Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2015 12:29:42 GMT -5
The Jets haven't announced it yet, but Chan Gailey will be their new offensive coordinator. It is an interesting pick by new head coach Todd Bowles, for some of the reasons we will mention below.
But first, let's consider the mess Gailey has on his hands. The Jets fired coach Rex Ryan largely because their offense was a disaster for his final four seasons, 2011-14.
How much of a disaster? Well, consider where the Jets ranked from 2011-14 in the following key offensive categories:
• Yards: 25th, 30th, 25th, 22nd
• Points: 13th, 28th, 29th, 28th
• Passing yards: 21st, 30th, 31st, 32nd
• Interception rate: 22nd, 31st, 31st, 21st
• Third down conversions: 22nd, 20th, 13th, 20th
• Red-zone percentage: 1st, 25th, 27th, 32nd
• Football Outsiders' DVOA: 21st, 30th, 27th, 25th
Grim stuff.
A lot of this owes to the fact that the Jets' quarterback play was so wildly inconsistent over that time period, with Mark Sanchez in 2011-12 and Geno Smith in 2013-14.
If the Jets' quarterback, whoever it is, doesn't perform better in 2015, it won't really matter who the offensive coordinator is. Then again, the offensive coordinator can tailor his system, to put a flawed quarterback in better positions to succeed.
With that in mind, here are 10 things to know about Gailey, the man tasked with repairing the Jets' offense, while working for yet another defensive-minded head coach in this organization, Bowles.
1. He has some catching up to do. Gailey was out of football the past two seasons, after the Bills fired him following the 2012 season, his third year as their head coach. How much of an uphill battle does Gailey, 63, face in familiarizing himself again with the Jets' opposing personnel? The AFC East is not the same as when Gailey last coached in the division. Well, except for that Tom Brady guy.
2. His Buffalo offenses weren't great. The Bills ranked 25th, 14th and 19th in the NFL in yards during Gailey's three seasons. In points, they were 28th, 14th and 21st. Gailey went 4-12, 6-10 and 6-10 in that three-year stretch.
3. It's been a while since Gailey oversaw a productive NFL offense. He was Kansas City's coordinator in 2008, and had the same role with the Dolphins from 2000-01. In between, he was Georgia Tech's head coach. The Chiefs finished 24th in yards and 26th in points under Gailey. The Dolphins' yards/points rankings were 26th/16th and 21st/eighth with Gailey running their offense.
4. But Gailey has done it before. Consider that Gailey's past six NFL offenses (three years with the Bills, one with the Chiefs and two with the Dolphins) had the following DVOA rankings, as calculated by Football Outsiders, starting here with the 2012 Bills: 20th, 16th, 26th, 25th, 23rd and 19th. That's not good. But from 1996-99, Gailey spent two seasons as the Steelers' offensive coordinator and two as the Cowboys' head coach. Those teams ranked 12th, eighth, sixth and 11th in offensive DVOA. The 1997 Steelers finished sixth and seventh in the NFL in yards and points, with first-year starting quarterback Kordell Stewart. They were eighth in DVOA.
5. Gailey hasn't had great quarterbacks. (And he doesn't have one now, with the Jets.) We just mentioned Stewart. In 1996, the Steelers ranked 12th in DVOA, went 10-6 and made the playoffs, despite starting Mike Tomczak at quarterback. (Neil O'Donnell had just left for the Jets in free agency.) In 1997, the Steelers reached the AFC title game and went 11-5, despite Stewart being their quarterback. Yes, Gailey had Troy Aikman in Dallas in 1998 and 1999, which was the second-to-last year of Aikman's career. (Gailey's best statistical season was 1998, when the Cowboys were eighth in yards, ninth in points and sixth in DVOA.) But in Miami, Gailey's quarterback was Jay Fiedler. In Kansas City, it was Tyler Thigpen. In Buffalo, it was Ryan Fitzpatrick. So Gailey is used to coaching mediocre quarterbacks, which is exactly what Geno Smith has looked like through two seasons with the Jets.
6. Ryan Fitzpatrick peaked under Gailey. In 2012, the final year for both Fitzpatrick and Gailey in Buffalo, the quarterback threw 24 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, seven picks fewer than the threw the previous season. Yes, the Bills still had a bad year. But in Gailey's offense, Fitzpatrick looked like a legitimate NFL quarterback. Through his first five NFL seasons, 2005-09, Fitzpatrick hadn't done much of anything. But in 2010, his first year with Gailey, Fitzpatrick became the Bills' starter, and threw 23 touchdowns and 15 picks. In October of 2011, the Bills gave Fitzpatrick a contract extension with $24 million in guaranteed money. Fitzpatrick never panned out in Buffalo -- he was released after the 2012 season -- but Gailey helped him optimize his limited skills. Fitzpatrick, 32, has one year left on his two-year deal with Houston, which benched him this past season for Ryan Mallett. The Texans could very well release him, since they would save $3.25 million in salary cap space by doing so. Might Fitzpatrick reunite with Gailey in 2015? The Jets' new general manager, Mike Maccagnan, used to be Houston's director of college scouting, so he knows a bit about Fitzpatrick. He isn't the perfect option to challenge Smith this summer, but it's possible the Jets could bring him in.
