If the NFL is as big of a copycat league as many people say, then some teams have an interesting conundrum on their hands.
After years and years of pushing passing offenses to the chief focal point of any system, defenses have gotten smaller and faster to counter the quite ability that quarterbacks have at their disposal.
That's what makes the 2025 offseason for the New York Jets so intriguing. They appear to be building an offensive system that can perfectly counter the league's push to get smaller and more athletic.
Much like the Philadelphia Eagles in their run to Super Bowl LIX, the Jets are building their team around a physical running quarterback and a plethora of runners in the backfield that can make life miserable for linebackers across the board.
Their offensive line happens to be full of instant maulers across the board as well.
When the Jets signed Justin Fields to be their quarterback for the 2025 season, some fans collectively groaned that the former Ohio State signal caller's struggles to throw the ball at a competent rate will cap what New York does on offense this year.
But what if that's by design?
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What if New York tries to turn back the clock to run the ball better than anyone in the hopes they find the matchup nightmare other organizations now struggle to handle? Perhaps the Fields signing could be the perfect way for the Jets to build a power-running offense that defenses around the league are so ill-prepared to stop.
The Eagles were ranked 29th in the passing game last season despite having All-Pros all across the board. They ended up winning the Super Bowl because they played great defense, and ran the ball better than anyone.
In a copycat league, the Jets seem to be trying their hand at that same premise.
And the recent changes defenses have undergone may give New York a leg-up.
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This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM.