Question Three: The Great Schottenheimer Debate
If anything, last night’s loss presented more questions than answers about this team. Today we’ll be writing up a number of them, one post at a time …
Personally, I’m agnostic about Schottenheimer. He is brilliant and terrible, all rolled into one man. Like Vizzini, his brilliance is both a blessing and a curse. Arguably, outthinking himself, maybe even more than his competition at times.
Does the team need to fire the Offensive Coordinator? Since 2007, there have been calls for his head, and as far as I can tell, the shouts have only become louder over the past two years. Trying to be objective, Jets fans love to call for the head of the offensive coordinator. It’s like in our DNA or something.
With that in mind, here’s what I will say: If the Jets are going to change the scheme, do it this year or don’t do it at all and once switched, stick with it. A new playbook for 2010 will only set Sanchez’s development back, in most cases.
The Jets need to find a good and stable Offensive Coordinator for Sanchez’s sake for the next 5+ years. If that’s Schotty, then super. This can’t be Jason Campbell and the Redskins where he would get new playbooks seemingly every offseason. This can’t be Alex Smith, where once he got comfortable with a playbook, it was completely retooled by Mike Martz.
As far as the who? Bill Callahan is internal and could be a compelling hire, and you readers have sent me some compelling emails about Charlie Weis .. an interesting hire, but (1) don’t the Pats seem more likely? (2) Would Weis come back this year when he’s got a big payday coming his way, (3) would be coach in the AFCE against Belichick and (4) how long would he stay with the Jets as an O.C. anyway?
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Wildcat on 3rd and 2 hopefully sealed his fate.
The internal promotion of Bill Call would keep consistency and wouldn’t impact Chez’ development.
B Schott should’ve stayed a QB coach.
If we’re running the wildcat, why don’t we take Sanchez off the field and put in a receiver who is more of threat?
I’d agree with the fact that if the decision is made to retain Schotty in 2010 he has to be here for as long as Sanchez is considered a prospect for the team. You can dump him now and it won’t kill you. Sanchez obviously has not lit it up in this system and really the system is a QB killer. But if he studies it all offseason you have to keep it here through 2011. This is a decision Rex has to swiftly make once the season is over because the head coaching thing is likely not going to happen for Schottenheimer, not after every QB that leaves the system has played so well and every QB in the system compares so poorly to others in the same situation.
I honestly wasnt expecting Sanchez to do what those guys did, I didnt even want to draft the kid given his experience in college because he would need a few years to develope…ON THE BENCH! But now because of the two phenoms last year, everyone including your COACH has adopted this “throw em into the fire and see if he cooks” mentality but all of a sudden were not expecting the same results?….well the from past experiences with tons of other rookie QB’s…..the OTHER result has been BUST…..point being, benching a qb and letting him analyze the game from a more stable environment hasnt EVER and i mean EVER hurt a qb’s progression…period.
I hear alot of you saying “benching him wont do anything, he cant learn that way”…are you serious? Are you sure saying that because that was your philosophy from before the year started or because your just reapeating whatever Rex says in press confrences?
Well, news flash people….dont believe everything you hear and see on TV…press confrences are stages to say the politically correct thing….never the truth. this is the same guy who was giving ringing endorsements of Ratliff and Clemens during camp, compared Kerry to Reed, and said we are a SB contender(which i believed). Men lie, women lie…numbers dont….
You can officially say that Rex’s career rests in Sanchez’s hands, because as this kid sinks..so does Rex, not because he’s a bad coach but because of his stubborness regarding the kid.
sorry, disregard the the past post.lol .what i meant to say, i earlier stated in the last topic was
i know i kinda missed the bus on the last post regarding Sanchez since it got so crowded so qiuckly but ill just say this……i know our playcalling kinda sucks but i think the main problem with our offense is Sanchez’s inability to make 2nd and 3rd reads.
You cant knock the OC for drawing up a play to work, this the NFL people, it dosnt mean its gonna work….i mean the team on the other side did prep and watch game tape you know…Sanchez has to know that when the play drawn up doesnt go according to plan to read the rest of the field, not force the ball and get nervous. Whats really frustrating me is with all this “learning” crap that Rex is preacing in his support, i havent seen any improvements whatsoever! I think that further explains why it seems that he’s miss firing to the recievers in certain windows and the “drops”…..their clearly not expecting the ball.
I guess that shows the difference with Favre last year and this year in which no matter what play is drawn up, EVERYONE should expect the ball, thats what makes the Saints, Colts, Patriots, and Vikings offenses so dynamic etc. And its a shame but i think we have better offensive weapons than ALL those teams but the kid doesnt now how touse them, which is why from DAY 1 I have lobbied for Clemens to start regardless of how long you guys think he’ll be here.
Fact is with his history in this system he gave us the better chance to win this year……i mean we did have more pro bowlers than anyone else last season, so to think that Clemens couldnt produce with this team after the garbage he had to put up with from that 07 squad is ridiculous regardless of what u guys wanna say about training camp…….its friggin TRAINING CAMP!
So we let Clemens go, and Sanchez wows all you guys in training camp next year and yucks it up when it really matters….then what?..draft another qb?…u cant be serious.
I honestly dont think in us drafting sanchez was a knock on Clemens but more of a coach putting his stamp on a team, new reime, new coach, new QB….HIS QB. which i dont blame him for that….but this is starting to become a stubborn endorsemnt of the kid so the oaching staff doesnt look stupid for starting him in the first place.
Riddle me this..if everyone is saying that the Flacco and Ryan experiments were very rare and you cant expect rookies to to do what they did, why in the hell does YOUR COACH think so. alot of you werent saying this after the first 3 games, you were just drunk with kool aid. But know it “what did you expect, he’s a rookie”??….Some people who dont know any better will fall for the crap but there are some of us who know better.
I honestly wasnt expecting Sanchez to do what those guys did, I didnt even want to draft the kid given his experience in college because he would need a few years to develope…ON THE BENCH! But now because of the two phenoms last year, everyone including your COACH has adopted this “throw em into the fire and see if he cooks” mentality but all of a sudden were not expecting the same results?….well the from past experiences with tons of other rookie QB’s…..the OTHER result has been BUST…..point being, benching a qb and letting him analyze the game from a more stable environment hasnt EVER and i mean EVER hurt a qb’s progression…period.
I hear alot of you saying “benching him wont do anything, he cant learn that way”…are you serious? Are you sure saying that because that was your philosophy from before the year started or because your just reapeating whatever Rex says in press confrences?
Well, news flash people….dont believe everything you hear and see on TV…press confrences are stages to say the politically correct thing….never the truth. this is the same guy who was giving ringing endorsements of Ratliff and Clemens during camp, compared Kerry to Reed, and said we are a SB contender(which i believed). Men lie, women lie…numbers dont….