7. C.J. Spiller also has fond memories of Gailey. And Spiller, the Bills' running back, is about to become a free agent. Spiller spent the first three years of his career in Gailey's offense. He boosted his yards per carry each year, from 3.8 to 5.2 to 6.0. The past two years, that number dipped to 4.6 and 3.8. Spiller's best year was Gailey's last in Buffalo: 207 carries for 1,244 yards and six touchdowns -- all career highs. The Jets seem likely to cut tailback Chris Johnson, a move that would save them $3.5 million in salary cap space. Power back Chris Ivory almost certainly will return for the final year of his three-year contract, even though his yards per carry dropped from 4.6 in 2013 to 4.1 in 2014. Might the Jets attempt to sign Spiller as a speed complement to Ivory's bullish style?
8. Gailey generally likes a spread-type system. More and more college and NFL offenses are going to spread schemes. If Gailey incorporates some spread offense tendencies into his system with the Jets, that could bode well for Smith. Considering how limited the quarterback free agent market is, there is a very good chance Smith could remain the Jets' starter in 2015, at least to begin the year. It all depends on how the draft plays out, and if Marcus Mariota and/or Jameis Winston is available when the Jets pick at No. 6. Mariota could face an uphill climb in adjusting to an NFL offense, after thriving in Oregon's up-tempo spread system. Smith, at West Virginia, also did very well in a spread offense. And then he struggled in Marty Mornhinweg's West Coast offense for most of the past two seasons. A return to a simplified spread-type system, under Gailey, could bode well for Smith.
9. He once matched up with Mike Maccagnan's team ... in Europe. In 1991, Maccagnan was the director of player personnel for the London Monarchs. They played in the World League of American Football. It was the inaugural season of the league, which would become NFL Europe. Maccagnan was just getting his start in professional football. Gailey was 39 and had just spent six seasons as an assistant for the Broncos, during which they played in three Super Bowls. Now, in 1991, Gailey was debuting as a pro head coach, with the Birmingham Fire. Maccagnan's team beat Gailey's in their only meeting of that 1991 season. London went on to win the league title. The Monarchs went 9-1 in the regular season, the Fire 5-5. Which should make for some fun reminiscing when Maccagnan and Gailey cross paths at One Jets Drive.
10. His real name isn't Chan. He was born Thomas Chandler Gailey Jr., in Gainesville, Ga. His father was a Marine who served in World War II, and later became a high school coach and mayor of Americus, Ga.
by Darryl Slater
But first, let's consider the mess Gailey has on his hands. The Jets fired coach Rex Ryan largely because their offense was a disaster for his final four seasons, 2011-14.
How much of a disaster? Well, consider where the Jets ranked from 2011-14 in the following key offensive categories:
• Yards: 25th, 30th, 25th, 22nd
• Points: 13th, 28th, 29th, 28th
• Passing yards: 21st, 30th, 31st, 32nd
• Interception rate: 22nd, 31st, 31st, 21st
• Third down conversions: 22nd, 20th, 13th, 20th
• Red-zone percentage: 1st, 25th, 27th, 32nd
• Football Outsiders' DVOA: 21st, 30th, 27th, 25th
Grim stuff.
A lot of this owes to the fact that the Jets' quarterback play was so wildly inconsistent over that time period, with Mark Sanchez in 2011-12 and Geno Smith in 2013-14.
If the Jets' quarterback, whoever it is, doesn't perform better in 2015, it won't really matter who the offensive coordinator is. Then again, the offensive coordinator can tailor his system, to put a flawed quarterback in better positions to succeed.
With that in mind, here are 10 things to know about Gailey, the man tasked with repairing the Jets' offense, while working for yet another defensive-minded head coach in this organization, Bowles.
1. He has some catching up to do. Gailey was out of football the past two seasons, after the Bills fired him following the 2012 season, his third year as their head coach. How much of an uphill battle does Gailey, 63, face in familiarizing himself again with the Jets' opposing personnel? The AFC East is not the same as when Gailey last coached in the division. Well, except for that Tom Brady guy.
2. His Buffalo offenses weren't great. The Bills ranked 25th, 14th and 19th in the NFL in yards during Gailey's three seasons. In points, they were 28th, 14th and 21st. Gailey went 4-12, 6-10 and 6-10 in that three-year stretch.
3. It's been a while since Gailey oversaw a productive NFL offense. He was Kansas City's coordinator in 2008, and had the same role with the Dolphins from 2000-01. In between, he was Georgia Tech's head coach. The Chiefs finished 24th in yards and 26th in points under Gailey. The Dolphins' yards/points rankings were 26th/16th and 21st/eighth with Gailey running their offense.
