Mornhinweg says Jets can get by without an accurate quarterback

[F.Chowds]

Among the many problems for the Jets’ offense last season was that quarterback Mark Sanchez completed just 54.3 percent of his passes, ranking 30th of 32 qualifying quarterbacks. But new Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg says that’s not necessarily that big a problem.

Asked in an interview on the Jets’ website if there’s a certain completion percentage benchmark that he’ll need his quarterback to reach, Mornhinweg answered, “No, absolutely not.”

Mornhinweg went on to say that he has seen quarterbacks have great seasons without great completion percentages.

“Some of the great ones have really not thrown for such great accuracy,” Mornhinweg said. “Steve Young was astronomical accuracy-wise. Brett Favre wasn’t. Brett Favre, I believe won an MVP two different times out of the three times that he won it, throwing 58, 59, 60 percent, somewhere in there. So they all come in different shapes and sizes.”

For the record, in the three seasons that Favre was MVP he completed 63.0, 59.9 and 59.3 percent of his passes. In four NFL seasons Sanchez has never completed more than 56.7 percent of his passes. So even if Favre wasn’t known for great accuracy, Sanchez still has work to do to get to Favre’s level. It’s also important to note that NFL passing offenses have changed significantly in the years since Favre was winning MVPs. Favre’s 59.3 percent completion rate in 1997 was tied for sixth in the NFL. In 2012 there were 20 NFL quarterbacks with a better completion percentage than that.

And, of course, if your completion percentage is going to be low, you’d better be making big plays downfield. Sanchez wasn’t: He averaged just 6.4 yards a pass and threw just 13 touchdown passes last season. Mornhinweg acknowledged that a less accurate passer needs to make up for it by making more big plays.

“Those guys that throw for a little bit less accuracy typically are generating a little bit bigger plays on occasion. There’s a little bit of a tradeoff there,” Mornhinweg said.

Overall, Mornhinweg said the Jets are going to have an agressive, physical offense this year.

“We’re gonna go after people,” Mornhinweg said. “There are different ways to go after people, but we’re going to go after ’em and we’re going to play to our players’ strengths rather than concerning ourselves too much about their weaknesses.”

It will be easier to do that if the Jets are completing more than 55 percent of their passes

[NJ]

The article doesn't address the high completion % to the opposing team which, when coupled with fumbles, doesn't constitute going after people. 

[T0mShane]

So excited.

[slats]

Nice to see a new rallying cry taking form early in 2013.

[Pac]

accuracy schmaccuracy.

[faba]

Yeah this is called the glass half full theory

[dbatesman]

lolwut

[LIJetsFan]

“We’re gonna go after people,” Mornhinweg said. “There are different ways to go after people, but we’re going to go after ’em and we’re going to play to our players’ strengths rather than concerning ourselves too much about their weaknesses.”

Can someone please explain what he means here?  These statements seem to contradict.

[slats]

Can someone please explain what he means here?  These statements seem to contradict.

He means the Jets are screwed at the QB position this year.

[JustInFudge]

Among the many problems for the Jets’ offense last season was that quarterback Mark Sanchez completed just 54.3 percent of his passes, ranking 30th of 32 qualifying quarterbacks. But new Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg says that’s not necessarily that big a problem.

Asked in an interview on the Jets’ website if there’s a certain completion percentage benchmark that he’ll need his quarterback to reach, Mornhinweg answered, “No, absolutely not.”

Mornhinweg went on to say that he has seen quarterbacks have great seasons without great completion percentages.

“Some of the great ones have really not thrown for such great accuracy,” Mornhinweg said. “Steve Young was astronomical accuracy-wise. Brett Favre wasn’t. Brett Favre, I believe won an MVP two different times out of the three times that he won it, throwing 58, 59, 60 percent, somewhere in there. So they all come in different shapes and sizes.”