You can officially say that Rex’s career rests in Sanchez’s hands, because as this kid sinks..so does Rex, not because he’s a bad coach but because of his stubborness regarding the kid.
I say we go under Mannings nose and steal Tom Moore from them, He never retired! In fact he is still there, the mastermind behind Peyton Manning and the Colts success!!! How great is it to have the same O-Coordinator for your entire career???
Sorry for the long post BTW, but i just reached a breaking point where i couldnt hold it in, im not bashing anyone for being optimistic, but i know there are two types of fans….football fans who support whatever team they have grown accustomed to and then there are fans who give moral support to their home town team regardless of what goes on behind the scene because it probably doesnt matter to them just as long as they root for whatever team that reprsents their home. and this goes for all sports. So pardon me and many others for being football junkies and over analyzing but its hard not to call things how you see it.
Men lie, women lie numbers dont -hahahahaha
frustrated wave?
Schotty has no feel for a game or how to get ANY QB into a rhythm.
We had Chad, a pros pro, 16 tds 15 ints in his BEST year
We had Favre, a HOFer legend, 22 TDs and 22 ints last year
Seem like pretty mediocre stats for two damn fine QBs
Sanchez has made A LOT of mistakes, but is Schotty putting him in the best position to be successful. We run on first and second down, and the opponent loads the box. Then you have a rookie with 3rd and long. That’s not going to work.
Hey, lets analyze the 6 losses. In three, Sanchez was a turnover machine. How is that Schoty’s fault?
In two others, we had the lead, going into the last possession and the “D” couldn’t stop the other team. How is that Schotty’s fault?Jet fans need to stop lookng for scapegoats.
Sure,some playcalling might have been different, but the OffensiveCordinator is not the reason for the six losses.
When you have a rookie QB, a rookie head coach, and the loss of arguably your best offensive and defensive players for the season, fire the OC is not the answer.
And about yesterday, was it Schotty’s fault that Welker was running open all over the field or that Brady had all day to throw?
Sure it’s tough, but Jet fans need to practice some patience.
Brian G. -
When we do the wildcat (as opposed to the Dolphins who make it known it’s their main offensive weapon) we are doing it to catch the defense by surprise. Taking Sanchez off the field would be basically telling the defense “we’re running the wildcat, and we will run the ball”. Pulling Sanchez off the field would negate the element of surprise, which is the biggest threat that this formation poses.
I think there should be an article about how this team hasnt won a real game since September. You cant count the Raider game as a real win b/c Jamarcus Russel was the QB that day (a worse QB rating than Sanchez if you can believe it). Can you imagine if the Jets had actually played a real team instead of the Raiders? We might be talking about a 7 game losing streak. I cant believe this angle isnt being talked about at all.
Schotty is part of the problem. He cannot help but try to get cute with the play calls.
As soon as the run starts working, he goes away from it. Every time. I hate that.
It seems obvious he only runs the ball because he is ordered to. As soon as the run starts working, he’s like “checked that box, now I can open up the playbook” Which is the wrong approach.
If the run game is working, stick with it and win the game. Schotty will never understand that mindset, that’s why he needs to go.
i’m not on the “Fire Schotty” train..
It bothers me that this comes up after ever loss.. but no one seems to notice the good..
no one mentioned what a great game he called against Miami (1st game ) or Houston… Also, the 3rd and 1 pitch to Green vs. Jax (when they were all stacking the middle) was a great disguise, great call..
Jets fans love killing this guy.. but he’s no Paul Hackett
The fact remains this:
i don’t think any of us are qualified enough to know who’s fault it is when things go wrong.. (receivers running bad/wrong routes, qb w/ bad reads.. others out of position) .. I’ll trust the guys who dissect the tape..
I have canceled my PSLs and have lost my deposit becuase I refuse to pay $5,000 as long as Schotty is associated with this organization
3rd and 2 in a MUST HAVE first down situation, and it was the first time running the option all game, possibly in three weeks. Smart call.
since you have a few extra thousand dollars you’re throwing away, i’ll take some…
I’d like to step up the gift giving to a level i’m unable to achieve this holiday season.. : )
greg, that was a bad call.. i’ll certainly give you that!
The man’s play calling is insane, always has been. Its easier to overlook when we’re winning, but its a glaring hole when we lose. Schotty goes. Hire Callanhan, same play book with minor changes.
Schotty has to go at this point. I was shocked he survived last offseason. I don’t think it’s that good an idea to change the OC between Sanchez’s first and second year (and let’s be frank about it, the success of the franchise over the next ten years rests almost entirely on how well Sanchez progresses so we really should be catering to his development almost exclusively) but I think it’d be worse to tie Sanchez’s development to Schotty.
I sit there every Sunday in front of the TV and yell out the plays that I think are coming, and I know exactly what the Jets are gonna do way more often than I should. And that’s me, some random guy who knows a pinch about football but doesn’t watch game tape, doesn’t know jack about formations besides playing Madden, and has never played organized football. Can you imagine how frequently opposing DCs just know exactly what’s coming? Third down and 2-through-5 yards to go, guarantee you it’s a shotgun spread with no play-action. First and ten, it’s either a run up the gut or a shot 20+ yards down the field. Second and long, it’s a draw or a dump-off to the RB.
Schotty actually reminds me of Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer of Weezer. After a few years away from music, Cuomo became convinced that there was a formula for a perfect pop song. He began plugging every riff and chord progression that he thought of into the exact same formula. The result was several albums of songs that sound the exact same. Similarly, Schotty appears to be convinced that there is a perfect play call for every down-and-distance situation, and he goes to that play call nearly every time. He loves to call counter-intuitive stuff (like shotgun spread on third and short) because on paper those are good plays. However, those plays are good on paper because they’re counter-intuitive and rarely run, so they catch a defense off guard.
I’d like to see the team replace Schotty with a smashmouth guy, one who’s built his resume in the trenches (Callahan might be the best candidate). That will be the kind of coach who teaches Sanchez exactly why he should focus more on minimizing mistakes. I think Sanchez’s biggest problem right now is he won’t bail on a play and “say uncle” as he puts it, and he thinks he can make every throw every time. I’m sure the coaches are trying to impress on him that it’s bad to do that, but it’s probably being framed as “you’re hurting your development by playing that way.” We need a guy to come in and tell Sanchez “listen, we win by minimizing mistakes; swallow the ball sometimes and trust the offense to grind out first downs and you’ll be rewarded.” I think that kind of message would be more likely to change his game mentality.
