New York Jets: The problems with the passing game

The New York Jets are once again having issues moving the football, but it’s much more than the offensive line not giving their quarterback time to throw.

Anyone who watched the last two games can plainly see it: the New York Jets are having issues in pass protection. Plays aren’t developing downfield, because there’s “not enough time” for Sam Darnold. However, that’s not entirely accurate.

The Dolphins and Browns got to Darnold, but how much can we pin on the line, and how much is on Darnold? Darnold is a rookie, and there’s clearly a learning curve here, but to pin it completely on the offensive line isn’t fair to them when you look at a very specific number.

NFL.com has what they refer to as Next Gen Stats. To track these stats, people aren’t watching film. They’re actually being gathered in real-time thanks to trackers in the stadium and on the players. Here’s what is written on the site for Next Gen Stats.

"NFL player tracking, also known as Next Gen Stats, is the capture of real time location data, speed and acceleration for every player, every play on every inch of the field. Sensors throughout the stadium track tags placed on players’ shoulder pads, charting individual movements within inches."

Like traditional stats, the nuances of the game aren’t there, but we can tell a lot about the player from these numbers. Since it’s tracked in real-time, the stats can be updated quickly and don’t have to be input manually. So, almost immediately after the game, the numbers will be added.

When you combine the eye test with the data compiled by the Next Gen Stats technology, we can see that there’s a lot of blame of the shoulders of Darnold in one key stat — Time to Throw.

From snap to release, he’s averaging 2.94 seconds (sixth highest in the NFL) per pass attempt. That means he’s making a common rookie mistake — holding on to the ball too long — which is aiding in the pass rush being able to get home. This also tells us that the line isn’t as bad as they look, if they’re giving him nearly three seconds to throw every time.

His receivers also need to do a better job at getting open. Jermaine Kearse leads the NFL in average cushion (8.8 yards at the line of scrimmage), and Robby Anderson is getting seven yards at the line of scrimmage. Despite this, their both averaging less than three yards of separation.

In the end, this game falls on the quarterback’s shoulders. Sure, he’s young, but he’s going to have to work on getting the ball out quicker, and receivers need to find ways to get open. It’s not always on the offensive line. It may be that the guys up front are actually doing their jobs, and others aren’t. The boys up front aren’t completely absolved from blame, but they’re also not completely to blame either.