Forte, Enunwa and Amaro look to be Kings on Chan’s Chess Board

[JetNation]

By Glenn Naughton

 

As winning in the NFL becomes more and more about having a franchise quarterback, teams without that benefit are left to find ways to score points by getting creative on offense and creating mismatches for opposing defenses.

It’s something we saw Chan Gailey and the Jets do last season while utilizing receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker in the slot on

Chan Gailey guided the Jets to the NFL’s 11th ranked scoring offense in 2015.

a regular basis, and even more so  down the stretch when running back Bilal Powell was consistently featured as a receiver out of the backfield.

Barring multiple unforeseen changes, the Jets’ strength of schedule in 2016 will dwarf the 2015 version as they’re slated to take on five playoff teams in the season’s first six weeks, with the lone non-playoff representative being the Buffalo Bills who walked away victorious in both 2015 meetings with the Jets.

This means that as good as Gailey was last year, he’s going to have to be even better in his second season as the Jets coordinator, and the good news is, he may have just what he needs in terms of versatile personnel to get the upper hand in the weekly chess match that NFL coordinators engage in on a week-to-week basis.

First and foremost, the addition of running back Matt Forte could be a coup for the Jets as he’s not only one of the league’s most established runners, but he also gives opposing defenses fits in lining up just about anywhere in the formation as a receiver.  As a member of the Bears for the past 8 seasons, Forte has never had fewer than 44 receptions, and set an NFL record for running backs just two years ago when he hauled in 102 balls for 808 yards to go along with his 1,038 yards on the ground.

In looking at Gailey’s relatively recent history of work with running backs, the closest comparison in terms of skill set would be CJ Spiller whom Gailey coached in Buffalo with the Bills.  No, Forte isn’t as fast as Spiller was, but he has the same ability to get open against linebackers and safeties in the passing game.  In Gailey’s final season in Buffalo, the Bills were treated to a breakout performance from Spiller who rushed for 1,244 yards while catching 43 balls for 459 yards out of the backfield.  With all that Forte brings to the table, he’s not the only multi-talented option on offense.

Gailey’s will also have intriguing options at H-back, tight end and wide receiver due to thee presence of Quincy Enunwa and the return of Jace Amaro.

Enunwa’s stat line from 2015 doesn’t exactly jump off the page (22 receptions, 315 yards) but his explosiveness was evident at times with the ball in his hands.  His biggest play being a 48-yard catch and run against the New England Patriots in week 16, setting up Ryan Fitzpatrick’s game-winning touchdown pass to Eric Decker for a fifth consecutive win.

Enunwa has the skills to be a key playmaker for Gang Green in 2016.

Yes, there were some issues with drops for Enunwa, but as a seventh-round project out of a run-heavy program at Nebraska, there were bound to be some bumps in the road.  With improved consistency in holding on to the ball, Enunwa could be a vital piece of Gailey’s offense.

The receiver has already made a strong impression superstar Brandon Marshall who referred to Enunwa as “one of my favorite receivers I’ve ever played with because nobody else s asked to do the things he does” in referring to Enunwa’s hard-nosed playing style at H-back during an interview with JetNation.com earlier this off-season.

Enunwa’s physicality and his willingness to “stick his face in the fan” makes him a candidate for continued reps on the inside, while his 4.4 speed and pedigree also make him an option to line up outside to challenge defenses deep.

Having Forte to move around from the backfield to the slot and Enunwa who can line up at just about any receiver spot as well as H-back, the return of tight end/H-Back Jace Amaro will only add to the number of options Gailey has.

Amaro spent the majority of his time in the slot at Texas Tech when he caught 106 passes for 1,352 yards and 7 scores before being chosen

Hoping to make in impact in 2016, Amaro missed all of 2015 with a torn labrum.

by the Jets two seasons ago.  Even still, Amaro envisions himself as being able to play in a more traditional tight end role, which could benefit Gang Green immensely.

The two biggest concerns regarding Amaro are his inconsistent hands (six drops as a rookie) and his questionable blocking when he moves from the slot to the tight end or H-back position.  Blocking isn’t something he was asked to do a great deal of in college but the Jets would like to see him become a more well-rounded player.  If he’s productive enough, Gailey will find a way to incorporate Amaro into his scheme one way or another.

