Are you ready to dominate your fantasy football leagues? You will with the Fantasy Alarm NFL Draft Guide

More traditional fantasy football guides provide you with just the basics. You get your fantasy football rankings, your 2025 fantasy football projectionsNFL player profiles, some fantasy draft strategy articles, and, if you’re lucky, some fantasy football sleepers, some busts, and maybe even a fantasy football mock draft. You’ll also get plenty of coverage on NFL rookies as well. Our fantasy football draft guide gives you all of that, but we are hardly traditional.

We’ve built champions over the years here at Fantasy Alarm, and the main reason for that is how we teach you to be a better fantasy football player. We don’t just hand you a list of names and tell you to draft them at their current fantasy football ADP. We also give you the why, and that’s where these NFL coaching breakdowns come in. 

It’s one thing to draft a player because someone tells you they like them. It’s another to see exactly how a player is expected to be used in a team’s offense. And not only will this help you on Draft Day, but the knowledge you glean from these articles will also help you be a much stronger player on your fantasy football weekly waiver wire.

Why You Should Learn Each Team’s NFL Coaching System for Fantasy Football

Over the years, the growth of statistical analysis in fantasy football has been incredible to watch, with numerous websites digging into some pretty in-depth metrics to use when analyzing the performance of both NFL teams and their players. However, as we have routinely pointed out, there are many pitfalls when looking at year-to-year numbers. Things change at a rapid rate in the NFL. Not only is the player movement abundant, but the revolving doors we’ve seen for NFL coaches and their coordinators seem to be in a perpetual spin. This year alone, we’ve seen seven new NFL coaches named at the head coach spot, with 13 changes at offensive coordinator and 11 new defensive coordinators. Not as many as we saw last year, but still pretty close.

As a result, comparing performances between the different seasons can be an exercise in futility. A running back who found success against a particular team one year cannot be guaranteed success the following season, as not only could the opposition change defensive coordinators and NFL systems, but said running back’s team could have gone through its own changes as well. Or, that player could be on an entirely new team and thus play in a completely different NFL system.

There’s that word again – system. We use it often. We may also refer to it as a scheme, but the fact remains that a team’s system probably has a greater impact on a player’s production than even that player’s level of talent. You can take a running back with mid-tier talent like Chuba Hubbard and watch him excel in a system that caters to his strengths. Conversely, you can take a highly-talented player like Breece Hall, put him in an NFL system that doesn’t feature his strengths, and watch his overall production suffer, as we witnessed last year with Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett running the Jets. This is why we urge you to study each and every team’s system, both on offense and defense. 

From a seasonal fantasy standpoint, it will help you make the right selections on draft day. When you are looking at the Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet and see two players you like in the same tier, knowledge of the NFL system in which they play can prove to be the deciding factor. From an NFL DFS standpoint, you’ll have a much better idea as to which offenses match up better against a particular opponent and be able to construct your lineup accordingly. Before we dive into the individual teams, let’s get the basic vocabulary down so that when we dig deeper within each team, your base knowledge makes it easier to follow.

NFL Systems, Schemes & Types: Offense

West Coast Offense

Derived by Bill Walsh, this scheme puts more of an emphasis on passing than running and is focused on short, horizontal passing routes to stretch out the defense and ultimately open things up for longer run plays and longer passes. Many modern West Coast offenses will utilize a strong ground attack along with the short passes (the infamous dink-and-dunk) to move the chains, but also to set up play action for more chances downfield. Plays are called using a long string of words and numbers such as “flip left double-X jet 42 counter naked seven Z quarter.”

Air Coryell (AKA Vertical or Timing Offense)

A combination of both deep and mid-range passing in conjunction with power running. The system uses a lot of motion, and the passing is based on timing and rhythm, with the quarterback actually throwing to a spot rather than to a specific player, which helps to maximize yards gained after the catch. Plays are called with a three-digit number, such as “jet dart 272 Y-flat train.”

