After an impressive showing in Week 1, it felt like the New York Jets offense was set to shock the league with their run-first philosophy. The development of starting quarterback Justin Fields was just another part of that.
Since that loss, though, the Jets’ offense has been grounded. In each of their last two games, New York failed to score a touchdown until the final quarter.
As the unit seeks answers, head coach Aaron Glenn made it clear on Thursday that he believes one small detail could alter the entire complexion of the offense moving forward.
New York’s offense going back to basics
It hasn’t mattered who has been at quarterback. The Jets offense has struggled to do the two things that many expected wouldn’t be an issue going into 2025: running the ball and protecting the quarterback.
After a strong debut, New York’s offensive line struggled mightily against the Buccaneers last week and was even worse a week prior against the Bills. As a team, the Jets posted a solid pass-blocking grade of 70.5 in Week 1, per Pro Football Focus, but over their last two games, that average has dipped to 53.5.
The struggles of the offensive line have also affected New York’s rushing attack.
Expected to be the calling card of the offensive unit, Jets running backs have averaged just 3.37 yards per carry in the last two games combined. While the total rushing yards have been relatively mediocre to this point, the numbers have been aided by the mobility of quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Thursday’s practice, Glenn emphasized a simple, clear goal to solve New York’s recent offensive rough patch.
“We have to start fast, and another thing that we talked about today, man, we have
to have a high level of execution, and that’s in all three phases: offense, defense, and special teams,” Glenn said. “We have to run the ball better. I know we were going against three really good teams, the past teams that we’ve played, but that doesn’t matter to me.
“I have an expectation of this team on how we operate, and I’m not going to stand down from that, our guys won’t stand down from that, and they know for a fact that we have to improve in those areas,” he continued.
On opening day, the Jets’ offense scored on its first four possessions of the game. By starting fast, they were able to get into a rhythm, both throwing and running the ball down an elite defense’s throat.
Over the last two games, New York has scored just nine points before the final frame. The Jets are not explosive enough offensively to pick themselves up after a rough first half and then magically come back in games.
As the Jets still search for their first win of the season, starting fast is the blueprint for offensive success.