For the record, in the three seasons that Favre was MVP he completed 63.0, 59.9 and 59.3 percent of his passes. In four NFL seasons Sanchez has never completed more than 56.7 percent of his passes. So even if Favre wasn’t known for great accuracy, Sanchez still has work to do to get to Favre’s level. It’s also important to note that NFL passing offenses have changed significantly in the years since Favre was winning MVPs. Favre’s 59.3 percent completion rate in 1997 was tied for sixth in the NFL. In 2012 there were 20 NFL quarterbacks with a better completion percentage than that.

And, of course, if your completion percentage is going to be low, you’d better be making big plays downfield. Sanchez wasn’t: He averaged just 6.4 yards a pass and threw just 13 touchdown passes last season. Mornhinweg acknowledged that a less accurate passer needs to make up for it by making more big plays.

“Those guys that throw for a little bit less accuracy typically are generating a little bit bigger plays on occasion. There’s a little bit of a tradeoff there,” Mornhinweg said.

Overall, Mornhinweg said the Jets are going to have an agressive, physical offense this year.

“We’re gonna go after people,” Mornhinweg said. “There are different ways to go after people, but we’re going to go after ’em and we’re going to play to our players’ strengths rather than concerning ourselves too much about their weaknesses.”

It will be easier to do that if the Jets are completing more than 55 percent of their passes

 

No trade off with Sanchez, bub.  Welcome!

[Kleckineau]

Not a good sign when the OC speaks of Sanchez in comparison to Favre.

It would have been smarter to lie and say we can fix it.

[faba]

Marty you need to keep quiet- more comments like these and your tenure will be short

[The Crusher]

accuracy schmaccuracy.

 

 

 

Well we did need a new slogan to replace "Can't wait" on Jet fan T=shirts.  

[Pac]

Well we did need a new slogan to replace "Can't wait" on Jet fan T=shirts.  

 

 

Garrard to Hayden Smith.  Records will be broken.

[SenorGato]

Marty shouldn't talk to the press.

In other news, Mike Vick went from the low 50's with the Falcons to high 50's and a low 60s season with the Eagles.

[Bugg]

Marty is updating his resume along with a cover letter with a January, 2014 date.

[whodeawhodat]

Play to our strenghts, nice.  what are our strengths:

QB play?

WR play?

OL play?

RB play?

TE play?

Did I forget a single position on offense?  Can we create a play that maximizes the "strength" of our center and left tackle?  Hope we draft well....

[Maxman]

The article doesn't address the high completion % to the opposing team which, when coupled with fumbles, doesn't constitute going after people. 

 

Which proves that these metrics are slanted against Sanchez.  It is simply misleading.  It is called completion %.  It isn't called completion % to your team.  They need to update the name or change the calculation.

[flgreen]

Garrard to Hayden Smith.  Records will be broken.

Garrard is actually a very accurate passer, and with Moore getting signed the Jets better get Garrard signed quick, or they are going to be going into the season with Taco, McElroy, and Brady Quinn.

 

(sobbing)

[Integrity28]

Can someone please explain what he means here?  These statements seem to contradict.

 

 

He means that the personnel on the Jets is so pitiful, that they'll be lucky enough to competently run their own plays, let alone game planning to attack an opponent's soft spots on defense.

 

Basically, what we've seen the past few years.

[T0mShane]

That must have been an awesome conversation, by the way:

Andy Reid: So, I took the Chiefs job.

Marty: Cool. I loveeeee barbecue.

Andy: Yeaaahhhhh. About that...

[LIJetsFan]

He means that the personnel on the Jets is so pitiful, that they'll be lucky enough to competently run their own plays, let alone game planning to attack an opponent's soft spots on defense.

 

Basically, what we've seen the past few years.

Ok, now it makes sense.  By “We’re gonna go after people, he means what Rex said that we'd be an attacking offense, and  by "we’re going to play to our players’ strengths rather than concerning ourselves too much about their weaknesses.” he means what you said and what we saw while Shotty was here, that we're not good enough to go after weaknesses.  Well, I guess you gotta be realistic but that's deflating.