Erhardt-Perkins Offense

The original formula, which dates back to the 1970s Patriots, focused on a run-first offense with a simplified, quarterback-friendly passing game. However, when Charlie Weis joined New England, he used it as a building block to develop a more modern version, which maintains the run but now enhances the multiple passing options and possibilities within a given play. Running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends aren’t as much positions as they are labels for where a player lines up most of the time. Plays are called using short phrases and code words such as “Circus/Kings.”

Spread Offense

The Spread offense is designed to do exactly as it sounds. The scheme spreads out the offense with four or five receivers, which forces the defense to match. The personnel on the field rarely change, so the offense can wear the defense down, especially with no-huddle sprinkled in.

Air Raid Offense

The system is notable for its heavy focus on passing and, if implemented in full, could result in 65-75% passing plays throughout the season. This is an up-tempo, no-huddle scheme where the quarterback has the freedom to audible to any play based on what the defense is showing at the line of scrimmage. 

One interesting aspect you will see here as well is that the offensive linemen are not bunched together like you see in a conventional offense. They are split about a half-yard apart, which is supposed to cause defensive linemen to run further to get to the quarterback and allow for short, quick passing to neutralize blitzes. It’s also used to open up wider passing lanes, which should prevent passes from being knocked down or intercepted at the line of scrimmage.

Pistol Offense

An offensive scheme that became more popular in the NFL with the rise of more athletic, mobile quarterbacks. It’s less of a base offense and more of an adaptation, as its formation is a hybrid of single-back formations and shotgun. The premise of the scheme places the quarterback and running back closer to the line of scrimmage (about four yards behind instead of the usual seven), which should give the quarterback an easier read and less time for the defense to react. Its success really depends on the quarterback’s ability to read the defense properly.

Types Of Offensive NFL Personnel Packages

11-Personnel

Three receivers and one tight end on the line with one running back in the backfield; this creates four vertical threats and seven run gaps at the line of scrimmage. 

12-Personnel

Two receivers and two tight ends on the line with one running back in the backfield; you still have four vertical threats while the two tight ends create eight run gaps at the line of scrimmage.

21-Personnel

Two receivers and one tight end on the line with two running backs (one is often a fullback) in the backfield; the blocking back creates a movable gap as defenses do not know where he will insert into the line of scrimmage to block. 

22-Personnel

One receiver and two tight ends on the line with two running backs in the backfield; very similar to 21-Personnel, but actually creates eight run gaps, four on each side of the center.

10-Personnel

Four receivers, no tight end, and one running back in the backfield; puts plenty of speed on the field, opens up the field for mobile QBs and RPO work.

20-Personnel

Three receivers, no tight ends, and two running backs in the backfield; not often used, but teams with string pass-catching running backs may employ from time to time.

NFL Systems, Schemes & Types: Defense

3-4

Focus on size and length across the defensive line, inside linebackers ballhawk, outside linebackers make plays as edge defenders, and there is a heavy use of defensive backs to cover in the open field, which helps disguise the blitz better.

4-3

With four linemen and only three linebackers, the defenders are each responsible for covering a gap during a run and will usually set up with a closed formation on the opposing tight end. Pregame prep and opposing personnel will determine which side the line will close if facing a two-tight-end setup.

Cover-0

Also known as man coverage, it is when the defense blitzes six defenders and leaves a mix of five defensive backs and linebackers to each lock onto one route runner. This can also be broken down into Press Man Coverage, which is when the defender lines up a yard or two off the receiver to disrupt his jump off the line, and Off-Man Coverage, where the defender gives the receiver a bit more room and stays with him for his route.

Cover-1

Similar to Cover-0, but the defense also leaves one defender in the middle of the field to assess where the extra help is needed.

Cover-2

A two-deep, five-under zone defense is used to take away vertical concepts while forcing the ball underneath to the flat or checkdown option.

Cover-3

A three-deep, four-under zone defense where both cornerbacks drop to the outside zones with the free safety playing the deep middle.

Cover-4

Four deep defenders, two corners protecting the sideline zones, and two safeties to cover the middle of the field.