He’s gotta go! Point black. Let him go to cleveland. Trade him for a draft pick.
I’d like Brett Favre’s take on this subject.. since he is an MVP candidate this year…
(like it or not, fellow jet fans)
I was a Schotty apologist for a long time, but I’m starting to agree with the Jets fans calling for his departure.
As Basset pointed out, he does have some brillance to him. However, there is obviously something that is holding the offense back and it isn’t just Sanchez.
Is it a coindence that Farve, Pennington, Baker, and Coles go to other teams and are very successful?
Since we are planning for the future, let’s hire Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator since he will be looking for a job. He is a jersey guy. He can groom Sanchise into a great quarterback.
Also, I would like to point out that Farve is playing awesome this year while Adrian Peterson has almost exactly the same rushing statistics as Thomas Jones.
Thank you Rich Kotite 2.0
I thought i was taking crazy pills!!!!
Schotty has some good plays, and on an occasion he will make a call that completely fools the other team. But you cant look at it like “hey what about the pitch to Greene in the Jacksonville game” The Jets under Schotty do not consistently move the ball or sustain drives. He is always trying to fool the other team instead of moving the chains.
Ive watched every game (and in the stands at the Meadowlands for most home games) since he took over as OC. He kills drives with his play calling, he gets too cute or too conservative and the opposing defenses see it coming from a mile away. Ive seen Chad and Favre both struggle under this guy and go somewhere else and look GREAT, not good, GREAT.
He is killing the Jets right now by allowing Sanchez way too many oppurtunities to chuck it down the field. Simply put, he does not put his QBs in the best position to be sucessful.
I used to be one of the people defending Schotty. I felt the complaints that he wasn’t rushing enough were a little exaggerated, but over the course of the season he has continued to put Sanchez in position to fail. You don’t have a rookie QB throw the ball 30 times.
Schotty has had Sanchez throw 30 times in a game 4 times this season. FOUR!! And that’s not counting the two games where he threw almost 30 times (29 throws on game, 27 in another). That’s 6 games where Sanchez threw way too many times. After researching and finding that out, I finally gave up trying to defend the guy.
his schemes are not easy for any qb(compare favre last year and this year), but it must be brutal for a rookie. i say tailor the playbook for the players, not the other way around. we need a new o.c. plain and simple. why he was kept after last year, i don’t understand.
I have no trouble with Schottenheimer, but I think he may end up being the “bigger name fall guy” in the off season.
Every one is aware that rex ryan begged shotty to stay
schottenheimer is not the problem — but, when the offense doesn’t execute often the OC gets the blame — i don’t think that schotty is telling Sanchez to throw off balance, throw into double and triple coverage, and under/over throw the receivers with regularity — time will heal all wounds…he’s a rookie
Schottenheimer is a horrible OC. His play calling in inept which leads to poor results. He is taking Sanchez out of his comfort zone which has led to lots of mistakes. Our outstanding running game should be opening up the passing game. We shouldn’t be forcing it up the field. We should be methodically walking it up the field. Sanchez has been responsible for alot of our problems but, it is Schotzy’s job to rein him in. In addition, I feel that Schotzy should have benched Sanchez at certain times. It could only help Sanchez, to give him a breather when he is in panic mode. It would also give us a look at our back-ups, so that we would know what we have if Sanchez goes down. Schottenheimer has gotten the same type of free pass that Sanchez is currently on. I don’t believe in a free ride. Schottenheimer should be gone. Next!
Anyone defending Schotty cannot be watching the games. He is so predictable and he gets our QB into tight situations asking him to win it himself instead of manage. If anyone thinks he is doing fine you must be rooting for another team because his calls only benefit our opponents.
Callahan or a OC who specializes in a run type offense like Rex wanted is the only solution.
Schitty gots to go.
I just dont why why Sanchez has regressed. Its almost as if the more he is exposed to Schotty and our Offense, the worse get gets.
He looked a lot better when he was less exposed at the begining of the season.
http://www.nfl.com/players/marksanchez/gamelogs?id=SAN091667
I have been to every game this year(including preseason)— the OC does NOT bench the QB, the HC does — I do agree that an opprtunity was lost in the Buffalo game, when I think a benching could/should have been done to salvage the game — I think that the loss of Leon has hurt the Jets(and Sanchez), more than the Jenkins loss
To me, Schotty is the Kerry Rhodes of the coaching staff. He’s had a few flashes of brilliance, but overall his body of work doesn’t justify him being considered a great one.
Week in, week out, he does nothing with his play calling to help the passing game establish any sort of rhythm. His calls are all over the place, and very rarely do his riskier calls make any sense.
I have stated this a few times before. The problem with B-Schott is he is trying to become a head coach instead of calling the best plays to win the damn game….. He tries to make this special game plan ( ala Sean Payton) when he was the Giants OC. Like the Giants under Payton we have a big running game and need to pound the ball and limit the throws.
Schotty has his eyes set towards a head coaching job and has been since his Miami interview a few years ago.
In the process he has dmagaed this team and might be hurting Sanchez.
I am not a Schotty hater but I think we need to get a guy who is not always worried about his next coaching job…if thats Bill Cal then so be it
James, how is shotti putting our qb in tight situations?…..I mean how many times do you expect us to run each game?…..its not that hard to stop the run when teams consistently stuff the box, I donnt care how good of an o line you have. You have to loosen up the D everyonce in a while to keep them honest by spreading the ball around, which is also called MANAGING THE GAME, which Sanchez has not been able to do.
I’m not defending the playcalling by any means but at the end of the day the players have to go out and perform. For the past two years there has been some type of handcuffs on the playcalling, wether it has been simplifying it for Favre or for a wet behind the ears rook. It all falls on the choice to start the kid right away. Rex and Shott along with a lot of you fans raved about how he’s such a film rat and blah blah blah and that how there should be no problem throwing the whole book at him. Then the kid yucks it up, now shotti is caught trying to simplify the playcalling mid game when its evident sanchez can’t handle the pressure. I think its just bad initiall choices compared to actual scheming that has made shott look so dumb. Instead of taking what the defenses give us and exploit them the Jets are just playcalling to make sure the rook doesn’t get overwhelmed. This is bull, this not sanchez’s team yet…..they need to play to win and make proper adjustments to whatever the defenses are giving them, not
*not for Sanchez’s mental sake…..sorry
They aren’t losing because of play calling. The kid made some bad throws — that’s what rookies do.
The season was over-hyped and raised expectations. But in reality, how many rookie QBs step in and play like Marino did?
The NFL game is played at a different level and this kid will need 2-3 years to adjust. The key is to replace some of the aging talent on both sides of the ball so this team peaks when the kid starts playing well.
