Key To Improving Third Down Conversions: New York Jets Must Be Better On First Down

by Matt Birch on Dec 15, 2010 4:04 PM EST

In case you didn't know, Jets have struggled in third down conversions as well as red zone scoring percentage all season. Not the type of things you expect to see from a "ground-and-pound" team.

Jets rank No. 30 in red zone scoring percentage, scoring a touchdown only 36.85 percent of the time.
Jets rank No. 17 in third down conversion percentage, converting 37.50 percent of the time

After watching QB Mark Sanchez throw 44 times on Sunday (completing only 17 passes), it's clear why. The Jets and OC Brian Schottenheimer have gotten away from the simple "run, run, pass" gameplan. They are failing to gain yards on first down, and we saw a lot of "2nd & 10" downs as a result. You cannot win a game when you don't pick up yards on first down.

Yesterday, Manish Mehta tweeted some disconcerting statistics which shed some light on why Jets are struggling on third downs. Take note of the stats which are bolded.

TheJetsStream Manish Mehta

Craziest stat of #Jets loss? They called 20 pass plays on 21 3rd downs. Only 1 designed 3rd-down run all gm http://nydn.us/eRNW1K #nfl #nyj

TheJetsStream Manish Mehta

Dissecting #Jets offensive woes: #NYJ only gained 2.5 yards per play on 1st dn w/9.2 yards to go on 3rd on Sunday http://nydn.us/eRNW1K #nfl

20 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

TheJetsStream Manish Mehta

Since you can't look at 3rd downs in a vacuum, consider this: #Jets average yards gained on 1st down Sunday was 2.5 yards. Not good. #nfl

Tweet Comment 15 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

They’re not throwing on first down often, at last last week they didn’t

We were laughing in the stands because every single first down was a run up the middle for 2 yards.

by DerekJTR2 on Dec 15, 2010 4:57 PM EST reply actions

They didn't as much on Sunday per se, but they rank in the top 10 in "pass attempts on first down" this season.

Saw the stat on twitter, trying to find it now.

They call me Joe Benigno --- Mike Florio, even.

Pragmatic Jets fan, telling it like it is. Sorry.

by Matt Birch on Dec 15, 2010 5:03 PM EST up reply actions

I believe they only threw once on 1st down in the first half.

by ________key on Dec 15, 2010 5:24 PM EST up reply actions

I should have said “on 1st and 10”.

by ________key on Dec 15, 2010 5:24 PM EST up reply actions

i was at the game and it was actually very frustrating because they kept running up the gut and not gaining yards. they should have done a few boot play actions on first, they were very predictable

by jets! on Dec 15, 2010 5:04 PM EST reply actions

. they should have done a few boot play actions

This is a great point, and adds on to what DerekJTR2 said above.

You have a MOBILE QUARTERBACK, the opposition was LOOKING for the run UP THE MIDDLE, and they chose not to run a bootleg?

Either a bootleg/play-action pass or allow Sanchez to run it on a naked bootleg.` This worked well in the postseason last year, but they didn’t do it on Sunday.

They call me Joe Benigno --- Mike Florio, even.

Pragmatic Jets fan, telling it like it is. Sorry.

by Matt Birch on Dec 15, 2010 5:17 PM EST up reply actions

After watching QB Mark Sanchez throw 44 times on Sunday (completing only 17 passes), it’s clear why. The Jets and OC Brian Schottenheimer have gotten away from the simple “run, run, pass” gameplan. They are throwing on first down often, and we saw a lot of “2nd & 10” downs as a result.

This is pretty misleading, indeed it is factually incorrect. It simply is not the case that the Jets were passing all over the place on 1st down against the Dolphins.

In fact in the first half the Jets only through ONCE on 1st and 10 (by my count). They instead ran 9 times for 2.4 yards a carry which simply wasn’t cutting it. In the second half they started to mix in the pass on 1st and 10 because they simply weren’t getting enough yards running the ball, but it wasn’t the case that they abandoned the run. In fact they still ran 65% of the time on 1st down, something even more skewed by the passes in the last series where they are trying to win the game needing a TD.

Here are all the first down plays from the game:

1st Quater
1st and 10 at NYJ 45
L.Tomlinson left end to NYJ 44 for -1 yards (S.Smith).
1st and 10 at NYJ 34
S.Greene left end to NYJ 36 for 2 yards (K.Misi). PENALTY on NYJ-B.Hartsock, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at NYJ 34 – No Play.
1st and 25 at NYJ 19
M.Sanchez pass incomplete short middle to D.Keller.
1st and 10 at NYJ 22
W.Hunter reported in as eligible. S.Greene right guard to NYJ 26 for 4 yards (T.McDaniel).
1st and 10 at NYJ 24
L.Tomlinson right guard to NYJ 27 for 3 yards (R.Starks).
1st and 10 at NYJ 36
L.Tomlinson right guard to NYJ 37 for 1 yard (K.Langford).