NFL Coaches + Fantasy Football

One more thing to add: in the charts you will see below, the numbers are where that coach’s team ranked in each of the categories listed. The ranks are there for NFL coaches and offensive coordinators (passing game and run game coordinators as well), so you can see how they have progressed over the years. If their job with the team ranked lower than that of a coordinator, there is no rank given, as they were simply just a cog in the machine. If there is anything noteworthy to add beyond that, it will be in the offensive breakdown.

You with me? You have the basics down? Great. Now let’s get to it, starting with the AFC East division!

2025 Fantasy Football: AFC East NFL Coaching Systems

Buffalo Bills

Head CoachSean McDermott9th year
Offensive CoordinatorJoe Brady2nd year
Defensive CoordinatorBobby Babich2nd year
Offensive SystemErhardt-Perkins 
Blocking SchemePower Blocking w/ Zone Concepts 
Sean McDermott -- HC    Joe Brady -- OC   
Category202220232024 Category202220232024
Points262 PointsQB COACH62
Pace72424 PaceQB COACH2424
Pass Attempts81626 Pass AttemptsQB COACH1626
Passing Yards789 Passing YardsQB COACH89
Rushing Attempts1559 Rushing AttemptsQB COACH59
Rushing Yards779 Rushing YardsQB COACH79

Bills Offensive Breakdown

When the Bills snatched up Joe Brady to serve as their quarterbacks coach in 2022, they knew they were locking in one of the most exciting and innovative, up-and-coming offensive minds in the game. Credited with delivering a National Championship to LSU via the trio of Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, and Ja'Marr Chase, Brady landed the offensive coordinator job in Carolina in 2020, where he implemented his scheme under head coach Matt Rhule. But when fickle owner Dave Tepper pulled the plug on his own collegiate coach experiment, the Bills quickly pounced and brought Brady to Buffalo. He eventually took over the offense midway through the 2023 season when the team fired Ken Dorsey, and we’ve watched his scheme shine ever since.

While Brady’s offense has been great for the overall production, how the fantasy game has been affected is where we need to focus. The scheme is based on the Erhardt-Perkins and establishes the run first, and uses it to set up the pass. Last season was great for James Cook as the Bills offense ran the ninth-most running plays, which yielded the ninth-most rushing yards and the most rushing touchdowns. Granted, Josh Allen ran 12 of them in himself, but Cook’s 16 rushing touchdowns tied the team record set by O.J. Simpson in 1975. The Bills will continue with the run again this year, but don’t be surprised to see Ray Davis get a little more work, particularly between the tackles. Cook thrives in the outside-zone scheme while Davis looks great running it up the gut when the Bills' offensive line is in its power/gap blocking mode.

The passing scheme is where it gets a little more complicated for fantasy owners as Brady likes to deploy a number of pass-catchers from his stable of wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs. Yes, the Bills threw deep at a surprising rate at times last year, but those plays were routinely set up by a number of short and intermediate crossing routes. This helps maintain Allen’s accuracy numbers and moves the ball up and down the field fairly quickly, but it also has Allen spreading the ball out a lot more to his weapons.

Without an alpha-receiver like he used to have with Stefon Diggs, Allen goes through all of his progressions to find the open man. Khalil Shakir has blossomed into his favorite target, but he works in very much the same way as other receivers like Elijah Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Joshua Palmer, as well as tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. He will continue to take deeper shots downfield, which has us looking more at second-year wideout Keon Coleman more, but the increased rushing combined with this style of passing has seen a drop in the number of big-passing games (300+ passing yards) for Allen. He’s made up for the reduction in passing yards with his rushing touchdowns, but like any mobile quarterback, the rushing attempts decline as they get older.

Overall, this scheme will remain highly productive both on the ground and in the air. Allen remains a top-five fantasy quarterback thanks to his rushing upside and touchdown count, though both could continue to drop a little this season. Investing in both Cook (so long as he doesn’t continue to hold out) and Davis should prove positive, but be careful with the receivers. Shakir makes for a strong PPR option, and Keon Coleman might land that “better in best ball” label, but sorting through the rest could be a bit more difficult.  

Bills Defensive Breakdown

  • Defensive Front: 4-3
  • Secondary: Cover-3 Primary Coverages
    • Man Coverage: 21.2% (23rd)
    • Zone Coverage: 72.3% (9th)

The defense is where you see more of head coach Sean McDermott’s fingerprints, though he does afford his coordinators the freedom they need to get the job done. The 4-3 defensive front is a trademark of McDermott’s defenses because he doesn’t like to run blitzes as much as he did back in his earlier coaching days. He likes his linebackers to drop back into coverage and let the front-four apply the majority of the pressure. Ed Oliver plays a key role here, and the addition of Joey Bosa should be a huge help. Suspensions to Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi are going to hurt through the first six games of the season, but rookie Landon Jackson is expected to help pick up the slack. Once they are firing on all cylinders, this pass-rush is going to be a tough one with which to contend.

As for the secondary, when the Bills made the switch from Leslie Frazier to Bobby Babich last season, they switched from a cover-2 base to a primary use of a Cover-3 zone. This defense is fairly complicated because McDermott and Babich do a fantastic job of disguising coverage. They like to lure the opposing quarterback into thinking he is seeing one thing and switch it up immediately once the ball is snapped. All 11 players must be in tune with each other when that switch happens, as defenders’ responsibilities in coverage can break down if they’re not all on the same page. They’ve had some issues over the middle with their safeties, but bringing back corner Tre’Davious White and drafting a strong cover guy like Maxwell Hairston should help.  

Miami Dolphins

Head CoachMike McDaniel4th year
Offensive CoordinatorsFrank Smith4th year
Defensive CoordinatorAnthony Weaver2nd year
Offensive SystemWest Coast Offense 
Blocking SchemeWide Zone w/ Power/Gap Mix 
Mike McDaniel-- HC    Frank Smith -- OC   
Category202220232024 Category202220232024
Points11222 Points11222
Pace212527 Pace212527
Pass Attempts13208 Pass Attempts13208
Passing Yards4115 Passing Yards4115
Rushing Attempts311519 Rushing Attempts311519
Rushing Yards25621 Rushing Yards25621

Dolphins Offensive Breakdown

When Mike McDaniel first arrived in Miami, he was tabbed as something of a wunderkind. He spent his time learning under Kyle Shanahan, helped perfect that offense in San Francisco, and then brought the scheme to Miami, where it proved to be an instant success. But just like Nate from Ted Lasso (if you haven’t seen it, you better start binging it now), McDaniel the Wunderkind may have met his own downfall by buying into his own hype and press. That’s not to say this offense is going downhill, but it is definitely stale and the bloom has fallen off the rose just a bit.

McDaniel runs a west coast style offense that uses the run to set up the pass, and while he will add in elements of power/gap blocking for inside runs, the primary blocking scheme is that of a wide zone. Typical outside zone schemes have the offensive lineman moving laterally and pushing the runner to the outside edge of the tackle, where he can then push up the field. Wide zone stretches the defense horizontally more so that when the runner is pushed to the outside edge of the tackle, he has the option to either keep going towards the sidelines or cut back to the inside, depending on where the lane opens widest. Utilizing fullback Alec Ingold as the lead blocker helps to identify which lanes are best to follow, and De’Von Achane has found tremendous success here. 

Keep in mind that McDaniel likes to rotate his running backs. Achane was routinely paired with Raheem Mostert, and there is no reason to believe second-year running back Jaylen Wright won’t be heavily involved filling Mostert’s shoes. Achane will lead this backfield and be the primary, but McDaniel is a big fan of Wright’s speed as well as his power, so expect his involvement to tick off the Achane fantasy owners. 