I’ve given Schotty the benefit of the doubt, but I’ve always been critical of his seeming unwillingness to simply stick with the running game. Sometimes a run on second and 9 works. Sometimes a run on 3rd and 2 works. Schotty always seemed to prefer an empty backfield on 3rd and short to a play action pass, or draw, or even screen. As commenter here have said, he likes to get “too cute”. What happened to the “KISS” method?
I’ve also noticed that Schotty is the kind of OC who wants the QB to fit his system, rather than tailor the system to his QB. For instance, Sanchez has great footwork and throws on the run as well as any QB coming out of college since Cutler. Has Schotty ever had Sanchez sprint out?
There’s no doubt that Schotty can call a great game, but there’s one factor that several commenters have picked up on: he enables bad QB play. Under Schotty, Chad threw 28 TDs to 26 INTs in 24 regular season and 1 playoff game. I’m willing to bet that Schotty was the OC for the worst 25 game stretch in Chad’s career. Clemens in his 8 starts and 7 other appearances has thrown 5 TDs to 11 INTs. Favre in his 16 starts threw 22 TDs to 22 INTs. Now, Sanchez, who was a very accurate passer in college, has thrown in only 10 games 10 TDs to 16 INTs.
If we total these figures up, Schotty’s QBs have thrown 65 TDs to 75 INTs. His two vets, Chad and Favre, had worse than their historical numbers, and the young QBs that Schotty was hired to help groom have tossed 15 TDs to 27 INTs…that’s dismal.
Also, you can’t say that he has the excuse of a weak running game, which I gave him a break on for 2006 and 2007. Especially with a rookie, Schotty’s offense should be more QB friendly…it’s not. When was the last time a WR had a bubble screen? And, in general, with 8 men in the box and constant blitzing, why not more of a screen game? Why does it seem like the Jets always have 2 WRs in the same area when there’s a pick? Why aren’t there more passes to the RBs? In Jones’ 3 seasons with Chicago, he averaged nearly 40 catches per season. Want to know how many TJ has through 10 games? 6!!! How is that even possible? What a great way to help a young QB….just have him constantly pass downfield.
Oh, and I have a clue for the Willdcat. When Miami runs out, there’s always a counter threat. If B. Smith is simply going to run the option right, it will fail. It’s the misdirection and Brown’s initial hesitation (is he going to pitch, pass or run?) that makes it work. I mean, that’s simple stuff.
I’ve held off, but it’s time to fire Schotty. I don’t care how much Tanny or Rex like him, he’s killing Sanchez’s development.
As an aside, I think rookies should start their first years and it should only take 2 years for a QB to show significant progress. It’s the second season that is the real benchmark. As much as I like Sanchez and think he has all of the tools to be a good QB, if he’s still making the same dumb mistakes and has a completion percentage significantly below 60% (I’d say lower that 58%), then the Jets are going to have to worry.
Q3, yes Schotty needs to go and yes Callahan would be the smoothest hire, they could even keep some of the terminology.
Sack makes a compelling argument, the stats do not lie. He seems to be in total denial that he has a rookie QB, calling the same plays he did with vet Chad.
Going back to SD wasn’t he also around for Brees’ worst season?
Mike S.,
That’s the thing. Schotty knows what he has in Sanchez. He watches him every day and has seen him blow up in two games so far this season (before yesterday). As a coordinator he is supposed to know that his best plan of action is to run, run, run. He should know, as a coordinator, that his best bet to win isn’t putting the entire offense on the shoulders of a 23 year old rookie.
The rookie made bad throws. The O-Coordinator is supposed to call plays that don’t force the rookie into bad throws. Keep it simple, hand off 2 out of 3 plays, and let your offense grind down the defense. You don’t force your QB to throw it 30 times (which Schotty has done 6 out of 10 games this year- if you count games where he threw 27 and 29 times_.
Shotty needs to be shown the door and kicked to the curb!
HE SUCKS!
Brendan,
In general, I agree. The offensive game plans should minimize the rookie’s weaknesses and not ask him to win a game thru the air. BUT sometimes game conditions dictate a different approach.
If the opposing defense is stopping the run, the offense needs to mix in more passes to keep them honest.
If there is a mismatch against the opposing team’s secondary, sometimes you need to take chances attacking it.
And in yesterday’s game, when the score differential is wide and the opposing team’s offense is unlikely to be shutdown, the offense needs to take more chances to close the gap. For most of the game the NY Jets were down 10-14 points and yet they ran the ball 26 times and only attempted 21 passes.
The rookie’s INTs killed the team yesterday. But let’s look at each of them and see how they happened:
INT #1 – The 1st INT was a bad read and clearly telegraphed — that is a QB issue, not a play calling issue. Sanchez locked on and there were 3 NE defenders in the immediate area. I’m not sure what the hell he saw, but that looked like a classic rookie mistake. These kind of plays are expected during the growing pain years.
INT #2 – Sanchez just missed a wide open Edwards over the middle. Good read, inaccurate throw, and well positioned defender to make the opportunistic INT.
INT #3 – Sanchez just missed a open Cotchery on the left sideline. Good read, inaccurate throw, and well positioned defender to make the opportunistic INT.
INT #4 – The final INT was a rookie trying desperately to make something as he runs out of the pocket trying to buy time. He probably should have thrown the ball away. Not sure how he is coached, but the same fiery spirit that will make this kid a great competitor in the NFL can also lead to bad decisions, especially during the rookie year.
I can’t put the loss on the coaches. We need to look at the players. Without Jenkins and Washington, this team cannot realistically play with the elite teams in the NFL. And when the rookie QB is not having a good day, we get ugly losses.
But let’s remember, this kid played very little at the college level and is playing against a Belichick defense on the road in a game the Jets desperately need to stay alive. Yesterday he played poorly and the team lost. The kid likely needs 2-3 years to adjust to the NFL, but has flashed potential several times this year. The future is bright and I expect Schotty will be there when Sanchez is winning games with his arm, rather than losing them.
Since I have, at times called for his head (and also offered mea culpas when things turned out to be Sanchez’s fault), I would argue on impression alone that the guy’s got to go. In six or so years as OC, this team has NEVER dominated for more than a few games. Last year was the exception with Favre in the early going. This season, you would have thought there would have been at least one stretch, outside of the Oakland game, where they would dominate an opponent on offense, even for a half, dominate. Anybody? The Bills game, which they lost because they only scored 17 points in five quarters? I don’t think so.
