The kids are alright: How the New York Jets put their young stars in position to succeed

On Sunday, the New York Jets beat the Miami Dolphins 40-17 in what was one of the biggest offensive outputs of the Robert Saleh era. New York averaged 0.18 EPA/play and almost six yards per play. More importantly than that, the Jets’ young stars showed their flashes of potential throughout the game.

Rookie RB Breece Hall had 197 total yards of offense, Garrett Wilson averaged nine yards per catch, and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker played extremely well at right tackle, a position he hadn’t played before in the NFL. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is doing really interesting things with the Jets offense, things that could be very sustainable heading into the future.

One thing that’s stood out about the young Jets’ offense and LaFleur’s playcalling is how often he uses both Michael Carter and Hall at the same time. As we probably all know by now, Mike LaFleur and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur are brothers, and they share a similarity in using Pony personnel (2 RBs). Through five games, the Jets have used both backs on the field in 14 of their 119 rushing attempts, per Sports Info Solutions (SIS). That’s about an 11 percent clip.

Carter and Hall work very complementary to each other, and using their motion helps draw attention away from the box, where the run is happening. The play goes for 3 yards, but the process here is good by the Jets. Get your best players the ball in any way how.

Even before QB Zach Wilson returned from injury, the process was there. LaFleur would line up Hall out wide, then motion him in for a jet sweep. Just a really cool way of getting Hall the ball, where he is electric.

In the passing game, the offense is well sequenced, using play action and horizontal action to beat defenses. It’s always good to have your RBs running vertical in the passing game, and LaFleur was able to use that to his advantage against Miami. The Dolphins think they’re getting outside zone, and Eric Rowe literally freezes. This allows Hall to leak free and he’s off for a 79 yard gain.

This doesn’t just apply to the backs, either. WR Garrett Wilson is benefiting from this as well. I mentioned him as a guy to keep your eye on in Establish the Fun, and LaFleur is using him in a way that lets his best traits shine: his explosiveness and suddenness. Wilson leads the Jets in routes run from the slot, and getting Wilson free releases has been critical in the Jets offense.

Here, Wilson turns a whip route into a chain mover due to his explosiveness in and out of cuts. Watch how hard he sticks his foot into the ground and changes direction. It leaves the slot defender in the dust.

Wilson is lined up in the slot here and runs a glance off of the RPO by Wilson. The run action moves the LBs and Wilson has a free run, but look at the burst in and out of cuts that can be given to him through free releases. It’s overall good process by LaFleur and the Jets.

That leaves us to the most important chip in this young Jets offense’s puzzle: Zach Wilson. In order for their ceiling to be reached, with the talent they have, Wilson has to play more consistently up to the 2nd overall pick that he was selected with. He flashed the ability to make the throws, such as this blaze out to Corey Davis, where his eyes and feet are all connected and he hangs in the pocket.

However, there are still concerns about timing and decision making, especially when the look is cloudier on defense. On this play he has Elijah Moore over the middle, but doesn’t pull the trigger due to the Tampa defender. this could’ve been a TD, but Wilson was too hesitant.

Overall, the Jets’ young pieces on offense should give Jets fans excitement for the future. LaFleur obviously has a plan and a philosophy for what he wants to do, and that’s a good thing. However, this offense will truly get to the consistency and ability that is shown in structure if Wilson plays better, which isn’t totally out of the cards.

In short, the kids are alright.