4. But Gailey has done it before. Consider that Gailey's past six NFL offenses (three years with the Bills, one with the Chiefs and two with the Dolphins) had the following DVOA rankings, as calculated by Football Outsiders, starting here with the 2012 Bills: 20th, 16th, 26th, 25th, 23rd and 19th. That's not good. But from 1996-99, Gailey spent two seasons as the Steelers' offensive coordinator and two as the Cowboys' head coach. Those teams ranked 12th, eighth, sixth and 11th in offensive DVOA. The 1997 Steelers finished sixth and seventh in the NFL in yards and points, with first-year starting quarterback Kordell Stewart. They were eighth in DVOA.
5. Gailey hasn't had great quarterbacks. (And he doesn't have one now, with the Jets.) We just mentioned Stewart. In 1996, the Steelers ranked 12th in DVOA, went 10-6 and made the playoffs, despite starting Mike Tomczak at quarterback. (Neil O'Donnell had just left for the Jets in free agency.) In 1997, the Steelers reached the AFC title game and went 11-5, despite Stewart being their quarterback. Yes, Gailey had Troy Aikman in Dallas in 1998 and 1999, which was the second-to-last year of Aikman's career. (Gailey's best statistical season was 1998, when the Cowboys were eighth in yards, ninth in points and sixth in DVOA.) But in Miami, Gailey's quarterback was Jay Fiedler. In Kansas City, it was Tyler Thigpen. In Buffalo, it was Ryan Fitzpatrick. So Gailey is used to coaching mediocre quarterbacks, which is exactly what Geno Smith has looked like through two seasons with the Jets.
6. Ryan Fitzpatrick peaked under Gailey. In 2012, the final year for both Fitzpatrick and Gailey in Buffalo, the quarterback threw 24 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, seven picks fewer than the threw the previous season. Yes, the Bills still had a bad year. But in Gailey's offense, Fitzpatrick looked like a legitimate NFL quarterback. Through his first five NFL seasons, 2005-09, Fitzpatrick hadn't done much of anything. But in 2010, his first year with Gailey, Fitzpatrick became the Bills' starter, and threw 23 touchdowns and 15 picks. In October of 2011, the Bills gave Fitzpatrick a contract extension with $24 million in guaranteed money. Fitzpatrick never panned out in Buffalo -- he was released after the 2012 season -- but Gailey helped him optimize his limited skills. Fitzpatrick, 32, has one year left on his two-year deal with Houston, which benched him this past season for Ryan Mallett. The Texans could very well release him, since they would save $3.25 million in salary cap space by doing so. Might Fitzpatrick reunite with Gailey in 2015? The Jets' new general manager, Mike Maccagnan, used to be Houston's director of college scouting, so he knows a bit about Fitzpatrick. He isn't the perfect option to challenge Smith this summer, but it's possible the Jets could bring him in.
7. C.J. Spiller also has fond memories of Gailey. And Spiller, the Bills' running back, is about to become a free agent. Spiller spent the first three years of his career in Gailey's offense. He boosted his yards per carry each year, from 3.8 to 5.2 to 6.0. The past two years, that number dipped to 4.6 and 3.8. Spiller's best year was Gailey's last in Buffalo: 207 carries for 1,244 yards and six touchdowns -- all career highs. The Jets seem likely to cut tailback Chris Johnson, a move that would save them $3.5 million in salary cap space. Power back Chris Ivory almost certainly will return for the final year of his three-year contract, even though his yards per carry dropped from 4.6 in 2013 to 4.1 in 2014. Might the Jets attempt to sign Spiller as a speed complement to Ivory's bullish style?
8. Gailey generally likes a spread-type system. More and more college and NFL offenses are going to spread schemes. If Gailey incorporates some spread offense tendencies into his system with the Jets, that could bode well for Smith. Considering how limited the quarterback free agent market is, there is a very good chance Smith could remain the Jets' starter in 2015, at least to begin the year. It all depends on how the draft plays out, and if Marcus Mariota and/or Jameis Winston is available when the Jets pick at No. 6. Mariota could face an uphill climb in adjusting to an NFL offense, after thriving in Oregon's up-tempo spread system. Smith, at West Virginia, also did very well in a spread offense. And then he struggled in Marty Mornhinweg's West Coast offense for most of the past two seasons. A return to a simplified spread-type system, under Gailey, could bode well for Smith.
9. He once matched up with Mike Maccagnan's team ... in Europe. In 1991, Maccagnan was the director of player personnel for the London Monarchs. They played in the World League of American Football. It was the inaugural season of the league, which would become NFL Europe. Maccagnan was just getting his start in professional football. Gailey was 39 and had just spent six seasons as an assistant for the Broncos, during which they played in three Super Bowls. Now, in 1991, Gailey was debuting as a pro head coach, with the Birmingham Fire. Maccagnan's team beat Gailey's in their only meeting of that 1991 season. London went on to win the league title. The Monarchs went 9-1 in the regular season, the Fire 5-5. Which should make for some fun reminiscing when Maccagnan and Gailey cross paths at One Jets Drive.
10. His real name isn't Chan. He was born Thomas Chandler Gailey Jr., in Gainesville, Ga. His father was a Marine who served in World War II, and later became a high school coach and mayor of Americus, Ga.
by Darryl Slater