Also, if I can hear Simms say that Sanchez throws the mid-range to long pass brilliantly, I have to wonder why some of these games had him only throwing short. The short stuff has a short time to develop. A young kid needs time to think. Time for the game to slow down. A long pass allows him to use his God-given talent. Also, coincidentally, a long interception is usually no worse than a punt. Has anybody seen this offense try to exploit that advantage? Is Simms the only guy who can see this?
I can’t see retaining the guy purely because it’s his playbook. We need an OC the way New Orleans needed a DC. Bottom line.
I dont love Shottys play calls, but its no reason to fire him. The reason I would get rid of him is the last 3 Jets QBs. you have Pennington who leaves the Jets only to come 2nd in MVP voting for the Dolphins. Then Favre leaves the Jets and look what hes doing in Minnesota. And now you have Sanchez. It seems that all the QBs under Shotty throw picks. Its possible that its not his fault. But i would fire him and find out if someone else could manage this young QB. Find someone who knows how to work with young QBs…every QB fails under shotty.
why does the Jet organization love him so much? Im sure he wouldnt be the OC if Rex had his way.
Who was Drew Brees’ QB coach from 2002 thru 2005? Anyone think that guy didn’t learn know how to attack an NFL defense? Oh… and who was the San Diego back-up in 2004 and 2005 that developed under the same QB coach?
Hmmm….
Terrible call by Schotty on the first INT. Both WRs were in the same area, which just exacerbated the problem of Sanchez’s (like all rookies) tendency to stare down his receiver. Because Sanchez was staring down Jerricho, Bodden had the freedom to leave Edwards and jump the route. I could name about 10 INTs over Schotty’s tenure where having 2 WRs on the left sideline led to an INT. First, Sanchez is right-handed, so his natural tendency will be to throw to the inside, not the outside…ball placement there is critical and I bet if we look at all of Sanchez’s INTs, a high percentage will be of him throwing left (3 of 4 yesterday). Second, the WRs were too close. Edwards should’ve been much deeper. Third, why even have them on the same side? Why not have Edwards run down the middle of the field taking Bodden (and a safety) and clearing the area for Jerricho underneath?
I had eerie deja vu on that call from 2007, when Chad was pick 6′ed by Sam Madison (I think) when he left his man and jumped the WR’s route. Chad did the same thing, stared at the WR and threw to his inside on a sideline pass to the left. If I had the time, I’m sure I could find 8 more INTs with the same (or similar) pattern during the Schotty era. Sanchez has a great arm and can hit all of the passes, but it’s no surprise that he struggles throwing accurately to the left…defenses aren’t that good at the college level to have to pass to all fields. He’ll get better, but how about making it a little easier for him by not having his 2 WRs less than 5 yards apart?
I agree with johnsec, Schotty is not adusting to the personnel, why does does he continue to roll out sanchez to the left, he has had several int., parcells would always plan according to his personnel. He must go and start fresh for sanchise’s developement.
SackDance99,
Great observation about the picks on the left sideline. Now that you mention it, I can remember numerous Jet QB picks from the same play during the Schotty era. This year alone, Sanchez has struggled mightly with that play. Examples: pick six last game, and the pick six in Houston.
Scott and his system have not been successful with Pennington, Clemens and now Sanchez. I would like to see Callahan as a play caller in the next couple of games, just to see if there is a change.
With thanks to Tutor at alt.sports.football.pro.ny-jets. David wrote: “A good read for this group with all the Schott discussions over the past 2 years. Also, after seeing how this season has progressed, or should I say regressed offensively, and the lack of any visible development plan for Sanchize (who keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over), I have given up on Schott.”
Here is the most intelligent read on Shott I have read. Harlan
http://www.nyjetscap.com/Schottenheimer.html
A Look Inside the Brian Schottenheimer Offense
It’s very easy to pile on the Jets offense right now. Their QB is
playing poorly and the team has hit the skids. This is nothing new for
Jets fans, however, when it comes to the QB position. Since 2007 the
position has been nothing short of a disaster. Chad Pennington was
benched halfway through 2007 to make way for Kellen Clemens. Clemens
was so bad he never got another chance with the Jets and it is
unlikely he will ever get a chance again in the NFL. Brett Favre came
in off an MVP type campaign and replaced Pennington in 2008. Favre
struggled as a Jet, blamed partially on injuries, and the team
crashed. Pennington went on to be runner up in the MVP voting as a
Miami Dolphin. Favre moved onto Minnesota and is currently
experiencing an excellent season. Enter Mark Sanchez, the number 5
pick in the NFL draft, who is supposed to lead the Jets for the next
decade.
Through all of the QB changes there has been one constant- Offensive
Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer was given credit for
helping the development of QB Drew Brees in San Diego and has been
credited with helping the Jets put together a competent offense in
2006 and 2008. However many who follow the team have questioned
Schottenheimers play calling and ability to get the most of his QB. Is
his system really a QB killer and is he the proper person to develop a
young QB.
I wanted to take a look at the performance of the Qbs who have entered
Scottenheimer’s system relative to their opposition they played and
compare it to the pre and post Scottenheimer statistics. In the case
of Clemens he will be compared to two contemporaries in the same
situation- Tarvaris Jackson and Brodie Croyle. The stats presented are
percentages either above or below the adjusted opposition averages per
passing attempt. I did this last year evaluating the Jets at the
midway point of the season for every facet of the game.
Here is an example to explain the stats. In 2008 Pennington threw 7
interceptions in 476 pass attempts for a ratio of 0.0147 I/A.
Pennington’s opponents intercepted 210 passes in 5,140 attempts for
the season. Taking Chad’s stats out of those totals you come up with
203 ints in 4,819 attempts for a ratio of 0.0261 I/A. Pennington would
then be credited with a -43.76% in the category of I/A meaning he
threw close to 44% less interceptions than the average would be throw
against the Miami Dolphin 2008 schedule.
Chad Pennington
Pennington came into Schottenheimer’s offense off of surgery and was a
complete question mark. Chad was known as a safe QB who did not turn
the ball over very often with limited upside and an injury risk. He
was Schottenheimer’s first QB and Brian got a great deal of credit as
Chad stayed healthy for 16 games for the first time in his career and
led the Jets to an unlikely wild card berth. Lets take a look at the
stats.