McDaniel’s passing attack is a pure West Coast style with a lot of RPO elements involved. He likes to use a lot of short, high-percentage passes – mostly quick slants and crossing routes- that get the ball out of Tua Tagovailoa’s hands quickly and into the hands of his play-making receivers. Picking up yards after the catch is a major function of this passing game, which is why the speed of the receivers is so important. It’s one of the reasons most fantasy owners elevate Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle but choose not to draft Tua. McDaniel wants him to get rid of the ball in a timely fashion in an effort to avoid taking any unnecessary hits, and if he can lead his receivers properly, the yards will follow.

 Despite last year’s struggles, Hill should be featured again and, if he can stay healthy, should provide strong WR1 production. There is risk involved, but the ceiling is so high, the gamble isn’t a bad one. Waddle has been up-and-down over the last two seasons, dealing with injuries of his own and inconsistent play. He has the talent, but fantasy owners are still waiting for that big breakthrough. Maybe it comes this year in the wake of the Jonny Smith trade. The tight end shone bright last year when Hill and Waddle struggled, but replacing him with Darren Waller might put more of an onus on Waddle to step up. Can they? Sure. But this is starting to look like a make-or-break season for the group, so the pressure is on.

Dolphins Defensive Breakdown

  • Defensive Front: 3-4 base with 3-3-5 elements
  • Secondary: Cover-3 with Two High Safety
    • Man Coverage: 23.6% (25th)
    • Zone Coverage: 74.7% (12th)

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver did a great job rebuilding this defense after so much personnel turnover in the offseason. He successfully focused on stopping the run, but is now dealing with the loss of DT Calais Campbell, who was a cornerstone of the three-man front. They added first-round pick Kenneth Grant to help make up for it, but we might see Weaver use his linebackers up front a little more than what we saw last season. This is why Weaver likes to implement a 3-3-5 formation. If he needs the added pressure, he’ll keep those linebackers in, and with the extra defensive back, the coverage in the secondary doesn’t lapse. Of course, that also hinges on the health of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. If they’re not on the field, the Dolphins will struggle to get to the quarterback, something they seriously lacked last season.

The secondary is going to be a continued work in progress. Typically, Weaver likes to use man-coverage on the outside and have his safeties in a zone to lend to coverage flexibility and to handle the mobile quarterbacks who take off running in the middle of the field. Weaver’s time spent in Baltimore has afforded him the knowledge of how to stop someone like Lamar Jackson. However, the team traded away Jalen Ramsey and is now left with some inexperience on the outside, but a veteran safety in Minkah Fitzpatrick to help Ashtyn Davis patrol the middle of the field. Are they robbing Peter to pay Paul? Probably, but having a savvy veteran like Fitzpatrick should allow them to float safety help to the outside when it is really needed.   

New England Patriots

Head CoachMike Vrabel1st year
Offensive CoordinatorJosh McDaniels1st year
Defensive CoordinatorTerrell Williams1st year
Offensive SystemErhardt-Perkins w/ Spread Elements 
Blocking SchemePower Blocking w/ Zone Concepts 
Mike Vrabel -- HC    Josh McDaniels -- OC   
Category2022 (TEN - HC)2023 (TEN - HC)2024 (CLE) Category2022 (LV - HC)2023 (LV - HC)2024
Points2827CONSULTANT Points1223N/A
Pace3031CONSULTANT Pace2422N/A
Pass Attempts3031CONSULTANT Pass Attempts1222N/A
Passing Yards3029CONSULTANT Passing Yards1123N/A
Rushing Attempts1121CONSULTANT Rushing Attempts2127N/A
Rushing Yards1317CONSULTANT Rushing Yards1730N/A

Patriots Offensive Breakdown

No Tom Brady and no playoff appearances since the 2021 season? No problem. Owner Bob Kraft simply decided to go retro and bring back elements of those championship teams from the early 2000s to try and restore greatness to the organization once again. Former linebacker Mike Vrabel returns as the new head coach after stints in Houston, Tennessee, and Cleveland, and he brought in Josh McDaniels, who has already twice served in New England as their offensive coordinator. But while the energy and vibes are retro, the question of whether they can return this team to glory stares us right in the face.

