The 59 mistakes of Brian Schottenheimer

By Joe Schackman

Three years into the Mark Sanchez era, the statistics show that the Jets win by playing ball-control offense. So why is Sanchez airing it out more and more?

Late in the fourth quarter of this past Saturday’s Jets-Giants game, the Jets' offense lined up on their opponent's one-yard line. A touchdown here would bring them within six points of the Giants and that much closer to clinching a playoff berth. Yet as the Jets put their goal line play in motion, a botched snap sent the ball tumbling to the ground and, eventually, into the hands of the Giants' linebackers. The drive was dead, and so was any hope of a comeback. Immediately the boos, criticism and hatred came pouring out of the Jets' faithful, a season's worth of emotions that rained down specifically on quarterback Mark Sanchez.

It's easy to blame Sanchez. He is the underachieving, pretty-boy quarterback for the underachieving New York Jets. The 2009 fifth overall pick was expected to bring glory to a team that hasn’t had a “premier” quarterback since their last pretty-boy icon, Joe Namath. Now well into his third year, Sanchez has certainly failed to live up to the expectations.

But he doesn't deserve all, or even most of the blame. If you want to find the real problem with the Jets' offense, look no further than offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. 

Schottenheimer, the son of legendary yet underachieving coach Marty Schotttenheimer, is simply a middle manager. He is not on the field and he is not the one throwing the passes. His job, like any manager, is to put his players/employees in a position to succeed. He must know his players’ strengths, weaknesses and limitations, and create a plan for success based on those characteristics. It's not his fault if his quarterback throws an interception, but it is his fault if the team should have never been throwing in that situation. 

Which brings us back to the Christmas Eve debacle of 2011.

Despite what Giants (or Jets fans for that matter) tell you, the score was close for almost the entire game. The Jets weren't playing frantic catch-up (as late as 2:13 left in the fourth quarter, a touchdown would have given them a one-point lead) and they sure didn't need to air it out early in a game that was stuck at 10-7 for what seemed like an eternity.

You wouldn't be able to tell that from Sanchez's final stat line, though, which showed a career-high 59 pass attempts.

The fact that he threw the ball 59 times in such a competitive contest is a complete failure of the coaching staff, and something past history tells us that Schottenheimer should have never let happen.

Through his first three seasons, Sanchez has started 51 games (this includes the playoffs). He is a career 30-21, giving him a winning percentage of 59%. Of those 51 games, Sanchez has thrown fewer than 30 passes a total of 24 times. In those 24 games, the Jets have a record of 17-7. On the other hand, they are 12-15 when he throws it 30 or more times.

This has nothing to do with yards, touchdowns, interceptions or even passing completions. It does not look at game situations or take into account whether the Jets jumped out to an early lead or faced an early deficit. It's nothing more than pass attempts and overall record. But those 24 games represent a significant sample size that includes a number of situations, including the Jets blowing out a team early, the Jets getting blown out early and close games. And the bottom line is this: Sanchez wins 70% of the games in which the Jets commit to the run, control his throws and depend on play-action passes. 

However, this hasn't stopped Schottenheimer from ramping up the air attack. In Sanchez's first year, he attempted 364 passes. That jumped to 507 in 2010, and he has already attempted 511 this year. Taking the ball out of the hands of the Jets' strong running game has also put more pressure on an offensive line that struggles with pass protection, especially at right tackle, where Wayne Hunter has allowed the second-most sacks in the NFL.

Is this what an ideal offense should look like under the direction of a franchise quarterback? Absolutely not. Every team wants a quarterback who can take over a game, especially in a league that is becoming increasingly pass oriented. But Sanchez is the Jets' quarterback, and no matter how many times Schottenheimer calls his number, he won’t turn into Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. 

But Sanchez has shown the potential for becoming a very good quarterback. He has the arm to make all the necessary throws, the athleticism to create with his feet and the confidence to play well down the stretch. At times, it's easy to forget it's just his third year in the league, the same point at which Drew Brees was in danger of being labeled a bust.

Brees spent his first mediocre years with the San Diego Chargers before breaking out in his fourth season. It was only when the Chargers let him go and he moved to New Orleans, Brees morphed into an elite quarterback. His quarterbacks coach during those years in San Diego? None other than Brian Schottenheimer.

There is a recipe for winning with Sanchez, but it doesn't involve abandoning the running game in favor of 59 passes. And after watching Schottenheimer consistently put his players in situations where they can't succeed, that recipe likely doesn't include him on the Jets' sideline.

That botched snap that sent Jets fans into a frenzy? After looking at the replay it become clear that Sanchez never even touched the ball. The center, Nick Mangold, snapped the ball directly into his thigh and it careened forward. Sanchez stood no chance. Sound familiar?