Statistical Breakdown: Chad Pennington
Yds/Comp Yds/Att TD/Att INT/Att Sck/Att Comp % 20+/Att 40+/Att
Pennington ‘08 4.68 16.73 -8.58 -43.75 -12.81 8.64 -0.82 2.74
Pennington ‘07 -6.27 6.93 -9.74 6.83 49.2 14.1 -8.53 -23.54
Pennington ‘06 3.01 12.15 -2.02 1.44 -14.48 8.87 -5.19 54.48
Pennington ‘04 3.60 14.48 -3.75 -32.38 -37.21 10.5 3.77 -15.57
A few things jump out. The first thing, which is most concerning, is
the huge jump in interceptions for Pennington in Schottenheimer’s
offense. In 2004 Chad was at a -32% and in 2008 he was at -44%. In
both seasons under Scottenheimer he was above the average in
interceptions thrown. That is a drastic change. Some might want to
blame an offensive line that was not great in 2006 and awful in 2007,
but his sack rate in 2006 was nearly identical to his in a Dolphins
uniform yet the interception rate is far higher as a Jet. His yards
per completion and yards per attempt were both lower under
Schottenheimer, though the 2007 number is skewed by the line play as
Chad obviously checked down quickly far more often in 2007 which is
also shown in his amazingly high jump in completion percentage.
Schottenheimer either used Chad less in the medium/long passing game
than he was used in 2004 and in 2008 or Chad opted not to make the
throws for fear of an interception. Schottenheimer did get big plays
out of him in 2006. Those plays disappeared in 2007, which is likely
due to Pennington not taking the chance with the football since
Clemens had far better success than Chad in this area.
Kellen Clemens
This was the first development project for Schottenheimer and it was a
complete failure. I’m comparing him with Minnesota washout Tarvaris
Jackson and Kansas City dud Brodie Croyle, who were both 2nd year
“rookies” in 2007. Here are the comparative statistics:
Statistical Breakdown: 2nd Year “Rookies”
Yds/Comp Yds/Att TD/Att INT/Att Sck/Att Comp % 20+/Att 40+/Att
Clemens 11.28 -2.59 -54.76 35.36 74.85 -12.47 -8.45 14.31
Jackson 7.15 -0.89 -29.11 32.41 -29.71 -7.5 -30.67 -2.59
Croyle -6.99 -16.18 -37.63 -23.27 14.73 -9.87 -48.54 -100
When you compare Clemens YPC, sacks, and big plays with that of the
Jackson and Croyle stats that same year it is obvious that the Jets
gave Clemens significantly more responsibility than the other two
teams gave their young raw players. The sacks were far higher under
Clemens than Chad going from 49% for Pennington to nearly 75% for
Clemens, which should be a sign that they should have dumbed it down
somewhat. That type of sack rate for a youngster is career ending.
Clemens big play numbers and YPC were both much better than the other
two players as they were not given much of a field to work with the
offenses being completely limited. Clemens interception rate was the
worst of the 3 players as was his accuracy. This is not to say that
handling Clemens with kids gloves would have worked out better for
him. Neither Jackson nor Croyle are starting caliber Qb’s though they
might have a longer future in the NFL than Clemens does. But Clemens
was certainly not helped in this system and anyone who watched him
play watched a player who clearly regressed from game 1 through game
16. Neither of his fellow 2nd year starters ever regressed the way
Clemens did, though they never really improved either.
Brett Favre
Favre a future Hall of Famer never fit with the Jets. His reputation
took a huge hit and his performance as a Jet relative to everything
else is bad. The numbers state a strong case that he was worse than
Kellen Clemens in almost every aspect other than sacks.
Statistical Breakdown: Brett Favre
Yds/Comp Yds/Att TD/Att INT/Att Sck/Att Comp % 20+/Att 40+/Att
Favre ‘09 -4.16 -6.28 8.67 -56.40 22.76 10.90 -13.97 -18.16
Favre ‘08 -13.94 -7.8 2.23 72.31 -0.55 7.13 -7.35 -21.53
Favre ‘07 12.26 20.45 33.87 -6.59 -59.28 7.29 22.24 126.69
Like with the other Qb’s the most alarming number is the
interceptions. Favre ended up 72% higher than the average compared to
6.5% below as a Packer and a shocking 56% below thus far as a Viking.
Favre’s YPC and YPA were by far the worst he had and he was unable to
find the end zone efficiently. In fairness to Schottenheimer the
Vikings have limited him to throwing the ball much shorter than he did
as a Jet, which is why Favre’s 20+ plays are way down. T hey had the
benefit of seeing a broken down Favre which the Jets did not.
Is the Offense Too Complex?
Schottenheimer’s offense requires a great deal of input from the QB. T
hey are expected to make crucial calls at the line and have the
ability to change plays. Pennington, known for his smarts, made the
worst decisions of his career running the Jets offense. Even when he
had a good offensive line protecting him in 2006 his adjusted
interception rate was below average and he is a QB that is far above
average in this category. The same problems existed with Brett Favre.
Favre, never known as a brain surgeon, looked lost based on how often
he turned it over. People chalked it up to constant pressure and the
“gunslinger” mentality, but that does not look to be the case. He is
sacked far more often in Minnesota this year than he was in 2008 as a
Jet (23.35% to -0.55%) yet his interceptions in Minnesota are non
existent dropping from an obscene 72.31% as a Jet to an amazing
-67.96% as a Viking. And Favre was most definitely not a gunslinger,
posting the worst YPC and YPA in the three year span, despite no real
change in completion percentage. There is a good chance that he simply
could not grasp what they were trying to teach him and it led to
terrible decisions.
Do the Jets Properly Utilize the Field
No Jets QB has done well in the 20+ play category. While the 40+ plays
are often the result a wide receiver simply having superior speed and
getting open down the sideline, the 20+ yarder is often more about
hitting an open receiver in stride and letting him scamper those extra
few yards to pick up the 20. This never seemed to happen with the
Jets. One would think that if you are avoiding that type of play, then
the Qb’s completion percentage should significantly rise as would his
YPA.
If you look at Favre in Minnesota that is exactly what is happening
with their offensive scheme. The Vikings have limited how far Favre
can throw the ball in the intermediate passing game which is why his
20+ plays are so low. His completion %, however, is 11% above the
average, a big jump from both 2008 and 2007. In addition his YPA are a
big increase from his time with the Jets. As a Jet his completion
percentage was identical with his stats in Green Bay, despite Favre
being used much more as a down the field passer in 2007. His YPA were
a disaster as a Jet. There really has been no correlation with the
lack of mid range passing and completion rate under Schottenheimer,
other than Chad’s rise in completion % in 2007, where Pennington’s
passes were so short that his YPA was just awful by his usual
standards. His stints in Miami and under Herm provided much better
results with the YPA being far better outside of Schottenheimer’s
system.
The question to ask is do the Jets not call plays that are safe outs
if the long pass is not there? In 2007, when Chad was under heavy
pressure the dramatic decline in his YPC and YPA indicate that the
safe routes were very short with no hope of working for any extra YAC.