2nd Quarter
1st and 10 at MIA 46
L.Tomlinson left tackle to MIA 43 for 3 yards (K.Misi, C.Crowder).
1st and 10 at NYJ 44
S.Greene right guard to NYJ 48 for 4 yards (C.Crowder).
1st and 10 at MIA 46
Direct snap to B.Smith. B.Smith left tackle to MIA 43 for 3 yards (K.Dansby).
1st and 10 at MIA 38
L.Tomlinson right tackle to MIA 35 for 3 yards (K.Langford, Q.Moses).
1st and 10 at 50
(Shotgun) M.Sanchez pass incomplete short left to L.Tomlinson.
1st and 15 at MIA 39
(Shotgun) L.Tomlinson right tackle to MIA 36 for 3 yards (S.Smith).

3rd Quarter
1st and 10 at NYJ 41
M.Sanchez pass short right to S.Greene to NYJ 49 for 8 yards (K.Dansby).
1st and 10 at MIA 37
S.Greene left tackle to MIA 32 for 5 yards (K.Dansby, C.Crowder). PENALTY on NYJ-B.Hartsock, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at MIA 37 – No Play.
1st and 20 at MIA 47
R.Turner reported in as eligible. M.Sanchez pass incomplete short right to J.Cotchery.
1st and 10 at NYJ 13
S.Greene right guard to NYJ 13 for no gain (K.Dansby).
1st and 10 at NYJ 42
L.Tomlinson left end pushed ob at NYJ 43 for 1 yard (C.Clemons).
1st and 10 at NYJ 34
L.Tomlinson up the middle to NYJ 38 for 4 yards (C.Crowder).
1st and 10 at MIA 44
L.Tomlinson left guard to MIA 41 for 3 yards (T.Dobbins).

4th Quarter
1st and 10 at NYJ 35
(Shotgun) M.Sanchez pass short right to J.Cotchery to NYJ 49 for 14 yards (B.Sapp).
1st and 10 at NYJ 49
(No Huddle) S.Greene right guard to MIA 45 for 6 yards (T.McDaniel).
1st and 10 at MIA 39
S.Greene left guard to MIA 38 for 1 yard (C.Crowder).
1st and 10 at NYJ 7
S.Greene left tackle to NYJ 10 for 3 yards (C.Crowder).
1st and 10 at NYJ 18
M.Sanchez pass incomplete deep right to S.Holmes [Q.Moses].
1st and 10 at NYJ 29
L.Tomlinson left guard to NYJ 32 for 3 yards (K.Langford).
1st and 10 at MIA 26
L.Tomlinson left guard to MIA 24 for 2 yards (K.Dansby).
1st and 10 at NYJ 30
(Shotgun) M.Sanchez pass incomplete short right to D.Keller.
1st and 10 at NYJ 25
(Shotgun) M.Sanchez pass short right to J.Cotchery to NYJ 34 for 9 yards (B.Sapp).
1st and 10 at NYJ 36
(No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Sanchez sacked at NYJ 32 for -4 yards (K.Dansby). FUMBLES (K.Dansby), and recovers at NYJ 32. M.Sanchez to NYJ 32 for no gain (R.Starks).
1st and 10 at NYJ 47
(No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Sanchez spiked the ball to stop the clock.

by ________key on Dec 15, 2010 5:23 PM EST reply actions

You are taking things way out of context. The Jets have played 13 games this season, not one.

The Miami game is ONE game. The fact is, this season, the Jets have thrown for a high percentage on first down, and it puts them in the top 10 in the NFL.

They call me Joe Benigno --- Mike Florio, even.

Pragmatic Jets fan, telling it like it is. Sorry.

by Matt Birch on Dec 15, 2010 5:30 PM EST up reply actions

Interesting that they ran behind Slauson so much (left guard)

Didn’t notice that during the game.

Brandon Moore at RG is a much better run-blocker.

They call me Joe Benigno --- Mike Florio, even.

Pragmatic Jets fan, telling it like it is. Sorry.

by Matt Birch on Dec 15, 2010 5:31 PM EST up reply actions

I didn’t notice that either, but maybe it had to do with Woody for some reason.

by ________key on Dec 15, 2010 5:37 PM EST up reply actions

I kinda don't know what you are talking about. I am responding SPECIFICALLY

to this:

After watching QB Mark Sanchez throw 44 times on Sunday (completing only 17 passes), it’s clear why. The Jets and OC Brian Schottenheimer have gotten away from the simple "run, run, pass" gameplan.

You said that you watched the exact game I gave stats from, and came away with a conclusion that the Jets were passing way too much on 1st down. It wasn’t me that brought up the Dolphins game. It was you. No?

by ________key on Dec 15, 2010 5:34 PM EST up reply actions

I should have included this in the quote

They are failing to gain yards on first down, and we saw a lot of “2nd & 10” downs as a result.

From what you wrote it certainly seems that you are referring to too many passes on 1st down in the Dolphins game.

by ________key on Dec 15, 2010 5:36 PM EST up reply actions

I just wanted to say that I didn’t mean to shoot down your general idea that the Jets have passed too much on 1st down, only to question that this was the case on Sunday.

I haven’t seen the stat you are referring to, but the offense has struck me was all over the place. Some games with a lot of 1st down runs to begin with, some games with a lot of passing in the end. I think the biggest problem has been that opponents have run blitzed the hell out of the Jets and jumped all the short passes, pretty much since game one, and the Jets just have not figured a way to counter this. Is running against 8 men in the box going to get it done? Not sure about that. I’ve always felt that a good mix of runs and play action to Keller would be nice, but who knows.

by ________key on Dec 15, 2010 6:18 PM EST reply actions