NFL teams will never reveal their full schematic plans until the ball is kicked off in Week 1.
As outsiders, the best we can do is make educated guesses. Whether it’s the past histories of the coaching staff, the common trends of the team’s offseason moves, or subtle clues revealed in training camp and the preseason, we can read between the lines to estimate how a team wants to operate.
With the New York Jets nearly a full week into training camp, we are starting to get some interesting hints on both sides of the ball. Will McDonald’s role change headlines the potential defensive changes, but on Monday, we received some fascinating intel about the offense.
While speaking to the media, running back Braelon Allen provided insight on the Jets’ run scheme, which is led by first-year offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand.
Asked whether he feels the Jets will run more power concepts than zone this year, Allen responded, “Our scheme is based around wide zone. So, I don’t know if we’ll run more power, but we’ve done a little bit of it.”
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with the Detroit Lions’ offense, where Engstrand cut his teeth under Ben Johnson over the past four seasons.
In 2024, Detroit ran outside zone at one of the highest rates in the NFL. Their run scheme actually operated very similarly to the Jets’ run scheme in terms of how often each team utilized various concepts.
Seen below is a comparison of the concepts used by the Jets’ top three running backs and the Lions’ primary running back duo.
Both teams used outside zone significantly more often than the league average. Still, it was only around two-fifths of the time for each team. They mixed in plenty of inside zone, although slightly less than the league average. A decent chunk of man/duo was present. Power and counter concepts were rare, but occasionally used as changeups.
Overall, the Jets ran outside or inside zone on 70.2% of their RB carries, while the Lions did it on 74.1%. This means that, most likely, zone is still going to be the bread and butter of the Jets’ run game, just like it was under Nathaniel Hackett over the last two years.
Scheme-wise, Jets fans should not expect the team’s run game to look much different. But that does not mean the run game will be the same. The differences will lie in three other areas: volume, execution, and the quarterback.
With the switch from Aaron Rodgers to Justin Fields, along with a cultural shift that emphasizes physicality and toughness, the Jets will run the ball far more often in 2025. After recording an NFL-low 21.4 rush attempts per game in 2024, they should be expected to compete for the No. 1 spot in 2025, as long as they stay close enough in games to continue running the ball.
The switch from Rodgers to Fields also means that the Jets will implement a bevy of QB rushing concepts that were nowhere to be found in last year’s playbook. These concepts were also non-existent in Detroit’s playbook, as Lions quarterback Jared Goff is a non-threat with his legs.
So, this will not exactly be a carbon copy of Detroit’s run game, even if the base concepts for the traditional RB carries are similar. It projects to be a healthy mix of Detroit’s base run concepts and the new collection of plays that come with Fields. For Engstrand, blending these two elements is an opportunity to establish a completely unique identity that NFL teams aren’t ready to defend.
Lastly, the Jets hope that the execution of this run scheme can obliterate the execution of last year’s New York team. With a new coaching staff, a new right tackle, improved blocking at the skill positions, and a new quarterback, they hope to get better results out of the same concepts that Hackett called.
Most teams in the NFL are calling the same run plays. The results come down to how well the coaching staff prepares their players to execute. Hackett and offensive line coach Keith Carter could not get that done. Regardless of whether it’s wide zone, inside zone, duo, or counter, the goal is for Engstrand and offensive line coach Steve Heiden to put their players in better positions to succeed.
Expect the Jets’ run game to look much different this year – perhaps just not in the way that some are envisioning it. The idea that New York will be a “power” run team is a misconception. It is an easy conclusion to draw because of the Jets’ newfound physical identity under Glenn, but all signs point to New York remaining a zone-based offense in 2025.
Just a vastly better one.
