smooth and effective; the star players were stars, and Rodgers felt much closer to his usual self.
There seems to be some pushback from Rodgers at times. In the games against the Patriots and Steelers, the offense shifted back toward what Rodgers has historically enjoyed. There was limited motion, lots of quick passes, and plenty of issues with the play clock, mainly due to Rodgers trying to see the whole picture.
It is no coincidence, then, that the Jets struggled offensively in both of those games. The team has not done well when trying to fit into the old Rodgers ideology; instead, they have thrived when combining Rodgers’s gifts with modern-day NFL concepts.
The Jets returned to the well with a bit more motion against the Texans (60% rate). Combined with a more aggressive offensive game plan, Rodgers and the offense found plenty of success against Houston. He had two deep downfield touchdown passes to Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson and looked the best he has since Week 3.
It is evident what is working for the Jets offense and what is not. The actual battle, though, will be if New York can stick with what works.
Motion Status: Rest of the season
Offensive success for the Jets goes well beyond just motion. In a tweet, Jets X-Factor’s own Michael Nania showed some stats that exemplify why Todd Downing has been a much better option for the Jets than Nathaniel Hackett.
The Jets are using more three-wideout sets, are not relying on a weak tight end room, and are using more motion. They are getting their best players into space and getting them consistent touches. Even if the play-calling is not the best in the league, getting to an average level could be massive for the Jets.
The question will be the battle between Rodgers’ style and the modern elements Downing is employing. If the two can acquiesce for the remainder of the season, New York is in a great position to have a good offense. If Rodgers tries to overrule his play-caller, though, the offense could spiral once more.
New York has had a strange journey with offensive motion and innovation in 2024. How it unfolds the rest of the season will likely dictate how the Jets’ offense performs.