As a rookie, there are some encouraging, but also misleading statistics regarding Amaro’s up and down production.

He did lead all rookie tight ends in receptions with 38, but more than a quarter of those receptions came in a single game against the Denver Broncos when he hauled in 10 receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.  In the rest of his games (13 total), Amaro had just 28 catches and 277 yards, good for just over 2 catches and 21 yards per game.

Despite rumors of Amaro’s roster spot being in jeopardy,  his size and versatility paired with the Jets lack of options at the tight end position should mean he sticks on the final 53 and joins Marshall, Decker, Forte and Enunwa on Gailey’s chess board, hoping to resemble a king more than a pawn.

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[AFJF]

Just saw a clip of Forte lining up at X-receiver spot in TC.

I think this offense is going to be fun to watch even if Fitz walks and they're stuck with Geno.

[CrazyCarl40]

11 minutes ago, AFJF said:

Just saw a clip of Forte lining up at X-receiver spot in TC.

I think this offense is going to be fun to watch even if Fitz walks and they're stuck with Geno.

I think if that situation unfolds at QB, they're going to need the ancillary receivers to play much more significant roles. That is if Geno can learn to go through his progressions. 

[AFJF]

8 minutes ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

I think if that situation unfolds at QB, they're going to need the ancillary receivers to play much more significant roles. That is if Geno can learn to go through his progressions. 

That's the upside....even if he keeps locking on to his first read, he should have some quality guys who can actually get open.  Now, if he hits them or not, that remains to be seen.

I don't think Geno will be any good, but I hope he will.  With Chan running the show, he should be a much better player.  Look at what Gailey got out of Jay Fiedler.

Then of course there are the young guys like Peake and Devin Smith who could benefit from Geno's arm strength.

[32EBoozer]

Kings are very limited in their movement on a chessboard.... perhaps a Queen or a Knight, Bishop or Rook might be more appropriate.

Just sayin'..............

[Long Island Leprechaun]

5 minutes ago, 32EBoozer said:

Kings are very limited in their movement on a chessboard.... perhaps a Queen or a Knight, Bishop or Rook might be more appropriate.

Just sayin'..............

Thanks. I was about to respond with the same point. Maybe knights -- at least for the slot. King is the weakest piece on the board and is most often defended, not an attacking piece. Best it can do is reduce the opposing king's squares in an end-game mating attack.

[The Crusher]

1 hour ago, AFJF said:

Just saw a clip of Forte lining up at X-receiver spot in TC.

I think this offense is going to be fun to watch even if Fitz walks and they're stuck with Geno.

Damn first post in?  LoL

[EM31]

The chess metaphor is misplaced for a number of reasons.

Firstly, while you can argue that the king is the most important piece in the game because once it is lost the game is also lost, but it is also a relatively weak piece which is not moved very often and usually needs to be tucked away and protected by many other pieces on the board.  Are we saying the Amaro, Forte and Enunwa are weak, need to be protected and if things go according to plan, will not be used very much in the game?  Secondly it is the ONLY piece that you cannot get another one of by promoting a pawn and so there can only ever be one king of each color.  Is the article trying to say that the Jets are only going to use one at any one time of Forte, Enunwa or Amaro?  

[AFJF]

Could've gone either way with the analogy based on chess piece movement, but went with king because w/o the king, the game is over and you lose.

[AFJF]

32 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

Damn first post in?  LoL

Yep...just to make it clear that the pieces should excel no matter who the QB is.  In Chan I trust.

[Patriot Killa]

We need someone with a strong arm to take advantage of these pieces potential. Aka.. We should move forward and leave Fitz in the past. We already offered 2 different deals. That's far enough.

[AFJF]

Just now, Patriot Killa said:

We need someone with a strong arm to take advantage of these pieces potential. Aka.. We should move forward and leave Fitz in the past. We already offered 2 different deals. That's far enough.

Sorry...didn't mean to write an article that didn't focus completely on Fitz vs. Geno and try to point out the other players on offense.

My bad.

[Patriot Killa]

2 minutes ago, AFJF said:

Sorry...didn't mean to write an article that didn't focus completely on Fitz vs. Geno and try to point out the other players on offense.

