New York Jets need to run the ball and stop the run to win

The New York Jets need to get back to the ground and pound offense and win games with the running game and defense.

Despite the media’s persistence that the quarterback is the most important position on the field, three of the quarterbacks remaining in the playoffs are what they consider average. Additionally, eight of the 12 teams that made the playoffs were in the top 12 in rushing attempts and yards per attempt, and nine of them were in the top 12 in rushing yards. The New York Jets need to get back to running the football to see the NFL Playoffs again.

When it comes to pass/run ratio, most people look at pass attempts vs. run attempts, but there are times when teams drop back to pass and don’t attempt passes. The Jets dropped back to pass on 57.6 percent of their offensive plays and about 9.7 times more per game. That makes the Jets more predictable.

The Jets need to build their offense to run the ball more by focusing on the interior of the offensive line. According to Football Outsiders, the Jets offensive line the adjusted line yards (yardage the offensive line is responsible for) on runs up the middle was 3.75, which was 29th in the NFL.

When it comes to stopping the run, the Jets were terrible too. They were 24th in against the run and tied for 18th most in rushing touchdowns allowed. Seven of the top 12 teams in rush defense made the playoffs, and eight of the top teams in rushing touchdowns allowed made the playoffs.

When it comes to passing offenses though, only six of the top 12 in passing offense made the playoffs, while five of the teams that were in the top 12 in passing touchdowns made the playoffs.

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Some want to continue to drive home the narrative that it’s a quarterback driven league. No matter what they tell you, this league will always be about the teams that can run the ball effectively and stop the run, period.