Morton treasures offense filled with NFL vagabonds

I T offense DOESN’Tis ranked really 30th make among sense. the The32 NFL Jets’ teams, averaging 273.7 yards over three games. Yet, as it heads into Sunday’s test against the Jaguars at Met Life Stadium, the offense is more of a threat than an afterthought.

It’s early in the season, but you have to like what you’ve seen from coordinator John Morton. Ignore the numbers. The offense is a work in progress and will be into 2018. What you like is Morton has gotten the most out of the talent he has to work with. Remember, this was supposed to be the worst offense in the history of the NFL, or at least that’s what was feared. Now the Jets are 1-2 heading into a home game against the Jaguars (2-1), and nobody will be covering their heads with paper bags.

“The whole thing is being consistent every single play,” Morton said this week. “I think we get better every single game.”

The Jets found their blueprint for success in a 20-6 win over the Dolphins last week: play great defense and be opportunistic on offense. The Jets defense held Miami to 30 yards rushing and 1-of-12 on thirddown conversations. That might be tough to duplicate against the Jags, but it affirms their potential.

Quarterback Josh McCown is doing his part, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes and limiting turnovers. The Jets have five overall.

“I think Josh is playing really well for us,” Morton said. “He’s taking care of the ball. When you can do that, you’re going to win ballgames.”

Morton is doing his part, too. You had to like when he called a deep pass to wide receiver Robby Anderson that resulted in a 69-yard touchdown against the Dolphins one play after Jets running back Bilal Powell had a 60-something-yard TD run called back because of a bogus penalty on center Wes Johnson. Morton didn’t pout. He went deep.

“When things don’t go right, just keep pulling the trigger,” Morton said.

You also had to like how the Jets twice took advantage of good field position. They scored a touchdown on their first series of the third quarter after taking possession at the Miami 49 following a 14-yard punt return. They added a field goal on their next possession after an interception by safety Terrence Brooks gave the Jets the ball at the Miami 49 again. Morton also found useful roles for tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who caught five passes for 31 yards after a twogame suspension, and Lawrence Thomas, a defensive lineman who got reps at fullback. You get the feeling Morton is just starting to figure out how to get the most out of his unit. “That’s the way I was taught,” the coach said this week. “You put guys in the right position to succeed. We just need to keep doing that and find our niche and find what guys can do what. We’re still learning what everyone can do.” It will take more than 20 points to win this week. The Jaguars ripped the Ravens 44-7 in London last week, and feature the league’s 13th ranked offense averaging 333.3 yards per game. The rushing attack is ranked fifth, producing 140 yards per game. Though Jacksonville’s offense has allowed a league-low two sacks, its defense is formidable, generating a league-leading 13 sacks and forcing eight turnovers. “That’s why they’re winning ballgames,” Morton said. “It’s a fast, tough defense. We definitely have a challenge this week.” It will be a challenge every week for the Jets’ offense. Its overall ranking probably won’t get much better than it is now, but Morton isn’t about stats and numbers. “The W matters to me,” he said. To get the “W,” the Jets will have to play good defense and as good as they possibly can on offense.