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The Jets have hired a head coach with defensive background, but the offensive spirit he brings with him could be the key to solving the team’s quarterback problem.
New head coach Robert Saleh is expected to bring Mike LaFleur with him from San Francisco to be his offensive coordinator. LaFleur, the younger brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, was the 49ers’ passing coordinator.
LaFleur could be the person the Jets accuse of trying to get Sam Darnold back on track. The team have a decision to decide whether to try to trade the 23-year-old quarterback they drafted third overall in 2018 and move on or try to save him.
Josh McCown, who played with Darnold in 2018 and remains close to him, believes Darnold could thrive in LaFleur’s offense. LaFleur is expected to execute a version of Kyle Shanahan’s offense that is used in San Francisco and has become popular in the league.
“I think where Sam is in his development and to kind of reset and take stock of what he’s been doing over the last three years, but growing up and moving forward, I think that’s the perfect system to do it, ”McCown said Friday. “You take the pressure off the quarterback a little bit to be a big decision maker in the dropback game. It’s a heavy running game and playing action and action game football, it’s good and easy football because you pretend and then it’s typically a 1-2-3 type. There are not necessarily comprehensive readings in game-action football. You can keep the quarterback’s eyes in one place and limit their options and help them play better football.
Shanahan’s offense dates back to Kyle’s dad, Mike, who popularized it with the Broncos from 1995-2008. It relies heavily on zone runs and play-action shifting from current play. Shanahan’s offense also includes more deployments and plays to take the quarterback out of pocket. The Jets aired a version of it during Darnold’s rookie season when Jeremy Bates was their offensive coordinator.
“[Darnold] makes good plays, but he also makes bad decisions, ”said McCown. “I think when it’s more of a program outside the pocket, when it’s the movement game, which they do so well, I think that’s going to slow down some of that decision making. This will give him better options. I think it will be better for him.
McCown, who finished the season with the Texans, said he has watched a lot of Jets games this year and seen Darnold wrestle.
“I think he was pushing and trying to win every game with just one pitch,” McCown said. “You could just see the frustration. You hate it for him. I think the circumstances with the pressure on the situation of the coaches and everything I think forced him into bad football. The best thing about Sam is that he takes ownership of it and he will work to improve himself.
McCown said the Jets shouldn’t give up on Darnold.
“I think given his level of talent and the type of kid he is,” said McCown, “letting him attempt a new offense would make sense just from the point of view of how much you believe in the guys you have. hired. “
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