Finding Brian Schottenheimer: Coordinating the Jets Offense to Hide Weaknesses

Rex Ryan's commitment to retaining offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer after the New York Jets' catastrophic 2008 collapse was met with plenty of hesitation from the fans.

Why did Ryan have so much faith in the man whose offense sputtered to a screeching halt down the final stretch of the season?

The simple answer: Schottenheimer's hands were tied for two consecutive seasons. Ryan would have the world believe that the coordinator's creativity was stifled by the lack of quality personnel available to him.

It's a theory that isn't difficult to believe if you can remember how promising the Jets' offense looked in 2006.

There were certainly concerns coming out of the unexpected playoff appearance, but it appeared as if the Jets were on the verge of something great.

When it was all said and done, Schottenheimer was impressive enough to generate interest for the head coaching vacancy in Miami, but chose to stay in New York to finish what he started.

That plan looks to continue into 2009.

The Anti-Marty Ball

The New York Jets' offense took the field in 2006 and created absolute confusion. Chad Pennington opened the season with back-to-back 300-yard performances as opposing defenses lost track of who they had to cover.

Tight ends would shift away from the offensive line, running backs would split out wide, and Pennington was encouraged to audible whenever he saw fit.

It was the exactly what the Jets needed after losing Curtis Martin to the knee injury that forced him into an early retirement.

Without any marquee names on offense, the Jets took the field with a committee of running backs led by then-rookie Leon Washington.

The rushing attack failed to amount to much as Washington led a cast of five different backs with 650 rushing yards of his own. 

And the wide receiver situation was even more frightening than the one New York currently faces.

Jerricho Cotchery was an unknown commodity, receiving the nod to start after an impressive training camp. With only 25 career receptions to his credit at the time, Cotchery emerged under Schottenheimer's play calling.

He finished his first season as a starter with 82 receptions, enough to earn him a contract extension.

That season, the top receivers behind Cotchery and Laveranues Coles were Justin McCareins and the aging Tim Dwight. Both of their best seasons were behind them at that point, whereas the Jets' current receivers show promise.

David Clowney's 2008 preseason performances have many expecting him to be the vertical threat New York has never had. Chansi Stuckey, a former seventh-round pick, proved his ability to haul in tough catches in 2008. And with four years in the system, QB-turned-WR Brad Smith could be poised to earn the job in 2009.

There's no reason to believe that Schottenheimer can't work a game plan that takes advantage of his player's strengths again.

But What Happened?

If you choose to believe that Schottenheimer's hands were tied for two consecutive seasons, you'd be very pleased to know that the evidence would support you.

In his second season as the coordinator, the offensive line was in absolute disarray.

The basics of Football 101 will teach you that nothing is accomplished without an offensive line. The running game stumbled, and Chad Pennington was benched after a 1-7 start. Schottenheimer's offense finished 26th in the NFL.

The Pete Kendall contract fiasco crippled the line as the Jets were forced to ship the disgruntled lineman to the Washington Redskins.

He was replaced by a career back-up in Adrian Clarke, while the Jets used the subpar Anthony Clement at right tackle to start the season.

Neither one has played for any team since being released at the end of 2007.

Then came 2008 and the arrival of Brett Favre with aspirations of a threatening aerial attack. Fueled by the millions the Jets spent on left guard Alan Faneca and right tackle Damien Woody, the Jets had the potential to be a top offense.

Unfortunately, Schottenheimer was forced to scale back the offense he had been developing in order to accommodate Favre. Uncomfortable with shifts and motions, the veteran requested that the pre-snap confusion be eliminated from the team's repertoire.

With the changes to Schottenheimer's plans, the team's offensive success varied throughout the season.

Thomas Jones found his rhythm behind the new line, and Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey quickly emerged as Favre's favorite targets. Dustin Keller picked up steam half way through the season.

It was a productive system until the Jets' opponents realized that they didn't have a legitimate down-field threat. Cornerbacks stopped respecting the accuracy of Favre's arm and challenged him to beat them deep. 

Giving Him One More Schott

In an interview on SNY's Jets Nation, Leon Washington was enthusiastic as he discussed Schottenheimer's plans to revert back to the 2006 style of play.

If it was good enough to earn Chad Pennington his first Comeback Player of the Year honors and a 3,300-yard season without an efficient running game, it's easy to feel optimistic about what he could do with the current roster.

With a stronger offensive line, a batch of young and hungry receivers, and a running game that led the AFC in 2008, the barrel looks to be loaded for Schottenheimer to make a bang in 2009.

Bringing variety and explosiveness to the field could earn him that head coaching job that Rex Ryan is convinced will be available to him sooner than later.

He'll certainly be tested as the Jets face one of the toughest schedules this season.