My bad.

My post has nothing to do with downing your article lol. I was just stating my view on the best decision going forward for using these players full potential. 

[AFJF]

Oh, I thought you were referencing the players I mentioned in the article since this is the discussion in the thread where the article is.

As much as I like Fitz, I hate the idea of the speedsters being so limited with him at QB.

[Patriot Killa]

3 minutes ago, AFJF said:

As much as I like Fitz, I hate the idea of the speedsters being so limited with him at QB.

That's what I'm saying. If we have even a semi improved Geno, I believe we have better QB play than last season because these pieces can play deeper.

[32EBoozer]

51 minutes ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

Thanks. I was about to respond with the same point. Maybe knights -- at least for the slot. King is the weakest piece on the board and is most often defended, not an attacking piece. Best it can do is reduce the opposing king's squares in an end-game mating attack.

I see we have another chess player on the board!

[The Crusher]

19 minutes ago, AFJF said:

Yep...just to make it clear that the pieces should excel no matter who the QB is.  In Chan I trust.

Fair enough.  Just found it funny.  No disrespect

[AFJF]

Just now, The Crusher said:

Fair enough.  Just found it funny.  No disrespect

None taken...saw what you said and it was a totally valid point, which is why I wanted to explain why I said it.  I don't want it to be Fitz vs. Geno because I think the offense can be exciting either way.

[The Crusher]

3 minutes ago, AFJF said:

None taken...saw what you said and it was a totally valid point, which is why I wanted to explain why I said it.  I don't want it to be Fitz vs. Geno because I think the offense can be exciting either way.

See that's what puts me in the middle.  Geno or Fitz.  We will be watching Chan produce with the pieces he is given.  Pretty good pieces other than QB.  Sadly I feel like Fitz will take a step back and can't help to have a morbid curiosity of how Geno could do.  Obviously I hate myself. LoL

[AFJF]

2 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

See that's what puts me in the middle.  Geno or Fitz.  We will be watching Chan produce with the pieces he is given.  Pretty good pieces other than QB.  Sadly I feel like Fitz will take a step back and can't help to have a morbid curiosity of how Heno could do.  Obviously I hate myself. LoL

Agreed 100%.  I was actually disappointed when they didn't sit Fitz for a week last season when he was injured just so we could see what Geno could do with a full week of practice reps, and then again when Bowles named Fitz the starter.  Why not say open competition for 2016?  If FItz is the better QB, he starts anyway.

But again...love the weapons and versatility they bring.

[cant wait]

4 hours ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

I think if that situation unfolds at QB, they're going to need the ancillary receivers to play much more significant roles. That is if Geno can learn to go through his progressions. 

Wait you actually think fitz goes through his progressions? HAHAHAHAHAHA

[roscoeword]

Last year the analogy was to a Porsche, and Geno was the driver who shouldn't wreck the car (I think Colon's said it). This time around we are chess pieces. Hope we have a good "rook" in Hack. Marshall is our "queen" (in a good way). If Harvey was on the team, he would be the Knight, so we will settle for Decker. If Demario Davis was on the squad, he'd be the bishop. The King is the quarterback - he is not very effective, but VERY important to winning the match. We will have to protect him a great deal, doing some castling, but no matt casseling.

[HessStation]

THen at least two games are gonna come down to whether or not, either, Amaro or Enunwa caught the ball. 

[Villain The Foe]

5 hours ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

I think if that situation unfolds at QB, they're going to need the ancillary receivers to play much more significant roles. That is if Geno can learn to go through his progressions. 

Why he wasnt going through his progressions. 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000424725/article/jets-coaches-predetermined-throws-for-geno-smith

Jets coaches predetermined throws for Geno Smith

79

By Kevin Patra

Around the NFL writer

Published: Nov. 9, 2014 at 09:13 a.m.

Updated: Nov. 9, 2014 at 11:27 a.m.

Geno Smith will sit on the bench for just the second game of his career Sunday when the New York Jets host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The quarterback was yanked in Week 8 after throwing three terrible picks and was inactive last week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

While the front office is still invested in its second-round pick and wants to know whether he can be the future franchise quarterback, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said on NFL GameDay First that there is a fear that coaches might have stunted Smith's growth by dictating the quarterback's reads.