Vrabel is hands-off with the offense, so this is really McDaniels’ show. We’ve seen him run a variety of iterations of his overall scheme, but we can probably look more to what he was trying to do with the Patriots back in 2020 when he had Cam Newton. Current quarterback Drake Maye has more attributes similar to Newton than he does Brady, so the work on the ground is going to be key. McDaniels will utilize elements of a spread offense like he did in his earlier time with the Patriots, but we should expect to see a lot of RPO work. His receivers will do a lot of blocking, but should also be able to find the gaps over the middle of the field to give Maye the ability to dump it off downfield. Stefon Diggs is a great pick-up for what the Patriots want to do here in the middle of the field, while guys like Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte stretch the field vertically.

The ground game is going to be crucial here. Obviously, we’ll see Maye use his legs, and both Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson will be utilized in the heavy RPO work. But one element to check in with here is the blocking scheme. McDaniels uses more power/gap blocking and will splash in elements of outside zone work. This could mean a bit of a resurgence for Stevenson, who never really looked comfortable when the Patriots implemented so many zone concepts last year. He is very much a north-south runner and could take a step forward, provided his fumbling doesn’t pull him off the field.

That doesn’t mean we won’t see a lot of Henderson here. Yes, he thrives in the outside zone, which is why we expect McDaniels to weave in elements of it throughout the game, but he also has experience in the power/gap, as Chip Kelly used it a lot down the stretch at Ohio State. We should also see him deployed as a pass-catcher. Most Patriot fans will ask if he’s the next James White, a question that gets asked every single year by fantasy owners, but he should be deployed more often than just as a third-down pass-catcher.

Overall, this offense should be dramatically improved over last year’s version. McDaniels is embracing the mobility of his young quarterback while also nurturing his passing work downfield and ability to read defenses. Vrabel brings them back to the hardcore rushing roots that helped Brady back in the day, and fantasy owners should be able to find plenty of legitimate weapons to use in their leagues.

Patriots Defensive Breakdown

  • Defensive Front: 3-4 base with multi-front looks
  • Secondary: Mix of Man & Zone coverage
    • Man Coverage: 43.3% (3rd)
    • Zone Coverage: 55.3% (31st)

Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams like versatility with their defense. The base will be 3-4, but you can expect them to use plenty of multi-front looks depending on the situation. The key here is the size and strength of the defensive line. The Patriots brought in 6’3”, 300-pound former Eagles DT Milton Williams and 6’2”, 330-pound former Cardinal DT Khyiris Tonga to join Christian Barmore, who is also ginormous, and that threesome should clog the middle enough to allow the linebackers to either fall back into coverage or work the pass-rush on the outside.

As for the secondary, we can expect a hybrid of both man and zone coverage concepts. The Patriots ran a ton of man-coverage last year thanks to the strengths of Christian Gonzalez, and we expect that to continue as they brought in Carlton Davis, who is used to playing more in man than in zone. But the safeties and the linebackers are more likely to be in some sort of matched zone depending on the opposition. With Gonzalez shadowing the opposition’s top receiver, the rest of the defense can move around the different zones based on the routes typically being run and move their strongest cover guys into the high-trafficked areas. This does require a lot of versatility and strong communication between the defenders, so we could see some early-season growing pains.  

New York Jets

Head CoachAaron Glenn1st year
Offensive CoordinatorTanner Engstrand1st year
Defensive CoordinatorSteve Wilks1st year
Offensive SystemErhardt-Perkins w/ Spread Elements 
Blocking SchemeZone/Power Gap Hybrid 
Aaron Glenn -- HC    Tanner Engstrand -- OC   
Category2022 (DET)2023 (DET)2024 (DET) Category2022 (DET)2023 (DET)2024 (DET)
PointsDCDCDC PointsTE COACHPASS COORD.PASS COORD.
PaceDCDCDC PaceTE COACHPASS COORD.PASS COORD.
Pass AttemptsDCDCDC Pass AttemptsTE COACHPASS COORD.PASS COORD.
Passing YardsDCDCDC Passing YardsTE COACHPASS COORD.PASS COORD.
Rushing AttemptsDCDCDC Rushing AttemptsTE COACHPASS COORD.PASS COORD.
Rushing YardsDCDCDC Rushing YardsTE COACHPASS COORD.PASS COORD.

