Much has been made this week about Aaron Glenn’s game mismanagement that resulted in the New York Jets losing in overtime to the Green Bay Packers, 20-17.
But the offense for the Jets also deserves some criticism in the wake of that devastating loss, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich stepped up on Thursday to talk about what happened in that devastating loss.
Glenn and Reich are in constant communication during the games, and Glenn tells Reich what he wants in specific situations, like burning the clock. But Reich acts as the primary head coach of the offense and handles play-calling duties based on their aligned vision.
That came to a head in the Packers game. A crucial 4th-and-1 late in regulation resulted in Reich calling for a Braelon Allen run out of the shotgun. It was stuffed at midfield, leaving the Packers in prime position. However, the Jets defense rose up and the Packers didn’t score, sending the game into overtime.
Reich claims that multi-year data shows that shotgun runs on fourth-and-short convert at a higher statistical clip (71%) than under-center attempts (67%). The threat of a pass out of the formation helps keep defenses honest.
Allen was stopped on the play by Lukas Van Ness, who was all over the field for the Packers during that game.
“As a play caller in those situations, everything is always on the table — under center, shotgun, pass, run,’’ Reich said in his media session. “I’m always going to call what I think is the best play in the moment, and that’s what I did. When it doesn’t work out, sure, you’re upset, you think maybe you should’ve called something else, but you have to live with the results. I’m comfortable and confident in the calls we made.’’
Reich cited a five-year study, excluding quarterback sneaks, that shows shotgun runs on fourth-and-1 convert at about 71 percent compared to 67 percent under center.
“The gun run is actually better, in part because the threat of a pass keeps the defense from getting too tight,’’ Reich said. “We also had a five-year study showing pass conversion at 57 percent versus 71 percent on the ground. Trust me, we’re going to throw it on fourth-and-1 sometimes too, maybe this week, maybe not.
“But unless you’re one of the few truly elite quarterback-sneak teams, the analytics say a shotgun direct run is the best-percentage call. That’s what we had the most conviction in. We didn’t convert it, so you live with it.’’
Reich and the Jets offense get a chance for redemption Sunday against the Detroit Lions, which have a banged-up secondary.
