Skip to main content

Jets Part Ways with O.C. Mike LaFleur

As I wrote for Fox Sports New Jersey

The New York Jets and Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur have parted ways. After an inconsistent 2022 season, highlighted by Gang Green's inability to develop quarterback Zach Wilson, LaFleur will not return in 2023.

According to multiple reports several teams had reached about LaFleur's availability leading to New York to agree to allow the embattled offensive coordinator to pursue other opportunities elsewhere. The Jets had initially played to bring LaFleur back.



LaFleur's departure was really no surprise, not after the Jets failed to score a single touchdown in their final three games of the year. Under his stewardship, the Jets offense was one of the worst in the NFL, ranked 29th in scoring this season, and 25th in total offense. Changes had to made.

Moreover, the underdevelopment of Zach Wilson was a problem. Wilson's struggles to master the offense, combined with the young signal callers pour mechanics, and -- what many claimed -- a lack of accountability, resulted in his benching -- twice -- this season.

Not all was bad under LaFleur. Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson developed into two of the Jets most important game breakers on offense. Hall rushed for 463 yards before a knee injury ended his season in Denver.

As for Garrett Wilson, he broke the Jets rookie record for receiving yards, and is in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

When Robert Saleh brought in LaFleur, whom he has known for well over 20 years, the hope was he would learn under the guidance of Greg Knapp, but Knapp tragically passed away in a freak accident in the summer of 2021.

The Jets will likely look for a veteran offensive mind who can cure the Jets ills; perhaps get Zach Wilson on track, or work with another veteran quarterback to get the Jets offense moving in the right direction in 2023.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Jets, Dolphins and Patriots Playoff Breakdown

Here are the formuli that could get the Jets into and out of the playoff party this season: 1) If the Jets win against Seattle and Miami, they win the AFC East based on a better conference record (8-4) than the New England Patriots, even if New England wins out as well. 2) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins win out and finish at 11-5, the Jets would be 10-6, or 9-7, and probably out of the playoffs. Both New England and Miami would make the playoffs, with the Dolphins as a divison winner and the Patriots as a wild card. The Patriots make the postseason if Baltimore loses one of its final two games. 3) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins and Jets split, then the Patriots win the AFC East. The Jets will have to hope that they beat Miami to win that tie-breaker and, further, hope that they have a better conference record than the Baltimore Ravens in order to clinch the sixth seed. 4) If the Patriots and Ravens win out and the Dolphins and Jets split their final two games, then ...

Is Aaron Glenn in Danger of Getting Fired?

 According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio there is a "chance"   that Jets head coach Aaron Glenn could be fired at seasons end.  While Florio doesn't site any sources, the rumor has caught fire the last two days. The question is would it make sense? Let's examine this for a second?  Why it Makes Sense:  Glenn has not been great in his first year as Head Coach of this team. The talent has taken a major step backwards, granted two of those talented players were traded away in Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis and Quinnen Williams to Dallas.  The decision he and GM Darren Mougey made to give Justin Fields a two year deal proved to be a horrible mistake, and Glenn stuck with Fields for far too long before pulling the plug following the Jets loss to the Patriots on a Thursday night in mid November.  Glenn gave now former Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks too much power to run the defense, and the players couldn't stand Wilks. Reports indicated this week af...

Same Ol' Jets! Gang Green Dropped by Ravens

 RAVENS 24 - JETS 9  In short the opener to the 2022 season for the New York Jets was a complete and utter disaster.  A team that came into the season with the promise of better days ahead, a team that had taken on so many kudos in the off-season for what so many in the media had claimed was an impeccable off-season and draft, came out flat as a pancake when it mattered the most.  If this was a debut of what is to come for the Jets in 2022, you better start preparing your 2023 draft boards.  Sunday's 24-9 loss wasn't just a defeat at the hands of a better team, it was a total indictment of the Jets current predicament.  The Jets offensive line, which has been battered and beaten this summer with the losses of Meckhi Becton and Duane Brown looked like a sieve on Sunday. Joe Flacco, who is not exactly fleet of foot, was under siege all afternoon. The fact he came out of Sunday's game having been sacked only three times was a miracle in itself.  George Fa...