"Usually a quarterback is able to drop back, go through his reads then deliver the ball. I am told that Geno Smith was informed of his reads, told, 'You need to throw the ball here on certain plays,'" Rapoport said. "The most egregious example came on an interception on a pass intended for Percy Harvin that Stephon Gilmore, the Bills corner, picked off. Smith was told; 'This is where you need to throw the ball.' And obviously, for a quarterback who is now taking a breather last game and this game, may have hurt his development a little bit."

It's certainly an indictment on Smith's growth that coaches didn't trust him enough to make the proper reads. However, it's an even bigger indictment on a coaching staff that would insist on predetermining reads and throws pre-snap. The approach also partially explains why Smith seemed to regress this season.

Rex Ryan and his staff appear on the way out after an 1-8 start, and, while we love Ryan as a defensive play-caller, he has never quite gotten the offensive side figured out. 

The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews every Week 10 game and recaps the Browns' blowout win over the Bengals. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.

[AFJF]

Well, so much for that idea.

[cant wait]

1 hour ago, Villain The Foe said:

Why he wasnt going through his progressions. 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000424725/article/jets-coaches-predetermined-throws-for-geno-smith

Jets coaches predetermined throws for Geno Smith

79

By Kevin Patra

Around the NFL writer

Published: Nov. 9, 2014 at 09:13 a.m.

Updated: Nov. 9, 2014 at 11:27 a.m.

Geno Smith will sit on the bench for just the second game of his career Sunday when the New York Jets host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The quarterback was yanked in Week 8 after throwing three terrible picks and was inactive last week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

While the front office is still invested in its second-round pick and wants to know whether he can be the future franchise quarterback, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said on NFL GameDay First that there is a fear that coaches might have stunted Smith's growth by dictating the quarterback's reads.

"Usually a quarterback is able to drop back, go through his reads then deliver the ball. I am told that Geno Smith was informed of his reads, told, 'You need to throw the ball here on certain plays,'" Rapoport said. "The most egregious example came on an interception on a pass intended for Percy Harvin that Stephon Gilmore, the Bills corner, picked off. Smith was told; 'This is where you need to throw the ball.' And obviously, for a quarterback who is now taking a breather last game and this game, may have hurt his development a little bit."

It's certainly an indictment on Smith's growth that coaches didn't trust him enough to make the proper reads. However, it's an even bigger indictment on a coaching staff that would insist on predetermining reads and throws pre-snap. The approach also partially explains why Smith seemed to regress this season.

Rex Ryan and his staff appear on the way out after an 1-8 start, and, while we love Ryan as a defensive play-caller, he has never quite gotten the offensive side figured out. 

The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews every Week 10 game and recaps the Browns' blowout win over the Bengals. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.

It's not uncommon for coaches to predetermine throws to the "live" receiver for rookie QB's, gailey was likely handling fitz the same way. you saw earlier in the season fitz would throw these ridiculous deep passes to nobody. why? because gailey was ordering him to, in order to keep the deep threat in the defenders mind. and if you watch throughout the season, fitz consistently stares down his receivers and if his man is covered he usually takes off running or forces the ball into coverage. houston knew this better than anybody, that's why they destroyed fitz when he came back last season. the houston safety who made the last pick in the game confirmed it in the post game comments "we watched fitz the whole week and he stares receivers down"

[Villain The Foe]

1 hour ago, cant wait said:

It's not uncommon for coaches to predetermine throws to the "live" receiver for rookie QB's, gailey was likely handling fitz the same way. you saw earlier in the season fitz would throw these ridiculous deep passes to nobody. why? because gailey was ordering him to, in order to keep the deep threat in the defenders mind. and if you watch throughout the season, fitz consistently stares down his receivers and if his man is covered he usually takes off running or forces the ball into coverage. houston knew this better than anybody, that's why they destroyed fitz when he came back last season. the houston safety who made the last pick in the game confirmed it in the post game comments "we watched fitz the whole week and he stares receivers down"

Im not really sure. This is more assumption than anything. I've  never really heard of a coach basically telling a QB "On this play you throw to this guy". Thats much different than having a "dummy play" in order to get the defense thinking or playing more honest. Thats not what the article was saying about that prior Jets coaching staff. 

