Frank Reich Must Prove Willing to Make Changes for Jets' Offensive Philosophy

Former Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville once coined the NFL the "Not For Long league" when arguing with a referee in the 1980s.

In many ways, that lesson is that players and coaches know that their dominance always has an expiration date. For some, though, it's a lesson in understanding how things constantly move from a schematic standpoint.

What works some years is normally solved at a faster rate the next. From the read-option-based offenses of the 2010s to the RPO-laden run of the 2020s, offensive philosophies shift with the times. Having good play-callers, or those who can be ahead of the curve, separates the great teams from those that struggle.

The New York Jets have struggled mightily with keeping up with modern trends. It's why they hope new offensive coordinator Frank Reich can modernize Gang Green's offensive philosophy this year.

But as Reich makes his own return to the NFL, the former quarterback must show he's ready for the changing times as well.

Frank Reich's push to diversify Jets' offensive philosophy

At the height of his coaching career, Reich was seen as an excellent offensive game planner and play-caller with the Philadelphia Eagles and for a time with the Indianapolis Colts. By the time his run ended with the Colts, though, and a bit more with the Carolina Panthers, one thing became clear:

His offensive philosophy wasn't just flawed. It had become stale for the modern game.

After a short stint leading Stanford University last season, Reich was hired by the Jets to run their 2026 offense. New York needed a veteran play-caller after finishing dead last in the league in passing (140.3 ypg) during the 2025 season, as well as fourth-worst in total yards and points (17.6 ppg).

The good news for Reich is that he received an influx of talent this offseason. From a new quarterback in Geno Smith to the addition of several offensive weapons from the NFL Draft, the Jets offense has the kind of talent on paper to produce far more efficiently than in previous seasons.

With that, Reich knows the team's philosophy will need a shift as well.

It's certainly going to be no secret or surprise to say that we're going to want to run the football, and so we'll continue to emphasize that, Reich said. And these guys ran the ball pretty well last year, so we'll build on that. But you also have to find ways to be dynamic in the passing game and be excellent in situational football, and the way to do that is to create problems that the defenses can't solve.

You do that schematically, you do that personnel-wise. Those are the things that we're focused on as a coaching staff and that we'll work with the players on.
Frank Reich on Jets' offense

The most important thing an offensive play-caller can do for his team is to tailor the scheme to the personnel already available. With two quality tight ends on the roster, for example, the Jets should push for more 12 personnel this season than in previous years.

A top running back in Breece Hall should also push New York to use more screen passes and quick hitters to get the ball in their best player's hands.

These are things that may seem simple, but have not always been utilized by the Jets over the last few seasons. If Reich wants to prove the game has not passed him by, then updating his philosophy to match the team's personnel is the bare minimum.

The results, as is the hope, will soon follow.

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