Favre’s numbers indicate a similar pattern. Clemens was really the
only aberration, but dealt with a ton of 3rd and longs due to the big
sacks he took, a problem also plaguing rookie Mark Sanchez. When
examining Clemens high YPC compared to not just his contemporaries in
Croyle and Jackson but to Pennington and Favre it seems as if Clemens
simply locked on long and did his best to find the first read that was
maybe a longer pattern. It would explain the huge amount of sacks he
took relative to Pennington as well as the poor YPA and completion %.
It also is probably a reason why he turned the ball over so much.
Do the Jets really make poor play calls or do they just not trust the
personnel?
Schottenheimer has come under fire from the fan base for some plays
that do not seem very logical. They mainly deal with situational play
calling especially on 3rd and short situations where he goes shotgun
with an empty backfield. Here are the pecentage of pass plays the Jets
run in 3rd down situations under Schottenheimer along with the Favre
and Pennington bookend season for comparison.
3rd Down Play Selection:
< 3 yds 3-6 yds 6+ yds
Jets '09 54.5 75.9 86.0
Jets '08 65.9 82.6 89.0
Jets '07 34.8 90.2 91.6
Jets '06 61.1 92.85 83.5
Jets '04 35.0 73.3 85.26
Vikings '09 35.29 100 91.3
Packers '07 55.8 87.8 89.8
Dolphins '08 37.9 81.4 88.0
The glaring difference comes in the Jets 3rd and short packages. In
2006 and 2008 they called pass plays over 60% of the time in that
situation. Pennington was strictly used in about 35% of those
situations outside of Schottenheimer’s offense. Favre, at his best in
Green Bay was used 55% of the time and in Minnesota is currently used
35% of the time, similar to Pennington in Miami. Schottenheimer
certainly is not using the QB’s the same way as they had been used in
the past, but is it still a reasonable play selection? In order to
answer that lets look at the two premier quarterbacks in the NFL-
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. You would think with these two players
in the game the offense strictly pass in these spots similar to the
Jets. That could not be further from the truth. Brady in his record
setting 2007 campaign only passed on 45% of the 3rd and short
opportunities. Manning in 2007 passed in 40.4% and in a 2008 season
where he was not at 100% for 3⁄4 of the year he was limited to passing
in just 37% of their 3rd and short opportunities. So its safe to say
what Schottenheimer calls is certainly unconventional.
Now the one difference in this category was in 2007 where the Jets
passed less than 35% of the time, though the QB position accounted for
over 30% of the runs. Some of that was due to the Jets rarely letting
Clemens throw on 3rd and short, which might indicate that they can do
something positive with a young QB, but the other aspect of the 2007
situation was the signing of Thomas Jones.
The Jets used Jones often in 3rd and short in 2007- 14 times to be
exact – and a lot of those calls did come with Pennington in the game
so it wasn’t just a Clemens thing. Jones proved to be awful in those
situations averaging 0.6YPC. I think there is a valid argument that
says Schottenheimer does not believe Jones can pick up tough yardage.
Jones never got the same opportunities after his first year as a Jet.
When you look over the 2006 roster you see a list of terrible names-
Cedric Houston, Kevan Barlow, and Derrick Blaylock, none of whom
anyone would trust to pick up tough yards. Leon Washington is not
really the type of player you think of using to pound the rock. So
does Schottenheimer just not like to pass of has Mike Tanenbaum done a
poor job of finding the right fit for the system? There definitely is
a breakdown somewhere in this regard.
Do the 3rd down pass calls work? Probably not. Logic would dictate
that if a high percentage of your 3rd down attempts are short that you
would have a high 3rd down conversion rate. The Colts would be the
gold standard of such logic. About 26% of all their 3rd down attempts
in 07 and 08 were all under 3 yards and their overall conversion
percentage is right around 50%. A team like the Dolphins, who only had
15% of their 3rd down attempts be from under 3 yards saw their overall
percentage sit at 37%. The Jets have done a pretty good job of getting
into 3rd and short, but are not showing the increase in overall
conversions as would be expected. Here are the stats:
3rd Down Statistical Breakdown:
% Atts < 3 yds Overall Conversion
Jets '09 11.3 37
Jets '08 22.3 41
Jets '07 17.4 38
Jets '06 15.5 44
Jets '04 18.5 42
Vikings '09 35.29 47.1
Packers '07 20.1 46
Dolphins '08 15.1 37
Colts '07 25.6 50
Colts '08 26.9 49.2
Patriots '07 48.2 17.3
When you take a closer look at the numbers you realize
Schottenheimer’s best seasons are coming when he was being forced out
of the 3rd and shorts. In 2006 the team converted 44% of their 3rd
downs despite only 15% coming under 3 yards. With a rookie QB in 2009
the Jets conver 37% of their chances with just 11% of all attempts
being under 3 yards.In their seasons with a higher percentage of 3rd
and shorts they are not having the same success rates.The Jets should
be much more successful converting on 3rd than they have been.
Have things changed because of the rookie?
Not really, but this past week in Oakland we saw a significant change
in philosophy that mimicked the Ravens and Falcons blueprint for
success as the Jets limited Sanchez to only 19 pass attempts and
running a ridiculous 49 times with their backfield. It was a gameplan
that was evident the Jets were going to have stuck with whether the
score was 10-9 or 38-0 and a far cry from what they did against
Buffalo with 38 runs to 29 pass attempts on a day where the Jets ran
for over 300 yards but threw for 5 interceptions.
Looking at Sanchez’ yardage statistics he compared very closely to
Matt Ryan and is better than Joe Flacco. The problem is that Sanchez,
thus far, has not been protected in this offense the way the other
players were protected. Sanchez is asked to throw on 3rd downs far
more often than Flacco and Ryan were asked in their rookie campaigns.
Here are the “good” comparison stats between Ryan, Flacco, and
Sanchez.
Sanchez vs Ryan vs Flacco: The Good
Yds/Comp 20+/Att 40+/Att
Sanchez 13.73 16.14 17.71
Ryan 11.53 22.51 50.86
Flacco 10.91 -36.04 -50.19
But the problems lie within the system. We already know the system
does not seem well defined for the 20+ yarder, but Sanchez is not
smart enough yet to avoid throwing into those situations. While he is
the best QB in this system at hitting those passes he is by far the
worst at locking onto that as his target, His completion percentage is
terrible compared to Ryan and Flacco and that has as much to do with
coaching and scheme as poor decision making. The other players,
especially early in the season were completely protected and made to
pass very safely. The pass protection for Mark has been terrible. This
is due to not just poor play from his line, but the fact that the Jets
are not keeping guys in for help and as a rookie he does not know how
to escape pressure the way Brett Favre did under similar
circumstances. Short routes and max protect schemes really helped
Flacco and to some extent Ryan. They were never touched last year
unlike Sanchez who is getting beat up. This pressure is a career
killer as evidenced by former Jet Ken O’Brien and has to be corrected.