Jets Offensive Breakdown

The Jets, thankfully, got themselves a makeover in the offseason and actually have some hope here for fantasy owners. New head coach Aaron Glenn is a defensive-minded guy and will be hands-off with regard to the offense and its new scheme. That job goes to Tanner Engstrand, who has spent the past several years working under Ben Johnson in Detroit and served as his passing game coordinator over the past couple of seasons. Given the nature of the copycat offenses throughout the NFL, there is an expectation that Engstrand will bring that Lions offense to the Jets. While that may be true, the Jets' new OC already has a few important tweaks in mind.

We can expect this offense to lead with the run and use it to set up the pass, something Engstrand is used to with the Lions. The changes from what we saw in Detroit, however, obviously start at the quarterback position, where the Jets brought in Justin Fields, who plays a much different game from that of Jared Goff, and his ability to run the football himself will be a featured asset. Engstrand won’t run as many formations or personnel groupings as Johnson, and he will dramatically increase the amount of RPO work we see. That should drive defenses crazy as Fields is enough of a threat on his own, but the ability to pitch it back to a runner as strong as Breece Hall is going to make this ground attack very difficult to stop. 

Now, we should also expect to see a fair amount of Braelon Allen when the Jets are using more power/gap concepts on the offensive line. He was strong on the power runs last season, and considering Hall is in the final year of his contract, they want to make sure Allen feels very much a part of this offense. The only kicker here is that the Jets do not want to telegraph their plays with their personnel choices, so they are going to have to use Allen and Hall in a variety of plays.

As for the passing attack, again, the heavy RPO scheme will dictate a lot of what the Jets do overall. Running the football will open up play-action downfield, but the RPO work and Fields being on the move so much is going to leave things fluid. Engstrand wants to use a lot of pre-snap movement and misdirection to move the coverage one way while they go the other, whether it’s Fields rolling out and running himself or setting up in a newly-created pocket to look further downfield. Garrett Wilson’s familiarity with Fields should help, and new tight end Mason Taylor should be a heavily leaned-on target as well. We know his passing work hasn’t been lauded over the years, but Engstrand is designing everything around his quarterback’s strengths, and that should help with the production on the field.

Jets Defensive Breakdown

  • Defensive Front: 4-3
  • Secondary: Cover-3 and Cover-4
    • Man Coverage: 36.6% (7th)
    • Zone Coverage: 62.9% (25th)

While Aaron Glenn is a defensive specialist, he brought in veteran coordinator and coach Steve Wilks, who most recently spent a year with the San Francisco 49ers. They share a lot of similarities with how they like to see coverage in the secondary, but Wilks prefers a less conventional wide-nine formation up front. The wide-nine is a tough one to pull off without being overly susceptible to the run. It’s where you have the defensive line spread out horizontally so that the ends are on the outside of the tackles. If you don’t have some big-bodied run-stuffers in the middle, then a patient running back, you look to the outside first, can cut back easily into the open running lanes. The Jets have Quinnen Williams on the interior, which should help, but it can still be a risky proposition.

As for the secondary, Glenn prefers the Cover3, but Wilks will trickle in some Cover-4 zones as well. Both are designed to take away the deep pass and force the opposition to run shorter routes. Wilks likes having more defensive backs on the field and prefers to enhance the coverage rather than worry about the pass rush. That’s fine if you have lockdown corners, but aside from Sauce Gardner, the Jets need some help. They lost D.J. Reed to free agency, and you can expect opposing teams to look away from Gardner and attack the other side of the field. If former Ravens CB Brandon Stephens plays like he did last year, targeting wide receivers facing the Jets could be a thing.

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