[Il Mostro]

Play to our strenghts, nice.  what are our strengths:

QB play?

WR play?

OL play?

RB play?

TE play?

Did I forget a single position on offense?  Can we create a play that maximizes the "strength" of our center and left tackle?  Hope we draft well....

 

 

Balance.  It's all about the balance we have at these positions. 

[dbatesman]

Ok, now it makes sense. By “We’re gonna go after people, he means what Rex said that we'd be an attacking offense

One of ours, two of theirs, etc.

[#27TheDominator]

Well we did need a new slogan to replace "Can't wait" on Jet fan T=shirts.  

 

 

You mean "Know and know you know" didn't catch on?

[JetsFanInDenver]

The point he is trying to make is that the offense does not have Brett Favre and Steve Young!

[bitonti]

This thread made me think of how Mark played this year. I got queasy. 

[greeniemeanie]

Gee, this gets me all sorts of excited about 2013....

[faba]

Yeah we are going to run the table with a QB throwing 40% completions- because we are going to go after them hard

[LIJetsFan]

Ok, here is the source of the confusion.  The OP didn't give the entire quote: 

 

"We're gonna go after people," Mornhinweg told the team's official site.

"There's different ways to go after people, but we're going to go after 'em and we're going to play to our players' strengths rather than concerning ourselves too much about their weaknesses. If a man can't do that, then we'll get another player that can for that particular play."
 

 

So, viewed in this light Mornhinweg is not implying that he'll not be going after defenses weaknesses.  Phew, that's a relief.

 

P.S.: I really hope they sign Garrard  even if they don't get a full 16 games out of him he'll be an upgrade vs our current roster.

[#27TheDominator]

The Sparano theory was that they were not going to concern themselves with the weakness of the defense.  Just do what you are supposed to do.  I never took Mornhinweg's comment to mean he wasn't concerned about the defense, but that he was going to do what the offense was good at and not worry about what they are bad at.  The difference between offense and defense is that on defense your weakness gets exploited, but on offense you can still be successful if you can only do one thing well.  The Giants had some great runs despite complete inability to run the ball.  You have to take what the D gives you though.  Tebow is no great passer, but he dropped those bombs against the Steelers because they were trying to stop what he could do well. I don't have any problem with what MM said, but I also don't think it means he is going to do anything great with this cast of characters.  Talk is cheap.    I know, I do it for a living.

[whodeawhodat]

The Sparano theory was that they were going to concern themselves with the weakness of the defense.  Just do what you are supposed to do.  I never took Mornhinweg's comment to mean he wasn't concerned about the defense, but that he was going to do what the offense was good at and not worry about what they are bad at.  The difference between offense and defense is that on defense your weakness gets exploited, but on offense you can still be successful if you can only do one thing well.  The Giants had some great runs despite complete inability to run the ball.  You have to take what the D gives you though.  Tebow is no great passer, but he dropped those bombs against the Steelers because they were trying to stop what he could do well. I don't have any problem with what MM said, but I also don't think it means he is going to do anything great with this cast of characters.  Talk is cheap.    I know, I do it for a living.

unless you play the jets offense, in which case we will ignore your defense's weakness and go about attacking with our strengths(still dont know what our strengths are on offense but...).

[kelticwizard]

“There are different ways to go after people, but we’re going to go after ’em and we’re going to play to our players’ strengths rather than concerning ourselves too much about their weaknesses.”

 

It sounds like a polite way of saying that play selection sucked last year, among other things.

[kelticwizard]

“Those guys that throw for a little bit less accuracy typically are generating a little bit bigger plays on occasion. There’s a little bit of a tradeoff there,” Mornhinweg said.

 

If Sanchez wins the starting job, I would much, much prefer that his completion percentage stay below 60% and he completes a few bombs than he go over 60% with few or no long passes.  Of course, for him to do that he would need receivers who get open downfield.

[Ken Schroy]

Superbowl Baby!!!