 

[cant wait]

3 hours ago, Villain The Foe said:

Im not really sure. This is more assumption than anything. I've  never really heard of a coach basically telling a QB "On this play you throw to this guy". Thats much different than having a "dummy play" in order to get the defense thinking or playing more honest. Thats not what the article was saying about that prior Jets coaching staff. 

 

Maybe not specific receivers, but more likely stack route combinations where fitz could in theory have multiple options on one side of the field depending on how the underneath/deep coverages were looking. If you watch the tape, you'll notice that fitz never moves his head so it's likely that he goes into each passing play with at least a predetermined section of the field that he's targeting

[Mogglez]

7 hours ago, cant wait said:

Wait you actually think fitz goes through his progressions? HAHAHAHAHAHA

I love this one. It's like people forget that we we simplified the offense for Fitzpatrick mid-season to help him out and that, and a very generous 2nd half schedule, are a huge reason for his late season surge.  I'm not even trying to use this as an insult to the guy, but he's nowhere near the cerebral Chad-like QB that people make him out to be.

[Maxman]

6 hours ago, Villain The Foe said:

Why he wasnt going through his progressions. 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000424725/article/jets-coaches-predetermined-throws-for-geno-smith

Jets coaches predetermined throws for Geno Smith

79

By Kevin Patra

Around the NFL writer

Published: Nov. 9, 2014 at 09:13 a.m.

Updated: Nov. 9, 2014 at 11:27 a.m.

Geno Smith will sit on the bench for just the second game of his career Sunday when the New York Jets host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The quarterback was yanked in Week 8 after throwing three terrible picks and was inactive last week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

While the front office is still invested in its second-round pick and wants to know whether he can be the future franchise quarterback, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said on NFL GameDay First that there is a fear that coaches might have stunted Smith's growth by dictating the quarterback's reads.

"Usually a quarterback is able to drop back, go through his reads then deliver the ball. I am told that Geno Smith was informed of his reads, told, 'You need to throw the ball here on certain plays,'" Rapoport said. "The most egregious example came on an interception on a pass intended for Percy Harvin that Stephon Gilmore, the Bills corner, picked off. Smith was told; 'This is where you need to throw the ball.' And obviously, for a quarterback who is now taking a breather last game and this game, may have hurt his development a little bit."

It's certainly an indictment on Smith's growth that coaches didn't trust him enough to make the proper reads. However, it's an even bigger indictment on a coaching staff that would insist on predetermining reads and throws pre-snap. The approach also partially explains why Smith seemed to regress this season.

Rex Ryan and his staff appear on the way out after an 1-8 start, and, while we love Ryan as a defensive play-caller, he has never quite gotten the offensive side figured out. 

The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews every Week 10 game and recaps the Browns' blowout win over the Bengals. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.

This reminds me of when Testaverde said he wasn't allowed to audible in the Hackett days. Insanity.

[RutgersJetFan]

That's three people. Glenn, I don't know how to put this, but I don't think you get how chess works.

[kelticwizard]

I went to a football board and a chess discussion broke out.

[Irish Jet]

Hilarious how many people on here think Enunwa's going to be an irrelevant part of this team. Some guys were even saying he wouldn't make the team. 

Guy has immense talent and is a nightmare to defend against. Genuinely excited to see how we use him this year, he improved quite significantly over the course of the season. 

[Smashmouth]

17 hours ago, AFJF said:

That's the upside....even if he keeps locking on to his first read, he should have some quality guys who can actually get open.  Now, if he hits them or not, that remains to be seen.

I don't think Geno will be any good, but I hope he will.  With Chan running the show, he should be a much better player.  Look at what Gailey got out of Jay Fiedler.

Then of course there are the young guys like Peake and Devin Smith who could benefit from Geno's arm strength.

exactly how many deep passes has Geno Smith completed in the NFL ?

[AFJF]

37 minutes ago, Smashmouth said:

exactly how many deep passes has Geno Smith completed in the NFL ?

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I'm sure he was one of the better passers in the league as a rookie on passes that traveled over 20 yards.  

So with more speed, more opportunities.

I can't see him not putting up better numbers with Chan running the offense.