Finally you have the interceptions. Sanchez is throwing them at an
alarming pace right now while the other rookies were protected to
avoid throwing so many. Here are the comparitive “bad” stats.
Sanchez vs Ryan vs Flacco: The Bad
Int/Att Sck/Att Comp %
Sanchez 86.62 19.85 -11.86
Ryan -11.09 -35.20 0.62
Flacco -12.99 -66.67 -0.17
The other area that the Jets may consider protecting their QB more is
in the situational play calling. Sanchez and the Jets throw far more
often on 3rd and short than Ryan and Flacco did last season as neither
QB was really given a chance to throw in those spots. Sanchez has
already thrown as many 3rd down passes as Flacco did all of last
season and is only two behind Ryan. he Falcons and Ravens both were
able to get a greater percentage of 3rd and short situations and that
is reflected in their higher 3rd down conversion percentages.
Sanchez vs Ryan vs Flacco: 3rd Down Playcalls
% 3rd < 2 % Passes on 3rd < 2 3rd Down Conversion %
Sanchez 12.2 54.5 37
Ryan 24.2 16.0 43
Flacco 15.4 18.2 41
There has been too much talk about benching Mark Sanchez as if that
will somehow solve the problems the Jets have. Odds are anyone they
put back there is going to have the same problems Sanchez has simply
due to the offensive style. They will have problems converting on 3rd
down and they will turn the ball over at a very high rate. If they
design an offense to protect Sanchez in the pocket and give him easy
targets the way the Falcons and Ravens did all this talk should go
away. He is playing better than Flacco, but because Flacco was
insulated by a better more QB friendly system he looked like a stud
rookie. If the Jets can get Schottenheimer to do the same there will
be a decent chance that Sanchez will also look like a star in 2009.
Yeah, Brees became good once he got away from Schotty. Ditto for Rivers.
And so it begins, you’re eating your own kin.
Schotty is without a doubt the worst coordinator I’ve ever seen!!!!!!!! Hackett was bad but Schotty is clueless…He should be the QB coach and that’s it…Weis would be great but it’ll never happen…Promote Callahan immediately and demote Schotty…I believe if Callahan had been calling the plays this season the Jets would be at least 6-4….You can’t blame Rex for Schotty because Tanny made Rex agree to retain Schotty or he wouldn’t have gotten the head coaching job…Tanny basically commanded Rex to leave the offense to Schotty so I blame Tanny for Rex neglecting the offense…..
4-6 speaks for itself. schotty blew his chance and must go . he probably recognizeshis fate by now.
seriosly, who would foolish to hire him as
Bassett-
“Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!!!!!”AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..AHAH..HA (drops dead)
JetsRdone-
I heard the exact same thing, Rex was stuck with Schotty this season or no job. I heard that from people who have family that work for the Jets.
Jetsrdone and Jetsrdone,
I remember Rex doing all the coach-speak about how Schotty will be a head coach someday and how he trusts everyone to do their jobs. Given, his last statement. Let’s say the writings on the wall. Who’s the next Jets Offensive coordinator?
Dean
Harlan-that was OUTSTANDING, the best post Ive ever read on this site
Basset, you stated that Jets fans love to call for the head of the offensive coordinator and said that it’s like in our DNA or something. However, the only other offensive coordinator that I can recall Jets fans hating is Paul Hackett who is not coincidentally connected to Brian Schottenheimer..Remember, Paul Hackett was Marty Schottenheimer’s (Brian’s father) offensive coordinator for years at Kansas City….I wouldn’t be surprised if Brian learned from Hackett….Is there any other offensive coordinator who was vilified by Jets fans because I can’t think of any?
Harlan,
Great stuff. That is some serious evidence right there showing QB’s in Schotty’s system. I’m starting to believe his system is a QB killer. Ok, not starting, but now I am fully behind the QB Killer tag he’s gotten.
I mean, Favre’s injury might’ve made his stats a little worse, but he was not playing as well as ‘07 or ‘09 until that point when he got hurt.
I’m in favor of Callahan stepping up for a few reasons. He has been working with the O-line for a few years now and has instituted his zone blocking scheme that he would use in his offense. He’s had experience running an offense. It would play well to our personnel as he likes a power running game and vertical passing game (and with our receiving corps we could easily pull that off). He has head coaching experience so Rex really could leave his O-coordinator to his own devices this go-round. It would be the easiest transition for the running game and Sanchez is a smart kid I think he would be able to handle learning Callahan’s offense (because Callahan would have the common sense to dumb it down a bit, rely on his running game, and let Sanchez slowly develop a larger role…as he earns it).
Harlan, great job, thanks for providing evidence.
Please send a copy to Woody Johnson.
Reading between the lines there, Clemens struggles certainly seem explainable, I am surprised the writer dismisses him.
If they system explains Sanchez’ struggles would it not also vindicate Clemens somewhat since he had much, much less talent to work with.
He low completion percentage and high INT rate certainly would seem explainable simply be mentioning his two mains recievers, Brad Smith and J McDroppins.
I still believe Clemens will be yet another QB that will leave Schotts system and improve dramatically in his next home, which is completely intuitive considering results of Chad and Farve.
WOJF,
That’s saying Clemens ever gets another shot to start. I don’t see that happening. Bad team and QB Killing Offense aside, he really would just make terrible decisions (yes, even worse than Sanchez makes).
Credit where credit’s due, that great article was written by Jason from nyjetscap.com (the same guy that made the 3rd comment in this thread), but it was a good find by Harlan and an extremely relevant addition to the debate.
schotty has to go. Im one of those people that defended schotty for years but it glaring now. Its a rookie RUN the ball we were the number one rushing team. run run and run some more. So what their gonna stack the box theyve been doing that all year. He has no rhythm no imagination. And are you honestly going to call a wildcat play agains the pats when their still mad they got pounded last year by it…and do you really think ur going to catch them off guard with such a stupid play..on 3rd and 2?
bottom line hes got to go or rex needs to let him know…hey moron!!!stop being stupid!!!
hes a jerk
I agree, Schotty needs to go. I do believe he is a great football mind. And probably a great OC, just not for our team and the personel we have. As Rex says and i personally believe, we have the personel to win now; just not with this offensive scheme. I dont want him to be the QB killer he has been known to be (based on previous experiences) with our young QB on hand. Sanchez appears to me to be a down field fieled stretching type of QB, not like farve but more downfiel than pennington. We need to utilize this ability and Callahan is next in line so time for him to step up